Sometimes it can happen that our Internet does not work correctly due to many causes. We may search for many ways to increase WiFi speed and may end up buying new router. However one of them is that we are not connected to the correct WiFi. This means that it takes a long time to load pages and requires more time to navigate. In this article we are going to talk about the importance of choosing the channel well and how we can know which one suits us best. Thus improving your internet connection.
Why do we need to choose the right channel?
As we know, most home networks use the 2.4 GHz frequency. This range has been distributed in a series of bands or channels. In total there are 14 designated channels in the 2.4 GHz range. It is something like television channels, which each uses a frequency.
Therefore, we may be connected to a saturated channel and the connection does not go well. This can especially happen in an apartment or commercial building with many users connected. It is still possible for this to happen if we live in an isolated area also.
This signal range can lead to the superposition of channels. This, combined with the fact that other electronic devices such as microwaves or cordless phones can also cause interference adversely affecting the performance. Even neighbouring wireless networks with same frequency can also cause interference.
This means that there are channels where the connection will get better . Always try to isolate those channels. In the image below we see it clearly.
So how do we do that?
To change the Wi – Fi channel of a router, we must simply log in to the web interface in a browser. Access the WiFi configuration and look for the WiFi channel option and choose the one you want to put as new.
Now the question is: how do we select the correct channel? How do we choose which one is best for us? There are different methods and applications for different operating systems.
Windows
Windows users can simply choose the inSSIDer or Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector utility . Another interesting tool is NirSoft’s WifiInfoView to analyse the channel that is less congested and choose it to increase the speed. However, our favorite is Acrylic Wi-Fi, both the free and professional version.
Android
One of the best Android applications to select the most appropriate channel is the Wifi Analyzer application . Once we have installed the application from Google Play, it will give us a general description of the wireless networks in our area and the channels we are using. It will suggest the best WiFi channel for the network. We can also see the channel and the ratio from the display menu and increase the connection speed.
Linux
We open the terminal and simply write the following command that is incorporated in all popular Linux distributions:
1sudo iwlist wlan0 scan | grep \(Channel
Next, we just have to analyse the output and select the WiFi channel that is less congested to obtain optimal performance and increase the connection speed.
Mac
Finally, the Mac OS brings its own integrated tool . You have to do the following:
Hold down the Option key and click on the WiFi icon in the menu bar-> Select Open Wireless Diagnostics-> Click on the Window Menu-> Select Utilities-> Select to scan WiFi now.
The fields “Best Channels of 2.4 GHz” and “Best Channels of 5 GHz” will automatically recommend the ideal channel that we should use in the router and thus increase the speed.