Frequency channel wifi

The main difference between these two frequency bands are the range and bandwidth that they provide. If you're looking for more WiFi coverage, you want to be using the 2. Within these WiFi frequency bands, we have smaller bands which are referred to as WiFi channels. A WiFi channel is the medium through which our wireless networks can send and receive data. For routers made in the U.

MetaGeek has a great explanation as to why we should avoid using certain channels, which I'll summarize below:. The reason that certain channels aren't the best choice to use is because they have interference. There are a couple different ways this interference is caused: Co-Channel interference results when there are numerous devices all competing for time to talk on the same channel. Adjacent-Channel interference occurs when devices from overlapping channels are trying to talk over each other.

Channels that have interference from other devices are considered to be 'crowded'. The time it takes to transmit data is increased and you are left waiting for your Internet request to be made. The channels with the most interference are those that overlap with each other. To further explain channel overlapping, let's look at the 2. Considering the 2. This is what causes the interference on your network and and a lag in your WiFi's performance.

Certain channels yield better WiFi performance than others because they are non-overlapping. Yes, there are some channels in the 2. You can think of the 2. If you wanted to pick the fastest lanes on either highway, you would want to choose the ones that have the least traffic. To find out more about the difference between 2. Many routers use the same channel by default. To change your WiFi channel, log into your router using any web browser. Then open the Wireless Settings and find the Channels drop-down menu.

Select a channel and click Save. Note: Every router is different, so these steps might not be exactly the same for your router. Note: Make sure to choose the frequency band you want to change the channel for 2. There might also be an auto-connect feature that you have to turn off as well. Note: Once you save your settings, it might cause your router to reboot, which could mean that you lose your WiFi connection briefly. Once you know how to change your WiFi channel, you should find out which WiFi channel is the least crowded.

In the same spot as where you see the band your router is using, you should also see an option to choose the other WiFi frequency band to use. Before you go ahead and change your router's frequency band, it may be worthwhile to check out MetaGeek's guide for designing a dual-band wireless network!

WiFi frequency bands: 2. Samantha Albano on April 1, What are WiFi frequency bands? How are 2. There are four main differences between the 2. In the 2. WiFi network speed — The higher frequency 5 GHz band makes up for its shorter range with much faster WiFi speeds than the 2. To compare, the 2. Of course, the kind of router you have will better dictate the WiFi speed you can achieve. Co-channel interference — Now we get to some of the major differences In the 5 GHz band, you have the option to choose from 45 WiFi channels, where 24 of which are non-overlapping.

Overlapping channels are what lead to network interference, so comparing the two WiFi frequency bands, we can easily see that 5 GHz provides less room for co-channel interference. It's also important to note that in the 2. Device compatibility — Considering the fact that WiFi standard But, if you have any old networking equipment or devices from pre, there's a chance they may only be compatible with the 2.