Best channels for 5 GHz Wi-Fi Within the 5 GHz band, the channels 36, 40, 44, and 48 are all designated for domestic use, so we'd recommend sticking to one of those four channels to limit the possibility of interference from other, non-domestic applications (like military or aviation activity).
Starting at the bottom, the lowest four channels at 5GHz are collectively referred to as the UNII-1 ban d. Channels 36, 40, 44, and 48 make up the roster. This band covers frequencies from 5,150MHz to 5,250MHz. The vast majority of devices run on one of these four channels.
In general, 36, 40, 44, and 48 are the best 5G channels WiFi because they are least likely to overlap with other channels. However, if these channels are already congested in your area, you can try using channels 149, 153, 157, and 161 as they are also less likely to overlap with other channels.
Selecting the proper Wi-Fi channel can significantly improve your Wi-Fi coverage and performance. In the 2.4 GHz band, 1, 6, and 11 are the only non-overlapping channels. Selecting one or more of these channels is an important part of setting up your network correctly.
Opting for a 40 MHz channel can be a smart move when the network is less congested, as it can also provide 12 non-overlapping channels when used on the 5 GHz band. 80 MHz channel bandwidth should only be applied when you're certain that the entire network range is available with no interference.
5 GHz Wi-Fi: when to use 40 MHz: When we require minimize interference and more throughput in that case we use 40 MHz because 40MHz provides more throughput than 20 Mhz. 5 GHz Wi-Fi: when to use 80 MHz: we use 80 Mhz, when interference is not a big issue, or wi-fi client is close to router but we need more throughput.
In crowded areas with a lot of frequency noise and interference, a single 20MHz channel will be more stable. 40MHz channel width allows for greater speed and faster transfer rates but it does not perform as well in crowded areas. However, with most home environments using wider channels are ideal to use.
Ideally, you'll want to run your 2.4GHz wifi network on channels 1, 6, or 11. You should be able to set your wireless network to a new channel within your router's settings. (And don't forget to do this same analysis for your 5GHz wireless networks as well.)
To reduce the interference on your wireless network, ensure that you are reducing the number of devices in the area. Additionally, you can attempt to use a different wireless channel that has less traffic.
Range or Speed
If you need higher performance or speed, use the 5GHz band. The 5GHz band, which is the newer of the two, has the potential to cut through network clutter and interference to maximize network performance.
Non-wifi technologies using this band (microwaves, Bluetooth, etc.) or the neighboring WiFi access points using overlapping side channels create interference.
Here are some devices that interfere with 5 GHz radios: Cordless phones. Radar. Perimeter sensors.
The best transmit power in 5 GHz Wi-Fi is 10-17 dBm (decibel milliwatts) aka 10-50 milliwatts. This is because the 2.4 GHz band tends to operate between 8-13 dBm; so we'll want to be around 4-6 dBm above the 2.4 GHz band. This will ensure client devices will 'prefer' the 5 GHz band over the 2.4 GHz.
On the 5 GHz network, set your radio on the 5GHz to A/AC/N. This will allow all devices to connect to this network. If you want to optimize your home network, choose just AC and it will not allow older slower N wireless devices to take up bandwidth on this radio.
The higher band broadcasts at a stronger signal than the lower band (I believe this is due to the standard). If you are in a house where your wifi needs to penetrate multiple walls and/or floors - choose a low channel.
WiFi signal at 20 MHz has a very distinct shape. This shape leads to overlap on other WiFi channels that can be used for setting up access points (AP). Unlike 2.4 GHz channels, all 25 of the available 5 GHz channels are non-overlapping at 20 MHz wide.
Physical obstructions such as walls, doors and even furniture can cause WiFi interference. Materials such as concrete, metal and plaster can significantly reduce the range of WiFi signals. The solution is to strategically place routers in areas where they can provide optimal coverage.
Use a heatmap and reposition the router
The positioning of the router has a big impact on the performance of your Wi-Fi, affecting speed or glitches when using the internet. To find out where your Wi-Fi connection is being interrupted the most you should use a heatmapping tool.
Avoid overlapping channels
We recommend sticking to channels 1, 6 or 11 with 2.4 GHz to achieve the best stability, and for all devices to be able to find the wireless network regardless where and when they were manufactured.
If you need to use a 160 MHz width, manually set the channel number to 36, as this width implies that the client covers the whole 36-64 channel block. There is also a nuance in using channel 144 in the 5 GHz band: not all devices support it, so it is excluded from the router's auto channel selection.
Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the best channels for WiFi in the 2.4 GHz band because they are the only non-overlapping channels available.
This means that the channel 36 is associated with the 5,180MHz (the range between 5,170 and 5,190MHz), the channel 40 is 5,200MHz (between 5,190 and 5,210MHz) and channel 44 can be associated with the 5,220MHz frequency (the range between 5,210 and 5,230MHz).
if its 5GHz, use 80MHz, as long as you dont have a neighbour on one of your channel. Lets say you are on channel 36. As long as none of your neighbors are on 40, 44, 48, go ahead and use 80MHz.
For AC, which is only in 5 GHz, each spatial stream has a max PHY rate of 433 Mbps when used with 80 MHz-wide channels, which is typical of AC usage in 5 GHz.