The wider the channel, the more data can be pushed through it. Those are achieved by using these wide channels. Sounds great, right? So why not just set your APs to the widest channel available and call it a day? There are another 16 in UNII-2, but these come with their own set of complications a topic for another day. We just went from 9 non-overlapping channels down to 2. This means that half of the APs we deployed will be occupying the same slice of RF spectrum.
Now, for APs that are at opposite ends of the facility that cannot hear each other too loudly, this is not really a problem. Where problems begin is APs that are in close proximity to each other within a 20dB variance in signal strength. These APs, and any STAs associated to them, now all become part of the same cell, slowing everything down.
All STAs need to wait their turn to access the medium. That is effectively doubling the noise. Simplifying this, you now have more noise and no gain in signal. This means that clients now take longer to transmit, driving up your airtime utilization. One of the hallmarks of a high-performing WLAN is channel reuse. Depending on which frequency band your router is using, you have a certain number of WiFi channels to choose from:.
The key takeaway here is that some WiFi channels are better to use than others because of interference, specifically Co-Channel interference and Adjacent-Channel interference. In the former, devices are competing for time to talk on the same channel. In the latter, devices from overlapping channels are trying to talk over each other. You can avoid such interference by choosing to use a non-overlapping, uncrowded WiFi channel. Additionally, there are reasons to use one frequency band over the other; learn more about these reasons here!
WiFi channels are each allotted a 20 MHz segment in the frequency band they're in, and can also be bonded together to form wider segments. The width of a WiFi channel dictates how much data can pass through and at what speed , where the wider channels are usually associated with more data transferred at faster speeds— at least, when they aren't impacted by interference.
Interference is more common in certain frequency bands and on certain WiFi channels than others. Depending on the likelihood of interference, there are recommended WiFi channel width settings for routers and access points , as described by Apple for achieving optimal WiFi performance with iOS devices.
However, the same recommendations apply to boosting WiFi performance with any connected device. Here's a summary:. It is typically advised to use the narrower 20 MHz WiFi channel width when in the 2. These channels are not only used by routers but military stations and the scientific industry also uses certain channels for communication purposes.
The first 36, 40, 44, 48 channels are called UNII-1 channels and it is used for domestic purposes. Having a higher channel means you will have better communication and wider bandwidth, but there is a chance of overlapping with other channels as well.
For your information, 5GHz has 25 channels unlike 3 channels in 2. The router automatically selects the best channel for wifi without overlapping with military and weather stations. Now coming to which is the best wifi channel for 5ghz? As we see 36, 40, 44, 48 is the recommended one, but you can go further with higher channels if your router supports DFS. Keep in mind, apart from routers, home appliances and smart devices also use the same UNII-1 channel to communicate.
So there is a chance of interference with these devices. Try to keep the router away from these devices like a microwave, smart bulbs or anything smart which connects wirelessly. While it is clear that 36, 40, 44, 48 is the best wifi channels for 5ghz but there are issues of congestion as well.
If there are many devices having the same channel around your premise then it would interfere and slow down your router. As 5GHz routers lack strong signal penetration, it can pose another trouble. So to solve this problem there is an app called WiFi Analyzer which checks channel congestion around the router and offers the best channel. It takes location, radio waves, number of devices around the router into consideration and recommends the best channel. You can see the rating of every channel and choose accordingly.
As you went through all the necessary points, you learned that 36, 40, 44, 48 is the best channel for WiFi 5GHz. However, if your router supports DFS then you can bump up the frequency for even better performance.
0コメント