&gt; Although I believe all channels are high-power channels now...<p>If they are, my Linux systems aren&#x27;t yet aware of the change.<p>They make the claim that the only ranges with a 30dBm transmit power are 2402 - 2472MHz and 5735 - 5835MHz. All other WiFi bands are 23dBm. (Though it <i>does</i> seem like the transmit power in the 5.49 - 5.73 GHz range got increased from 17 to 23dBm somewhat recently.)<p>&gt; I have yet to see any scientific paper that says 5GHz penetrates structural elements worse than 2.4GHz.<p>I can&#x27;t point you to any studies, but -anecdotally- I&#x27;ve found that (at the same transmit power, and all other things being equal) a 5GHz link provides a lower SNR than a 2.4GHz link. Before I switched to an AP with better antenna and radio, I found that I would not-infrequently permanently lose the 5GHz connection in my bathroom [0][1], but the 2.4GHz connection could be reliably established in the bathroom and <i>remained</i> solid.<p>Even after I&#x27;ve switched APs, I get a <i>substantially</i> better signal [2] from the 2.4GHz connection than the 5GHz one.<p>[0] My bathroom is tile covered, filled with pipes, and the furthest point in the apartment from my AP.<p>[1] &quot;Permanently&quot; as in &quot;once I left the bathroom I could reestablish the 5GHz connection&quot;.<p>[2] Obviously, a better signal doesn&#x27;t guarantee a faster connection. At my site, 2.4GHz is so overcrowded as to be nearly useless.