CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)NetworkingMedium
A technician is deploying a Wi-Fi 6 access point in an office and wants to take advantage of the standard's ability to operate in a less congested frequency band with more available channels compared to legacy Wi-Fi. Which frequency band should the technician primarily configure?
- A5GHz
- B900MHz
- C60GHz
- D2.4GHz
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. 5GHz
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) primarily operates in the 5GHz band, offering more channels and less interference than the crowded 2.4GHz band, which is used by many legacy devices and other equipment like microwaves and Bluetooth.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. 900MHz is not a standard Wi-Fi band; it's used for some IoT and cellular applications.
- C. 60GHz is used by 802.11ad/ay (WiGig), not standard Wi-Fi 6 deployments.
- D. 2.4GHz is more congested with legacy devices and has fewer non-overlapping channels.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Frequency
802.11ax operates on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands but is optimized to leverage 5GHz's wider channel availability and reduced congestion for higher throughput.
- 5GHz has more non-overlapping channels than 2.4GHz
- 2.4GHz has longer range but more interference
- Wi-Fi 6E extends into 6GHz band for even less congestion
Memory trick: 5 is for fewer neighbors — less crowded, more speed.