Slow internet? Tip to improve your Wi-Fi speed

By jasonheecs | jasonheecs | 26 Feb 2022


People often think that slow internet speeds must be down to their internet service provider. But your Wi-Fi router settings could also have an impact. One setting that many people overlook is their Wi-Fi channel. Using a sub-optimal Wi-Fi channel can lead to slow or unstable Wi-Fi internet due to Wi-Fi channel interference.

What are Wi-Fi channels?

To send a signal wirelessly, you need to transmit the signal on a frequency. 2.4 GHz and 5.0Ghz are the standard wireless bands that are available for the general public to transmit internet signals to their Wi-Fi connected devices.

Each band has a list of channels, which are specific frequencies within the band that your wireless network uses to send and receive data.

1*77wcF44TJQQbrxscUC2C0w.jpeg

For instance, take a 2.4GHz wireless band. Its actual range is approximately 2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz. The channels are smaller frequency ranges between 2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz. Channel 1 would be approximately from 2.400 GHz to 2.420 GHz, Channel 6 would be approximately from 2.426GHz to 2.446Ghz, etc. In theory, this allows multiple devices to communicate on the same band without as much interference.

What is channel interference?

Channel interference is when multiple devices from overlapping channels or on the same channel are trying to talk over each other. This increases the latency for transmitting data, which results in a slow or unstable internet connection for your devices. Channels which overlap with each other are most susceptible to interference.

Locating a good Wi-Fi channel

First, you need to decide between using the 2.4GHz band or the 5GHz band for your device. If your device supports connecting to the 5GHz band (most modern computers and smartphones do), 5GHz is your best choice to reduce interference and take advantage of higher speeds.

The 5GHz band has a shorter range though, so if you have a large home, a device may be out of range for that band. In that case, you would have to use the 2.4GHz band. Or you may consider extending the range of the 5GHz band with a Wi-Fi mesh or extender.

Analyzing the Wi-Fi channels around you

Our aim is to find a Wi-Fi channel that is the least crowded to minimize interference. We can use a Wi-Fi scanner to get data on the Wi-Fi networks in our surroundings to determine that.

Free Wi-Fi scanners are available for most platforms, here is a list of my suggestions:

For the rest of this article, I will be using Wi-Fi Analyzer as an example. But the above apps should allow you to gather data on the Wi-Fi channels around you in a similar fashion.

Choosing the least crowded channel

With the results of the Wi-Fi scanner, you can determine which channels are crowded, and which are isolated.

1*e8uJPOaBN2tFxizMYaULSg.jpeg Crowded vs Isolated channels

In the image above, you can see that the networks under the shaded yellow half are all clustered around channels 36–50. This causes them to interfere with each other. The Singtel_5053_5 network, on the other hand, sits alone with minimal interference.

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Similarly, the networks in the shaded yellow portion of the image above experience interference while the network ASUS_5G does not.

By analyzing the results from your Wi-Fi scanner, you can choose the most optimal channel for your wireless network.

But wait! It’s not that simple

Besides choosing the channels that are the least crowded, there are some other rules that you should consider as part of the criteria for choosing a Wi-Fi channel.

If you are using the 2.4GHz band, use only channels 1, 6, or 11. They are the only non-overlapping channels in that band. When everyone sticks to using only those channels in the 2.4GHz band, there will be less interference from adjacent channels for everyone as a whole.

For the 5GHz band, take note if the channel is a DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) channel. DFS channels vary by country (generally includes channels 52 to 144) and are meant to be used by radar systems, weather stations, and other government installations. If you live near one of these installations, you may have problems with your wireless network if you use a DFS channel.

1*VdPma4-_Rnw-JD2rbDW3vw.jpeg List of available wireless channels by country

One way to tell is to use your Wi-Fi scanner to see if the DFS channels are busy. It’s best not to use a DFS channel if that is the case.

Setting the Wi-Fi channel on your router

Now that you have identified a good channel that is not crowded, it’s time to use that channel for your wireless network. To do that, we will need to change the Wi-Fi channel that your wireless router is using.

The exact steps to change that setting on your router would depend on which router you are using, so you may need to consult your router’s manual for specifics. But in general, you will need to first login to your router’s settings by typing its IP address into your browser. You can usually find the IP address on the router device itself or by doing some basic troubleshooting.

Once you are logged in, you can go to your router’s wireless settings to change the Wi-Fi channel it is using.

1*WSzwGIKtDrxpcx0FGyXHbw.png Your wireless router should have a settings page where you can set the Wi-Fi channel

Conclusion

A slow or unstable wireless internet connection can be due to Wi-Fi channel interference. By using a channel that is less crowded, you should see better internet speeds for your wireless devices.

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jasonheecs
jasonheecs

A software engineer who loves tech

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