How to change the Internet connection channel. How to find a free Wi-Fi channel and change the channel on the router? Changing the channel on the Tp-Link router

Most routers and access points have automatic channel selection set by default. Typically, a wireless network can function quite normally with these settings. But there are situations when it makes sense to change the channel manually and set a specific one.

This is what the default setting (automatic channel selection) looks like on a TP-Link router:

and like this on D-Link:

Why install a channel manually?

If there are too many wireless networks in the house and access points are located nearby, then, as a rule, they interfere with each other. Resulting in:

data transfer speed decreases;
client devices (laptop, smartphone, tablet) suddenly lose connection with the router (access point);
I can’t connect to my network from the far side of the room, although the signal is strong enough.

Therefore, if you have a similar situation and experience the problems described above, it makes sense to look for a freer channel. Even better is to try to come to an agreement with your neighbors on the distribution of channels and reducing transmitter powers in order to create less interference for each other. Ideally, access points located close to each other should be spaced on non-overlapping channels (for example, 1, 6, 11), and the transmitter power should be reduced to cover only the desired area.

How to find a free Wi-Fi channel

A free or, for example, the InSSIDer application for PC can help with this. If you have an Android smartphone, it will be easier and faster to use the first application.

How to select a free wireless channel on a router/access point

Setting up a router to use a specific Wi-Fi channel is extremely simple. To do this you need to know:

Router IP address;
password for the web interface.

Selecting a wireless channel manually using the example of D-Link DIR-300 NRU.

1. Enter the section SETUP.

2. Select a subsection on the left Wireless Setup.

3. Select the Wi-Fi setup method manually by clicking the button Manual Wireless Connection Setup:

4. In the field Wireless Network Settings find the parameter Wireless Channel and select the desired channel from the list.

5. Click Save Settings to save settings.

6. After about a minute, disconnect the client device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) from the network and connect to it again.

Selecting a wireless channel manually using the example of TP-Link TL-WR941N

1. Enter the section Wireless. In this case, a subsection will automatically open for you Wireless Settings.

2. On the right side of the window, find the parameter Channel and select the desired channel number

4. About a minute after making changes on the router, reconnect your devices to your wireless network again.

This is what the default setting (automatic channel selection) looks like on a TP-Link router:

and like this on D-Link:

Why install a channel manually?

If there are too many wireless networks in the house and access points are located nearby, then, as a rule, they interfere with each other. Resulting in:

data transfer speed decreases;
client devices (laptop, smartphone, tablet) suddenly lose connection with the router (access point);
I can’t connect to my network from the far side of the room, although the signal is strong enough.

Therefore, if you have a similar situation and experience the problems described above, it makes sense to look for a freer channel. It’s even better to try to come to an agreement with your neighbors on the distribution of channels and reducing transmitter powers in order to create less interference for each other. Ideally, access points located close to each other should be spaced on non-overlapping channels (for example, 1, 6, 11), and the transmitter power should be reduced to cover only the desired area.

How to find a free Wi-Fi channel

A free or, for example, the InSSIDer application for PC can help with this. If you have an Android smartphone, it will be easier and faster to use the first application.

How to select a free wireless channel on a router/access point

Setting up a router to use a specific Wi-Fi channel is extremely simple. To do this you need to know:

Router IP address;
password for the web interface.

Selecting a wireless channel manually using the example of D-Link DIR-300 NRU.

1. Enter the section SETUP.

2. Select a subsection on the left Wireless Setup.

Hello! Very often, when I respond to various comments on articles on setting up routers on this blog, I need to describe how to do a certain procedure, for example, change the channel on the router. I have already advised you to do this several times in the comments. And I decided to put this little advice in a separate article, it might be useful to someone else, but I will only give a link and will not describe the same thing every time. That's how lazy I am :).

Let's first figure out what this is "channel" in the router settings, what it does and why change it.

How can I explain this in a way that is clear and truthful :). Channel is a “subfrequency” of the main frequency 2.4 GHz on which Wi-Fi routers work (but not all and not only routers). This 2.4 GHz frequency is divided into 11-14 channels. A channel is a kind of road from your router to your computer.

In the router settings, you can set the channel on which your Wi-Fi network will be broadcast. Routers that go on sale in Europe have 13 channels. And for example, devices for the USA have 11 channels. I hope you understand what a channel is.

Why change the channel on a Wi-Fi router?

