Broadband internet has become a common phenomenon in today’s Indian households. This is because a broadband connection can fulfil almost all your data requirements comfortably. Today, users can get broadband connections of up to 1 Gbps from their local internet service providers (ISPs). Since broadband internet has become common, it is important that users understand what ‘band steering’ is for utilising their Wi-Fi networks in the best manner possible. For the unaware, almost every modern router is equipped with band steering technology. Let’s see what it is and how it affects your internet consumption.
Understanding Band Steering
In very simple words, band steering is the action of your router to intelligently connect the old devices with the 2.4 GHz network and the new devices, which can support ultra-fast speeds with the 5 GHz network. Note that band steering is only possible on routers with dual-band support; else, there would be no band to steer from in the first place. Since there are multiple devices present at your home that need an internet connection, you need to ensure that your Wi-Fi network doesn’t become congested. With the arrival of Smart Home products, now even your Bluetooth speakers, Set-Top Boxes, and more require internet connectivity. If all of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, along with other users at your home, are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, it will ruin the internet experience for everyone. This is where band steering comes to the rescue. Most of the older generation devices can only support connectivity with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. Thus, the router intelligently connects the older generation devices with the 2.4 GHz network and connects the latest generation devices with the 5 GHz network. Users don’t need to manually connect to either of the networks. Depending on the device’s capability, the router will direct the appropriate network band towards it. This will allow both the networks in your home to divide the number of devices intelligently and avoid network congestion scenarios. This is why users are advised to go with dual-band routers if they are using a fiber broadband connection. Of course, the users still have control over which network band they want their device to be connected with. Users can manually change the network band their device is connected with depending on their wish. Band steering technology enables users to get the best out of their Wi-Fi network at home and offices.
