Picking a cordless phone frequency

Cordless phones use one or two of the four available frequency bands: 5.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 1.9 GHz, and 900 MHz. Many phones are dual-band, which means they transmit between base and handset in one frequency band and receive in another; you can't switch to or choose one band or another. Dual-band phones use the 5.8-GHz, 2.4-GHz and 900-MHz frequency bands. A few manufacturers still make inexpensive, 900-MHz phones, usually analog. They are fine for many households, but they are dwindling. This band is now mainly used along with 5.8- or 2.4-GHz analog transmission dual-band phones.

Phones that use the 2.4-GHz band, unfortunately, share their frequency with many other wireless products, including baby monitors, wireless computer networks, Bluetooth devices, home security monitors, wireless speakers, and microwave ovens. Analog phones that use the 2.4-GHz band are inherently susceptible to RF interference from these devices, while their digital counterparts may actually interfere with them. Interference can cause static on your cordless phone, a baby monitor, or wireless speakers; it can disrupt a wireless computer network or the video on a home security or baby monitor. If you have few or no wireless devices near your phone, a 2.4-GHz phone would be fine for you. Otherwise consider a phone billed as "wireless network friendly" or "802.11-friendly." These phones use portions of the 2.4-GHz band that are less likely to interfere or be interfered with by wireless home networks.