What is a Tri-Band Router?

In order for wireless devices like laptops, tablets, and phones to connect and access the internet, Wi-Fi routers now transmit a signal. Currently, a single-band router will only transmit over the 2.4 GHz frequency band. And the original wireless routers were single-band routers, which is what they were. Currently, the 2.4 GHz band functions rather well, but the issue is that when more and more devices join the Wi-Fi network, the signal may get crowded and affect Wi-Fi performance. In addition to being overcrowded, the 2.4 GHz band is also heavily interfered with by numerous other devices, including cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and microwave ovens. So, dual-band routers were introduced to help with the overcrowding issue. Dual-band Wi-Fi routers also transmit signals from two different Wi-Fi frequencies. They broadcast in both the older 2.4 GHz frequency and the more recent 5 GHz spectrum.

It's like having two independent networks in one gadget because it broadcasts on two different frequencies. Accordingly, some of your devices will connect to the 2.4 GHz band, which will mostly be your older and slower gadgets, while other devices will connect to the 5 GHz band, which will be your newer and quicker devices. Therefore, it would assist to reduce the issue of congestion and interference by dividing your connected devices into two different networks. 

But today they have tri-band routers, which, as their name suggests, broadcast three different bands. It will broadcast two distinct 5 GHz channels in addition to a 2.4 GHz frequency. Therefore, having three distinct bands in one router allows you to have three independent networks for your devices to connect to, further resolving the issue of interference and congestion.

Fig 1:Tri-Band Router

Real Example for Understanding

Therefore, you can visualize a Wi-Fi band as a motorway to better understand this. Therefore, it might be OK if only a few vehicles use the single lane of traffic on the motorway. The issue is that as more vehicles try to use that lane, the motorway will get more congested and slow down. Therefore, this would be comparable to a single-band router, but if you wanted to add a second lane for traffic, the motorway would be less crowded because there would be more lanes available for motorists to use to get to their destinations. So, this will function similarly to a dual-band router. Even a two-lane highway, though, can become crowded if more vehicles use the motorway. What would happen if you wanted to expand that motorway by a third lane? Therefore, by adding a third lane, the motorway will be even less congested, the cars will clear the road more quickly, and this will assist to end any slowdown brought on by heavy traffic. Therefore, a tri-band router will serve as this example. So, for all of the devices, a tri-band router will have three lanes, three bands, or three networks.