You purchased a new router but your Windows computer can’t connect to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi network.You’ve moved your laptop to a new location in the house and can’t access the 5 GHz network anymore.After a Windows system update, you can’t access your network unless you switch your network adapter back to 2.4 GHz.You’ve lost access to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi network but haven’t changed anything at all.
As you can see, your 5 GHz network can stop working under many different conditions. This is because there are so many different potential causes for this problem to occur. This article will explain some steps to take to get it all working again.
Why Can’t I Connect to My 5 GHz Wi-Fi Network?
5 GHz Wi-Fi networks experience less noise and interference from devices like microwaves or bluetooth devices. They also allow you to transfer data (including streaming video) faster, and the higher frequency uses less battery life on mobile devices like your Windows laptop. Unfortunately, with those benefits come a number of drawbacks which can cause problems with accessing your 5 GHz Wi-Fi network. Your network adapter may not even support 5 GHz. It’s also more sensitive to household obstacles like concrete walls or metal duct work. Windows or driver updates are also known to sometimes cause problems with accessing 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks.
How to Fix When a 5 GHz Network Isn’t Working
This issue applies to all editions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Some solutions such as router fixes or your distance from the router may also work for mobile devices such as Android or iOS.
