dual-bandwifi-configurationwindowswireless-networkingwireless-router
I have an Intel Wireless-AC 7260HMW Wi-Fi card, and a dual band Wi-Fi AP. I can see both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi access points as separate entries in the list of Wi-Fi access points to connect to. So I can connect to either.
My question is: How do I configure my setup to use both?
I do see that "Mixed band" band selection is the chosen default in the settings, so also: How can I verify that my computer is using both bands if it already is?
With most adapters you cannot do what you are asking. But it's pretty pointless trying anyway - by design the E4200 will try to use 5.0GHz for a connection if available. If you really want to be prescriptive you could use different SSIDs for 2.4 & 5.0GHz - surely easier than manually setting the frequency on a bunch of laptops even if it's possible.
For determining whether it is using the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands, click on the wireless networking icon at the top of the screen while holding down the Option key.
Best Answer
Just to be clear, that card can use either band, but it can't use both at the same time. That is, it's not "simultaneous dual-band" which is also called "dual-band concurrent". I'm not aware of any client card that is. Simultaneous dual-band support is something only APs do, in order to support legacy 2.4GHz clients and more modern 5GHz clients at the same time.
If you want your dual-band client card to automatically pick the best band, make sure both radios in your simultaneous dual-band AP are publishing the same network name (SSID) with the same security mode and same password. I recommend WPA2-personal a.k.a. WPA2-PSK, and I recommend AES-CCMP only; don't bother enabling TKIP (this may be called something like "WPA2/WPA mixed mode") unless you know for a fact that you still have an old product around from c. 2002-2003 that supports TKIP but not AES.
If you don't have a simultaneous dual-band AP, and instead have two separate APs (one for 2.4 and one for 5GHz), still make sure they're both publishing the same network name, with the exact same security mode and password.