Wi-Fi

2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz Wi-Fi on a Mac

Wi-Fi uses three bands. Each band gives a different balance of range and speed. The Mac selects the band, but router settings control which bands it can use.

Applies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later. The Wi-Fi 6E mode setting needs a Mac that supports Wi-Fi 6E.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

  • The Mac connects on 2.4 GHz and is slow, even near the router.
  • The network shows a message about limited compatibility.
  • You see two or three networks with almost the same name, one for each band.

Likely causes

  • 2.4 GHz reaches farther but is busy. Apple says that 5 GHz signals do not go through walls as well as 2.4 GHz signals. Bluetooth also uses 2.4 GHz.
  • 5 GHz and 6 GHz are faster but shorter range. The cells are smaller, so the signal drops faster through walls.
  • Different names for each band. Apple says that different names can make devices connect unreliably. Wi-Fi 6E networks with different names show limited compatibility.
  • The Mac or the router does not support a band. 6 GHz needs a Mac and a router that support Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. 6 GHz is not available in all regions.

How to check

  1. Hold the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon. Read the channel and band of the network.

  2. Show the band and channel width from Terminal.

    system_profiler SPAirPortDataType | grep -m1 'Channel'

    Output For example Channel: 36 (5GHz, 80MHz).

  3. Show the Wi-Fi modes and channels that this Mac supports.

    system_profiler SPAirPortDataType | grep -E 'Supported PHY Modes'

  4. Look at the list of Macs in Apple's Wi-Fi 6E article. Make sure that your Mac supports 6 GHz.

How to fix it

  1. In the router settings, turn on all bands that the router supports.

  2. Give all bands one network name. Apple recommends a single, unique name for all bands.

  3. Set the channel to Auto. On 2.4 GHz, use a channel width of 20 MHz.

  4. For 6 GHz, set the security to WPA3. Apple says that WPA3 is required for 6 GHz.

  5. To stop the Mac from using 6 GHz on one network, choose System Settings > Wi-Fi. Click Details next to the network.

  6. Then set Wi-Fi 6E mode to Off. This setting shows only on a supported Mac connected to a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 network.

With Kilobat

  1. Show the current band, channel and signal.

    kilobat wifi status

  2. List nearby networks with their band, channel and channel width.

    kilobat scan

  3. When Bluetooth devices share 2.4 GHz with the Wi-Fi, the Kilobat Wi-Fi menu marks them. It also offers a known 5 GHz network.

Questions

Which band is best?

Near the router, 5 GHz or 6 GHz is usually faster. Far from the router or through many walls, 2.4 GHz can keep a connection where the others cannot.

Can I force the Mac to use 5 GHz?

macOS has no general band setting. Give all bands one name and let the Mac select. The Wi-Fi 6E mode setting only turns off 6 GHz.

Sources

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.