Which router channel is best

However, if neighboring networks do the same, interference and connectivity conflicts result. In extreme cases, you may need to coordinate with your neighbors on the channels each uses to avoid mutual interference.

More technically inclined home admins run network analyzer software to test a local area for existing wireless signals and identify a safe channel based on the results. The WiFi Analyzer app for Android is a good example of such an application. It plots the results of signal sweeps on graphs and recommends appropriate channel settings at the push of a button.

Less technical people may test each wireless channel individually and choose one that seems to work best. Often, more than one channel works well.

Because the effects of signal interference vary over time, the best channel one day may turn out later not to be a good choice. Periodically monitor your environment to see if conditions have changed such that a Wi-Fi channel update makes sense. There are 11 channels on the 2. Popular 5 GHz channels include 36, 40, 44, and 48; each channel is separated by 5 MHz. To change channels on a home wireless router, log in to the router's configuration screens and look for a setting called Channel or Wireless Channel.

Most router screens provide a drop-down list of supported channel numbers. Other devices on a local network auto-detect and adjust their channel numbers to match the router or wireless access point with no action needed. However, if certain devices fail to connect after changing the router's channel, visit the software configuration utility for each of those devices and make matching channel number changes there. The same configuration screens can be checked at any time to verify the numbers in use.

Wi-Fi equipment in the U. A few additional restrictions and allowances apply in certain countries. For example, 2. Because each 2. The 5 GHz band offers more channels than 2. That's where MetaGeek can help out. For more information about the types of channel interference, check out our Video Tutorials. Just launch inSSIDer, and start out by counting how many networks are active on each channel. What you are looking for is the channel out of 1, 6, and 11 that has the fewest networks present. There is only one active network on channel 1, and its signal strength is very low.

In this example, the best channel to choose is channel 1. Why channels 1, 6 and 11? NetSpot for Android is just as easy to use as its desktop counterpart, and it supports both 2. Launch the app. Switch to the Comparison tab and instantly see which channels in the 2.

By swiping the graph from right to left, you can switch from the 2. Not many iPhone and iPad users know that AirPort Utility, whose purpose is to manage WiFi network and AirPort base stations, contains a fairly capable WiFi scanner that you can use to discover the best WiFi channel available in your area. Perhaps the best example is NetSpot, which is available from the App Store and designed to work with the WiPry x dual-band spectrum analyzer 2.

To change WiFi channel, you first need to enter its admin interface. This is usually done by entering a specific IP address in your web browser it should be printed on the bottom of your router , but some newer routers come with a companion smartphone app.

As you can see, learning how to change a WiFi channel on your router is easy, and the whole process takes just a few minutes. As explained in this article, channel overlapping leads to co-channel interference, which can dramatically degrade WiFi performance and cause annoying slowdowns and other issues.

Without a WiFi analyzer like NetSpot, it can be very difficult and tedious to solve issues created by channel overlapping and determine which WiFi channel would be more suitable. The good news is that co-channel interference can be easily eliminated by proper WiFi channel planning. NetSpot is very good at visualizing the networks to help you make the right decision.

With NetSpot's visualization you will immediately see the cause of the wireless issues and how to eliminate them. You can get the recommendation on which channel to use and the best thing about it — you don't have to be a WiFi professional to choose the optimal channel for your network. All you need to do is just open NetSpot app and click Discover. Click the "Channels 2. Look for the channel out of 1, 6 and 11 with the least number of networks present on it.

You can disable this option when you don't need the data for currently inactive networks. The active networks are shown in solid lines on the graph. In the above graph the selected network is operating on channel 5, and overlaps with channels 2 and 8.

You can see that channels 6 to 9 have the smallest number of networks and overlapping is not that bad at all. So in this particular case if you need the best WiFi channel, choose from channels 6 to 9. The best WiFi channel scanner and analyzer is easy to use, it supports both 2. When choosing a WiFi analyzer, you need to make sure that it supports your operating system and offers all the features you need to solve all kinds of WiFi-related issues. Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the best channels for WiFi in the 2.

Follow our best practices for WiFi channel planning. The purpose of a WiFi channel analyzer is to gather as much information about surrounding WiFi networks as possible to help you troubleshoot WiFi-related problems and improve the performance of your network. UNII-1 channels 36, 40, 44, 48 are often considered to be the best 5 GHz channels for home use, but most 5 GHz routers are capable of automatically selecting the best channel. All WiFi channels are more than capable of providing the maximum data transfer rate your router is capable of achieving, but only if they are not too crowded.

Both 20 and 40 MHz channels have their pros and cons. On the other hand, 40 MHz channels allow for greater speed and faster transfer rates. Finding the most suitable WiFi channel can improve your wireless experience tremendously. But it's not just the speed you should be looking at, the overlapping is an important factor as well. The most popular WiFi channels for 2. Use these channels with a non-MIMO setup i.

Starting with the If you purchased your router within the last couple of years, chances are you have either a The 5 GHz band offered with these specifications provides lots of free space at the higher frequencies — 23 non-overlapping 20MHz channels — and the router will choose the best wireless channel for your connection automatically.

Using the 5GHz band in a space with thick walls usually means very little WiFi interference. There are two frequency bands that you can choose from: 2. Newer routers support both of these bands and it's up to you to decide which one works better for your connection. The 2. The 5 GHz band coverage doesn't travel far, but is very fast and can penetrate obstacles better than 2. NetSpot can visualize your network coverage to help you see the possible reasons for any wireless issues. NetSpot can also help you choose the best channel for your network.

Skip to Navigation Skip to Main Content. Toggle SideBar. Datto Help Center. Home More. Information Description. Channel Width Channel width dictates the amount of bandwidth used within the radio spectrum during transmission. Figure 1: Channel bandwidth overlap The recommended channels to use on 2.

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