5ghz WiFi - Need to upgrade hardware?

[Ironman]

I received a ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router as gift from a friend who saw my old Linksys WRT54GL and felt that I needed a upgrade. Anyway after receiving it and setting it up, I noticed on my desktop that only the 2.4ghz network was being picked up my desktops wireless adapter and not 5ghz network. My wireless card stated it has support for IEEE 802.11b/g/n but I was curious if that was only 2.4ghz N and not 5ghz N and if I need to upgrade my wireless adapter? The wireless adapter for my desktop is a Rosewill RNX-N250PCe (RNWD-11005) Wireless Adapter:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166073

My second question in regards to 5ghz wifi in regards to my Xbox 360 250GB Slim. After doing some research I have learned that internal wireless N adapters for "Slim" edition of the Xbox 360 only have support for 2.4ghz N but not 5ghz N. I was wondering I can remedy this by simply purchasing Microsoft's external wireless a/b/g/n adapter which picks up 5ghz N? Will it conflict with the internal wireless adapter?
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Network-Adapter-N/dp/B008K24BKU/ref=dp_ob_title_vg

My last question is that I want to purchase a Wireless N 5ghz Cardbus adapter for my laptop (personal reasons over a USB one) something like the one in the link below:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3858940

But I can't seem to find any in stock anywhere. Any recommendations?

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

There really is no advantage or disadvantage for having a 2.4GHz network verses a 5GHz network.

The only thing that would concern you is network range. A 5GHz network has a significantly limited range compared to a 2.4GHz network.

Data speeds are the same, so I don't think it is worth changing. I have my desktop and Xbox S connected to my wireless 2.4GHz network, and they work perfectly fine.

In regards to your Wifi card, this might help you:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WMK8TE

[Salmon Trout]

You have the question of bands, 2.4 GHz or 5 Ghz, and the question of which standard to use:  802.11g, 802.11n, or legacy 802.11a and b. Generally, 802.11n is better than 802.11g. It offers much faster data transfer, though fewer devices support it than the g standard. 802.11g functions only on the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11n can be deployed on either the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz range. The range of 5 GHz equipment is less, and there is usually more of the older 2.4 Ghz gear around. If you are in an urban setting, surrounded by lots of houses, apartments, etc, with older 2.4 GHz gear, you may get less competition for channels if you use the 5 GHz band.

I have a router that is capable of 802.11g and 802.11n, and of auto or manual selection of band. I have a laptop which is likewise. I have a 60 Mbit/sec internet connection. Using the default factory settings on both, I could get around 12 to 20 Mbit/sec download with the laptop around 5 metres from the router. When I forced 802.11n and the 5 Ghz band, this went up to 35 Mbit/sec. When I chose Greenfield mode, I got 45 Mbit/sec.

[Ironman]

In regards to your Wifi card, this might help you:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WMK8TE

Thank you Carbon Dudeoxide for the link.

The only thing that would concern you is network range. A 5GHz network has a significantly limited range compared to a 2.4GHz network.

Data speeds are the same, so I don't think it is worth changing. I have my desktop and Xbox S connected to my wireless 2.4GHz network, and they work perfectly fine.

All my devices are pretty close to each other and that new ASUS router is quite the beast and transmits pretty good range. So if I do want 5ghz on my Xbox 360, will that Wireless N Adapter for the Xbox 360 by Microsoft do the trick since I have read that the adapter supports 5ghz? And will conflict with the built in wireless adapter of the Xbox 360?

If you are in an urban setting, surrounded by lots of houses, apartments, etc, with older 2.4 GHz gear, you may get less competition for channels if you use the 5 GHz band.

I live in the city of Chicago, so lots of houses, apts and etc then so perhaps I then should consider upgrading to 5ghz hardware?

My wireless card stated it has support for IEEE 802.11b/g/n but I was curious if that was only 2.4ghz N and not 5ghz N and if I need to upgrade my wireless adapter? The wireless adapter for my desktop is a Rosewill RNX-N250PCe (RNWD-11005) Wireless Adapter:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166073

Does anyone know if my wireless card has support for 5ghz? And if it does, then why isn't it picking up my 5ghz network that I'm broadcasting from my router?

