Wi-Fi can slow to a crawl in a crowded café even when the fibre connection is fast, because 2.4 GHz offers only three non-overlapping 20 MHz channels in most places, forcing nearby devices on the same channel to compete for airtime and leaving the webpage waiting behind the spinner

A slow broadband connection, overloaded access point, distant server or faulty DNS resolver can produce the same spinner. At 2.4 GHz, thirteen labels become three useful lanesThe familiar 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band covers roughly 2.400 to 2.4835 GHz. A scan can reveal which nearby networks are competing, and Make Tech Easier has a practical guide to finding the least crowded Wi-Fi channel. Moving compatible devices away from 2.4 GHz can leave more airtime for older equipment that cannot follow. Make Tech Easier explains when it makes sense to use one network name for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.