Everything is very simple. If, for example, there are two routers whose signal intersects and operates on the same channel, then a variety of errors may occur in the operation of these routers, or more precisely in the operation of wireless Wi-Fi networks. Such as constant loss of connection to the router, low Internet speed and many more different and incomprehensible problems.

I am often asked the question that the Internet works on devices only when they are close to the router (approximately within the room). And when you move further away, the device’s network is maintained, but the Internet does not work. I don't know the exact reason why this problem occurs, but it seems to me that the problem here is strong interference. Perhaps there are already so many networks that there are simply no free channels. Well, there is no need to rule out technical problems with the router in this case.

Now take your laptop or phone and see how many wireless networks you have available to connect to. Your neighbors probably have routers installed, not just your Wi-Fi :), although anything can happen.

And perhaps one of those wireless networks operates at the same frequency as yours. And because of this, there may already be low speed, unstable connection, etc.

It’s good when in routers from TP-Link By default, channel selection is set to Auto. This means that the router itself will look for a free channel and use it. But as far as I know, in popular routers D-Link the default channel is set 7 . And here are two (and possibly more) such D-Link with standard settings will already work on one channel.

Which channel should I set in the router settings?

If you don't have many or no Wi-Fi networks nearby, then you don't have to worry about changing the channel. And install as desired. But I still advise you to install a static channel, not Auto. Why? I don’t know if this is true, but I noticed that on my 1 channel, the signal is stronger than with automatic channel selection.

If there are many channels, or all 13 are filled, then I advise you to set automatic search and select a freer channel.

In the router settings, go to the tab Setup – Wireless Setup. If installed, or the checkbox next to the item is already selected Enable Auto Channel Selection, this means that the router itself selects a free channel. To install a specific channel, you need to uncheck the Enable Auto Channel Selection item and specify the desired value next to Wireless Channel.

Save the settings by clicking the button “Save Settings”.

As for other routers, I think that this process is not much different in them. Look for a channel change on the Wi-Fi network settings tab.

We accept all questions in the comments and on the forum :). Best wishes!

If the router is not working correctly, many experts advise changing the channel on which data is transmitted on the wireless network. This process is quite simple, but you must first determine which channel should be used to obtain the optimal result. Of course, the answer to this question can be obtained if you take professional help in setting up Wi-Fi. But you can still significantly reduce your costs if you select and change Wi-Fi channels yourself.

First of all, it is necessary to give a little explanation regarding what a Wi-Fi channel is. Almost any modern router uses an antenna that emits radio signals at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, but developers provide for the possibility of changing it in a small range. It is conventionally divided into 14 channels, which represent subfrequencies - to give a clear analogue, you can recall old radio receivers with coarse and fine tuning scales.

Wi-Fi channels are designed to improve wireless network performance in extreme situations. It’s enough to imagine what will happen if several routers are installed in close proximity to each other, and the same frequency is installed in each router. The consequence of this will be the appearance of interference, as well as a significant reduction in the range of connection with mobile devices. In addition, many users complain about sudden disconnections of laptops and smartphones from the router, which causes a lot of inconvenience.

That is why each router should have its own Wi-Fi channel installed - this will help to significantly reduce the amount of interference and get rid of the problems mentioned. In this case, several routers can be located at a distance of a meter from each other, each continuing to communicate with its members of the wireless network. That is why any user should know how to change the Wi-Fi channel.

Change process

To change any settings on your router, you will need to connect to its web client. If the device is already configured and functioning correctly, this can be done directly through the wireless network. Otherwise, you will have to use a cable with RJ-45 connectors, which is included with the device. The base address for the connection is 192.168.0.1, and an alternative can be a similar combination of characters in which the zero is replaced by one. This address is relevant for 90% of devices - if entering it in the browser line does not produce results, you need to find the correct combination in the instructions.

The login and password can be configured by the router user, but by default, to access any device, you need to enter the word admin in both lines. Once you have accessed the web client, find the menu tab that allows you to change the Wi-Fi channel. In many Russified interfaces it is called “Wireless Network”, but the following options may also occur:

Wireless settings for TP-Link;
Wireless setup for D-Link;
Wireless network for Asus;
Networking for Zyxel.

