Optimizing the 5 GHZ Band in a Hospital

Published on October 2, 2018

Optimizing the 5 GHZ Band in a Hospital

As the traditional 2.4 GHz operating band for IEEE 802.11-compliant Wi-Fi wireless local area networks (LANs) becomes more crowded, network administrators increasingly look to the less crowded 5 GHz operating band to improve or maintain network performance and reliability. This is especially necessary in medical Wi-Fi deployments, which present greater operational challenges and more stringent requirements than residential and commercial Wi-Fi networks.

The 5 GHz band is especially attractive in hospitals, where the 2.4 GHz band often is overcrowded. But hospitals present challenges to reliable connectivity in both bands. This document contrasts the key physical, regulatory, and interference characteristics of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and how these characteristics impact critical Wi-Fi operational aspects such as performance and reliability. The document also provides recommendations for optimal dual-band deployments in hospitals.