To start with, the 5 GHz band is far less crowded than the 2.4 GHz band, because 5 GHz signals don’t penetrate solid obstacles, such as walls and furniture, well. If WiFi channel planning already seems complicated to you (it isn’t, really), then we have good news: manual 5 GHz channel planning is seldom necessary. To find the best channel for WiFi in the 2.4 GHz band, you need to use a WiFi channel scanner to determine which non-overlapping channel is used the least. Nonoverlapping channels in the 2.4 GHz band The number of available channels grows to 13 in Europe, and people in Japan can choose between up to 14 distinct channels, but only under certain circumstances. In North America, the 2.4 GHz band is divided into 11 channels. This somewhat complicates WiFi channel planning because each of the two bands is divided into different channels. In practice, many higher-end routers these days use both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously to let users enjoy the best from both worlds. The 2.4 GHz band transmits data at slower speeds but provides coverage at a longer range, while the 5 GHz band transmits data at faster speeds but provides less coverage. Most consumer-grade WiFi routers available today, however, use only two ranges:ĭespite being relatively close neighbors in the RF spectrum, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, as they are commonly referred to, have different characteristics. To ensure interoperability and prevent the RF spectrum from becoming chaotic, the 802.11 standard provides several distinct RF ranges that WiFi equipment manufacturers can use. What Channel Is the Best for WiFi?Īll WiFi routers transmit data packets within the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. But if luck isn’t on your side, you might experience frequent connection drops and the inability to perform basic tasks, such as streaming online video or playing multiplayer games.įortunately, it doesn’t take much effort to find the best channel for WiFi, and we provide a detailed walkthrough of the entire process in this article. If you’re lucky, the only consequences of using a sub-optimal WiFi channel may be occasional slowdowns and limited WiFi range. That’s especially true if you live anywhere near other people and their WiFi-enabled devices. You can buy the most expensive WiFi router in the world, but you will never use your internet connection to its full potential unless you know how to find the best WiFi channel.
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