Such channel-related interferences can be cut down or excluded by choosing the proper Wi-Fi channel for your network. Wi-Fi channel selection is crucial in cases like this. Reason 2: Adjacent-Channel InterferenceĪdjacent-channel interference happens when clients on overlapping channels talk at the same time. That’s basically what co-channel interference is, which is why Wi-Fi routers take turns and politely wait for one another to finish. The chances are that multiple kids started shouting at once and nobody could hear anything properly. Think back to when you were in elementary school and your teacher asked the whole class a question. Instead, it’s a result of Wi-Fi routers doing their best to give one another room to transmit data. This type of Wi-Fi interference isn’t actually electromagnetic interference. Therefore, the more devices the longer the wait time. In networks where devices take turns to talk, it takes time for each of them to wait for their turn. Some WiFi generations support only the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz band, while some support both: WiFi Generation If you can’t use both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channel band at the same time, we recommend you test bands independently and choose the one which allows you to achieve higher data transfer speeds and lower latency. Tri-band routers tend to be very expensive, but they are indispensable in highly congested areas, such as city centers. There are even “tri-band” routers, which broadcast one signal in the 2.4 GHz band and two signals in the 5 GHz band. Such routers are called “dual-band,” and they are well worth their higher price. The good news is that modern Wi-Fi routers can readily use both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channel band at the same time, giving you the best of both worlds. In general, higher frequencies have a harder time penetrating solid objects, such as walls and trees, which is why the 5 GHz band is not great for broadcasting data across long ranges. Or maybe entirely new antenna designs will be created for the high-end demands of wireless networking world. Of course there will be custom cases like fine-tuning the channel selection for your router.Įventually, even the 5GHz will fill up, but by the time it happens we should be able to figure higher WiFi channel frequencies out. It is especially applicable to MIMO setups (up to eight in 802.11ac), when it is a better idea to let your router do its own thing. Ideally, as everyone gradually upgrades their hardware and starts using 5GHz band, having to select the proper WiFi channel will become obsolete. In cases like this you may benefit from using the 40, 80, and 160MHz channels. Using the 5GHz band and having decently thick walls as well as the general lacking of 5GHz devices usually means that there is a very little interference in your space. 802.11ax Wi-Fi routers were demonstrated to achieve a top speed of 11 Gbit/s, in part thanks to their ability to avoid interference with neighboring networks. 802.11ax: Also called Wi-Fi 6 by Wi-Fi Alliance, 802.11ax is the latest version of the IEEE 802.11 standard, designed to operate in all band spectrums between 1 and 7 GHz.802.11ac: Released in 2013, 802.11ac extended channel binding from 40 MHz in 802.11n to optional 160 MHz and mandatory 80 MHz channel bandwidth for stations, resulting in multi-station throughput of at least 1 gigabit per second and single-link throughput of at least 500 megabits per second (500 Mbit/s).802.11n: Released in 2009, this emendation to the IEEE 802.11-2007 wireless-networking standard is the first mainstream version of the IEEE 802 set of LAN protocols that can be used in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency bands.Most of them have a hardware inside that automatically selects the proper WiFi channel and adjusts the output power thus boosting throughput and cutting down the interference. If you bought a WiFi router within the last couple of years, then you probably have a decent 802.11n or 802.11ac router. Starting with 802.11n and going to 802.11ac, wireless technology became much more advanced. It offers 23 non-overlapping 20MHz channels.
The 5 GHz (802.11n and 802.11ac) band actually offers way more free space at the higher frequencies.