How to Find the best Wi-Fi Channel for your router on any OS.

 

Are you facing problems with your Wi-Fi connection at home cutting in and out, or do you have issues with it running way too slower than it should?

The first thing I would suggest and that you may have already done to fix this is to power down your Router for 20 or 30 seconds, then turn it back on again depending on the cause of your problem. This may fix it, but occasionally they hang up for some reason and need to be reset, and powering them off and back on again fixes it.

Most Wi-Fi routers nowadays broadcast on the 2.4 and 5 Gigahertz bands; what many people don't know is within these frequency bands, there are different channels you can choose to broadcast your Wi-Fi network on if you have a lot of neighbors that live close together, especially in complexes and townhouses you can have a lot of Wi-Fi networks in close proximity to each other this is itself isn't a bad thing because the city you live in probably has dozens of radio stations.

There is no problem with any of them when you're properly tuned in to one channels frequency; however, if your network and a neighbors network are broadcasting on the same channel or on channels that are very close to one another, you can get interference from your neighbor's network causing connections to your wireless devices to drop or be slow.

To get the best possible Wi-Fi connection in your area, you'll have to switch to a channel that either has no other users (or significantly fewer users) than the current channel you're using.

In this step-by-step guide, you will know how to improve your Wi-Fi connection by finding the best Wi-Fi channel for your Router, for both PC and cell phone. I will then instruct you on how to set up your Router to tune into that channel.

Let's get started.

Now, let's discuss how we can fix these problems and find the best Wi-Fi channel for your Router.

Pick a Wi-Fi frequency band

While you might be inclined to pick 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for better Wi-Fi inclusion, consider the zone you are attempting to cover first. If your home has multiple floors and rooms to reach, 2.4 GHz is likely where you should remain. Yet, on the off chance that you have a more open floor plan with fewer items and dividers in the manner, 5 GHz will probably give the better Wi-Fi experience.

Moreover, most bands today are double bands, which implies they can simultaneously work in both Wi-Fi recurrence groups.

Diagnose different channels:

You can do this easily by using a free Wi-Fi analyzer app on your smartphone or tablet. Use the app Wi-Fi Analyzer, readily available on Playstore and app store. Once you launch the app, you'll find a lot of Wi-Fi networks near you. You'll notice some numbers along the bottom and on the left side of the graph. The number on the left side is the decibel milliwatts that measure the radio signal strength. The bottom side shows the available channels within the 2.4 GHz band. If you tap the 5 GHz at the top, it'll show all the 5 GHz networks your device is in range of. The closer the signal strength is to 0, the stronger the signal.

TIP: A signal above negative 50 DBM or decibel milliwatts is considered a strong signal. Anything lower than negative 70 is weak.

Log in to your Router:

Next, you need to log in to your Router from a computer or other device. If you don't know how to log in, you'll have to find your owner's manual or look it up online and find out how to log in to your Router, it depends on your device. If you know your routers IP address, you can log in using that too. When you reach your router's dashboard, go to the wireless settings; if you have a dual-band router, you should have some way of selecting which band to modify.

Choose your Router to modify. In the control Channel tab, On the 2.4 GHz band, you'll have the choice of channels 1 through 11. If your network is currently all clumped in with your neighbors, then you should change your channel to one that has no one or few congestions on it or has the least amount overlap with the neighbor's network.

Once you have selected your channel, you need to apply the changes. After that, you'll be no longer interfered with by your neighbor's network. You shall get much better connectivity and network speed. If you're using the 5 GHz band, the same principle applies. Check what channels your neighbors are using and select the one that no one else is using or with the least overlap.

That’s it, you are good to go. Enjoy your uninterrupted network!

 

So, what's the Wi-Fi situation like in your home? Did this channel change tip help to improve your wireless connectivity? Leave a comment, let us know what you're experiencing.