And thanks for the replies guys!

[Salmon Trout]

Does anyone know if my wireless card has support for 5ghz?

It does not.

MANUFACTURER   ROSEWILL
MANUFACTURER PART #   RNX-N250PCE
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION   RNX-N250PCE 11BGN 300MB 2.4GHZ WEP WPA DETACHABLE ANTENNA 5DBI
DEVICE TYPE   NETWORK ADAPTER
FREQUENCY BAND   2.4 GHZ

[Ironman]

Thanks Salmon Trout, my stupid self didn't see that in the Newegg's product description for some reason.... 
I just need to clear up my question regarding an external network adapter for my Xbox 360 and I will be all set.

[Salmon Trout]

didn't see that in the Newegg's product description for some reason....

I don't know if it was in the Newegg description; I Googled for "Rosewill RNX-N250PCE" and clicked on a few hits until I found one that mentioned the band.

This is the one I copied it from, there were plenty more.

http://www.beachaudio.com/Rosewill/Rnx-N250pce-p-611718.html

It's in the manual on page 7

Frequency Range 2.412 - 2.4835GHz

If you don't have a paper copy the pdf is here: http://www.rosewill.com/Mgnt/Uploads2/AttachmentForProduct/rnx-n250pce_um.pdf

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

The new Xbox has Wireless N built in.

[Ironman]

The new Xbox has Wireless N built in.

I know it has wireless N built in, but the it on supports 2.4ghz N:
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/29023941/xbox-360-slim-lacks-5ghz-dual-band

I want my xbox 360 to pick up 5ghz N and if go an 5ghz N adapter for the xbox 360 like the one below, would it interfere with the built in wireless N receiver?
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Network-Adapter-N/dp/B008K24BKU/ref=dp_ob_title_vg 

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

You can turn the inbuilt wireless off when you plug the new one in.

Honestly, I really don't think it is worth the trouble.
I will bet money that you won't notice any difference with a 5GHz network.

[Ironman]

You can turn the inbuilt wireless off when you plug the new one in.

Honestly, I really don't think it is worth the trouble.
I will bet money that you won't notice any difference with a 5GHz network.

Well its getting a bit crowded were I live with all of these 2.4ghz signals so maybe it will help in that regard. Will 5ghz help with streaming 1080p movies from my NAS to my Xbox 360?

Thanks guys for all of your responses!

[Geek-9pm]

Ethernet is the best choice.
Wi-Fi can support about seven users in the same close  area. If the other stations are some distance away, the number rises to about 20 can share the same band and the same time and get normal performance.

However, pushing bandwidth up beyond 54 Mbps is futile. Video streaming ndoes not require anywhere close to the sped.

Here is an authoritative reference:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps9391/ps9393/ps9394/prod_white_paper0900aecd807395a9_ns736_Networking_Solutions_White_Paper.html

The cost of adding an adapter to a Xbox is hard to justify.

[Ironman]

Here is an authoritative reference:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps9391/ps9393/ps9394/prod_white_paper0900aecd807395a9_ns736_Networking_Solutions_White_Paper.html

Thanks for the good read!

[Geek-9pm]

Thanks for the good read!

You are welcome.
For the benefit of all, here is a very short summary.
Yes, 5 GHz has less interference, but that will change over time. More users will move up to get rid of interference from others.
No, the big  problem is not from other 802.11 devices because these devices are 'polite' to each other. So interference from you neighbors WI-FI is less likely.
Bluetooth devices and cordless phones are more often the cause of local interference.
The frequency hoping protocol is of little value when the noise is from a bad florescent lamp. Even if the lamp looks good, it may generate a lot of noise in large parts of the spectrum.
Wireless analog devices generate horrid interference to 80211 devices. One business found an employee got a wireless camera so to see who came into  his office. The signal jammed the company's Wi-Fi  system.
Interference for Microwave ovens is intermittent and thus hand to identify. Just keep you microwave away from the AP and laptop.  Or buy a new microwave with better shielding.

The point of the article is that moving to 5 Ghz may not even dent the problem, if there is a co-channel  problem. By nature, wireless communication is not 100% reliable anyway. Non- 802.11 emissions are often the real issue.