"5 GHz Wi-Fi is always better"
lorenetworkingISP & telecom
Higher bands carry more data but die faster through walls and distance. 5 GHz wins next to the router; 2.4 GHz often wins two rooms away - it is physics, not quality tiers.
Free-space path loss grows with frequency, and attenuation through obstacles compounds it - the propagation trade-off is written into the 802.11 band plans themselves; band steering exists to pick per situation.
Disputed / commonly mistold A popular version of this story is inaccurate - see the note above.
Sources
- IEEE 802.11 band propagation characteristics (free-space path loss)
- ITU-R P.2040 - building entry loss and material attenuation