In this tri-band network, the first 5 GHz band provides a speed of 200 Mbps, and the second 5 GHz band provides
a speed of 1300 Mbps.
The slower and faster devices are separated in different WiFi connections to ensure that you get the best speed on
each device. So in the previous figure, all three mobile devices are on one 5 GHz band with a combined maximum
speed of 200 Mbps, and the other 5 GHz WiFi band is used for the faster 802.11ac devices with a combined maximum
speed of 1300 Mbps. Effectively both slower and faster devices can run faster and the overall network speed increases
by more than two times, from 640 Mbps to 1500 Mbps.
Load Balancing
The router uses load balancing to distribute WiFi connections among all three WiFi bands, to ensure that both the
WiFi bands are utilized. Load balancing prevents overloading a single 5 GHz band and ensures that both the WiFi
bands are utilized and device connections are spread across the two bands.
For example, if three mobile devices are connected to one 5 GHz band, the fourth device is automatically connected
to the other 5 GHz band.
Figure 9. Load balancing
Slower devices like printers, older computers, or IP cameras connect to the 2.4 GHz band. The presence of two 5
GH bands prevents overloading when many devices use WiFi at the same time.
Benefits of Tri-Band WiFi
The tri-band WiFi network outperforms the dual-band network in several ways:
•
More bandwidth is available.
Even with more devices connected to the network, because the connections are spread across two different
bands, each device gets a larger share of the available WiFi bandwidth.
•
Smart Connect directs WiFi traffic to the appropriate lane.
Tri-Band WiFi Connections
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Nighthawk X8 AC5300 Tri-Band WiFi Router