Trying to connect to 5gz Network - have a Realtech RTL8811AU LAN 802.11ac USB 2.0

[JohnFL2119]

Hello all.

Just installed my Verizon fios and my Mac is able to connect to the 5gz, but my PC can only find the 2.4gz network.

I tried a few things that I found on this forum but not having any luck. Is it my network adapter? Do I need to upgrade?

Also if I decided to use an Ethernet cable, would the gz matter? I'm a newb.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[captaincharisma]

the ghz wouldn't matter because that is only used for wireless. a wired Ethernet connection would be the best because it would be faster and more reliable then a wireless connection. if that realtek RTL8811AU LAN is the right model number then it is capable of connecting to the 802.11ac (5GHZ) band. you may have to update or install the correct drivers for it to enable it

http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/productsView.aspx?Langid=1&PFid=57&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=400

 

[Solandri]

First thing to try is to temporarily disable all WiFi security. Make it an open hotspot and see if your Realtek dongle can connect. Some devices refuse when they see a network with security settings they don't recognize. (For security you should only be using WPA2 + AES. No WEP, no WPA (without the 2), no TKIP. If any of your devices does not support WPA2 + AES, throw it away and replace it.)

The other thing to watch out for is that the 5 GHz band is a bit fragmented. After the band was opened, they discovered that the frequencies right in the middle of it were very useful for a certain type of doppler weather radar. Many airports (mostly in the U.S.) use that radar, so regulatory agencies had to go back and put new restrictions on how the 5 GHz frequencies are used. The channels which overlap weather radar are now labeled DFS (dynamic frequency selection). Devices can use them, but must vacate them (dynamically switch to a different frequency) if they detect weather radar is in use.

Most WiFi device manufacturers didn't bother, and simply blocked out the 5 GHz channels which are DFS (channels 50-144 in the U.S.). If your WiFi adapter is one of these but the WiFi router is not, the router can end up using a DFS channel that the adapter cannot see. You'll have to go into the router settings and manually set the 5 GHz channel to something between 36-48, or 149-165. (That's for the U.S. Check the chart below if you're in another country.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels#5_GHz_(802.11a/h/j/n/ac/ax)

And no, the wireless frequency doesn't matter for Ethernet.