How to tell if Macbook is using 802.11ac

Question

I just got a new Macbook Air and a new Airport Extreme, both of which support 802.11ac.

Is there an easy way to tell if my Macbook Air is connecting to the Airport Extreme via 802.11ac? Relatedly, can I tell if I'm connecting at 5GHz band or 2.4GHz band?

I've already done a speedtest, and the results are inconclusive.

score 74 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 11 '13 at 23:24

74

When you're connected to the Wi-Fi network, hold down option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the OS X menubar. You'll see additional details about your connection, including one item labelled PHY Mode:. That will show you whether you're connected via 802.11ac, n, g, etc.

Wi-Fi menu with extended options

There's also a Channel: entry that tells you the radio frequency and channel.

answered Jun 11 '13 at 23:24

robmathers

41,194

Wow, I really liked this! – Chiron Jul 14 '16 at 12:26
Is there a way to check this from the terminal? – ttt Feb 21 '17 at 21:37

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 11 '13 at 23:24

5

Hold Option key (alt) and press on your WiFi icon.

That will instantly tell you if you connected with 2.4 or 5 Gig in the expanded menu.

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answered Jun 11 '13 at 23:24

Ruskes

48,129

How to tell if Macbook is using 802.11ac

2 Answers2