On the 5 GHz band, set the channel width to 40 MHz and see if that improves reliability.

If you are experiencing wireless drops, a too-wide channel width could be the cause. A wider wave will also catch more objects on its sides which, when talking about wireless networking, results in more interference.ĭepending on your Wi-Fi landscape, it may be best to give up some channel width to get the extra strength and dodge interference, even if your router and adapter can handle higher channel widths. The wider the wave, the more it will hit and the more it will get around, but the less strength it will have than if it were contained to a narrower channel. Think of your wireless signal like water. However, the signal will have less overall strength and will be more prone to interference from other nearby channels. The higher the channel width, the more data the stream can carry, making it potentially faster, and the more likely the signal is to get around solid objects. Try changing your channel width (some routers may call it sideband or side channel). Even a single Wi-Fi router with multiple radios can conflict with itself if those radios are set to the same channel.Ĭhoosing the right channel bandwidth (or sideband, channel width, or other)

If you have extenders, access points, or any other wireless routers, make sure they are operating on a different channel than your primary router.

If you cannot find an empty channel, aim for the channels with the weakest signal.

If you are experiencing Wi-Fi drops or cannot see your wireless access point, and you are using a DFS channel, (Channels 50-144 in the USA, other areas can be found on this chart), try changing to a non-DFS 5 GHz channel and see if that improves the issue. On the 5 GHz band, which is usually Wireless-AC (though some routers do support 5 GHz Wireless-N) choose a channel that is as far away from other channels as possible.Doing otherwise invites interference from more than one other primary 2.4 GHz wireless channel. Using the information above, you can see why you should always choose channels 1, 11 (or 12/13), or 6. Channel 11 will interfere with and receive interference from 2.4 GHz channels 7-11.Channel 6 will interfere with and receive interference from 2.4 GHz channels 2-10.Channel 1 will interfere with and receive interference from 2.4 GHz channels 1-5.You should treat these the same as Channel 11, as they will interfere with, and receive interference from, Channel 11. European users can also use Channels 12 and 13 on the 2.4 GHz band. Channels other than 1, 11, or 6 will receive more interference. Try to pick the emptiest of the three, using the Wi-Fi Analyzer as your guide. On the 2.4 GHz band, which is usually Wireless-N, always choose Channels 1, 11, or 6.

Here are some tips on which settings to choose:

You can use the Intel® Killer™ Control Center (If you are using an Intel Killer Wireless adapter) or any third-party Wi-Fi Analyzer to determine which channels are least used on each band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and change your Wi-Fi router’s settings accordingly. To do this, you will need access to your specific router’s setup interface.

Maximize throughput (which is what you will see on an Internet speed test).

When adjusting or setting up your Wi-Fi network in a home or business, the primary goals are to: Not all the devices in the same network can be affected by this issue to the same level. Slow Internet connection and disconnects can happen if the wireless network is not set correctly, or if too many devices are competing for wireless airspace in your network. The network configuration can be a reason for Wi-Fi issues.

Router vs modem channel