How to Split WiFi Frequencies (5Ghz and 2.4Ghz) to Get the Most from Your Router

Hey!Broadband's guide to splitting wifi frequencies on your Linksys or Adtran home router

If you’re looking to get the most from your Hey!Broadband full fibre broadband, you might be looking to split your WiFi frequencies to better manage your home WiFi network.

Both our routers (Adtran and Linksys) allow you to choose from two different frequency bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Here are the key differences:

5GHz provides faster speeds but covers a smaller area.

2.4GHz provides greater internet coverage but sacrifices speed.

This allows you to use the 2.4Ghz channel to connect certain devices (sometimes older) and use the 5Ghz channel for more recent devices that are built to take full advantage of the faster connection. Here’s our simple guides on how to do it for each of our routers:

Linksys

Step 1:

Firstly, you’ll need to log in to the admin page of your router. Using an ethernet-connected computer, enter the following IP address in your internet browser: 192.168.1.1

Step 2:

Continue to Linksys Smart WiFi and enter your login details. If you don’t know your password, you can reset it by entering the Recovery Key which can be found on the bottom of the router. Your username will be your email address (this can be found in the Linksys app under “Account”).

Step 3:

Once at the admin page, select “WiFi Settings” from the list of options in Router Settings. This will open a new box where you can select “Show More” to reveal the two frequencies: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. At this point, you’re given the option to name these two frequencies.

Step 4:

Continue to name your two new frequencies. Once named, this will separate the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequencies. And that’s it, you’ve now split the frequencies and have the option to connect to either of the two. If you want to revert the changes, simply select “Make all Wi-Fi names the same”.

Adtran

Step 1:

First, you need to log in to your router. Open a web browser and enter: 192.168.1.1 into the address bar; this can be done via an ethernet-connected device or over your home WiFi network. From there, you can now log in to the admin page using your username and password.

Step 2:

Once logged in, click on the “WiFi” option in the menu to open up a submenu. Within these options, choose “Networks” and you’ll find a switch with Dual-band SSID enabled. All you have to do here is click to disable the Dual-band SSID.

Step 3:

Once the Dual-Band SSID has been disabled, you should now see the two available networks: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. Both networks will have the same WiFi password. And that’s it! You’re now ready to use the split frequencies.

With the above guides, you should now be able to split your WiFi channels on your Linksys or Adtran home routers in order to get more control over your home fibre broadband connection. If you’re also looking for how to connect your smart devices to your home networks, you can use our connection guide to help you get set up.