Typically, such tabs contain many settings, so you will need to select two items from them that allow you to set the desired Wi-Fi channel. It is enough to focus on the words “channel” or “Channel” to find a drop-down list with numbers and one switch window in which you can put a check mark. The channel number is set in the list, but the switch is designed to select the automatic operating mode of the router. After selecting a channel, all that remains is to reboot the device using the system settings tab.

You need to select the appropriate channel from the drop-down list

Channel selection

It is logical to assume that randomly selecting a wireless network channel will not give a good result - therefore, you should approach setting up your router with preliminary preparation. Of course, you can always bypass your neighbors and agree with them to use strictly defined channels, but such an approach will be irrational. In a multi-story office or residential building, you may need to check 30-40 routers whose coverage areas overlap with your device's effective radio transmission range.

To understand which wireless communication channel to choose, you need to use special applications. Among the most effective and understandable programs it should be noted:

inSSIDer;
WIFIInfoview;
for Android.

The interfaces of these applications are different, but all have a channel viewing function that will help you find the frequency that is least loaded compared to the others. Having found a free Wi-Fi channel, set the appropriate value in your router using the desired menu item in the web client.

Now we need to talk about automatic selection of Wi-Fi channels. Most builders use this option in the factory settings. It allows you not to waste time selecting channels using a special program - the router will independently scan frequencies and select the least loaded ones among them to ensure maximum performance of the wireless network. It is strongly recommended for novice users to enable this option.

However, professional users prefer to manually select optimally performing Wi-Fi channels, which provides an important advantage. In automatic mode, the router spends part of its antenna bandwidth scanning free frequencies and identifying the least loaded ones. In addition, practice shows that its choice is not always optimal, since there may be intermittently operating devices nearby, which also create a lot of interference. Therefore, manually setting the frequency will increase the throughput of the wireless network.

Check how busy Wi-Fi channels are about once a month - this will help maintain consistently high data transfer speeds and get rid of many problems. If there are channels used by other devices, try to negotiate with your neighbors or network administrator to set fixed subfrequencies. If there will be two or more routers in the room, be sure to select a different channel for each, no matter how close the subfrequencies are.

Quick setup

If you have any of the above applications, you can easily determine the optimal wireless network settings that will ensure high data transfer speeds and connection stability. Everything else remains purely a matter of technique - you need to access the router’s web client and select the necessary settings. If you cannot open the web client, it is better to contact a technician or perform a factory reset, returning to the parameters set by the linker. When using a router with firmware created by a specific provider, you should contact their technical support service to avoid serious errors. Having established a fixed communication frequency, do not forget to periodically check how busy it is so as not to encounter interference again.

A very popular question among Internet users, in particular wireless ones, is the question of choosing and changing the Wi-Fi channel. These steps can be carried out by looking at the settings of your router. The fact that this problem occurs very often is not at all surprising.

The reason for this is the occurrence of many interruptions in the operation of the Internet due to interference on the channel. This is what users complain about most often: low data transfer speeds, the Internet works in jerks (that is, access, then there is no access), sometimes the Wi-Fi connection is interrupted for a long time. All these problems have one root cause - the congestion of your channel.

Another negative consequence of increased load is the following problem: your computer stops seeing this particular Wi-Fi network, even though it sees others.

Introduction

We will tell you later in the article how to find another channel, make the transition from the old one to the new one, and how to do all this. We will review the solution based on the parameters of the most popular router models. Among them you can find such as Tp-Link, Asus, D-Link, Zyxel, as well as Tenda

The essence of a Wi-Fi channel. The need to change it.

Let's start the debriefing with the most basic. A little theory about wireless connection channels. Currently, most routers are set to the frequency 2.4 GHz. So this indicator is considered standard. There are more numbers - for example, 5 GHz, but they are found in recently released models, so there are still fewer of them.

The 2.4 GHz frequency suggests the possibility of using the following range of channels: from the first to the thirteenth. It is easy to conclude that any Wi-Fi router operates on one of these thirteen channels. This applies to countries such as Russia and Ukraine. In America, things are different: they can only use 11 channels. Take note of this feature, because when purchasing any American device, you can easily encounter the fact that it will not see Wi-Fi channels 12 or 13.

Problems with channel overload occur when several networks are connected to it at once. How does this happen?

You install, for example, channel 5.
A neighbor nearby also decides to opt for Channel 5.
Thus, several networks have already used Channel 5. Imagine when there are several such neighbors.
The channel is overloaded.

This problem is very common in apartment buildings, but less common in private buildings, since the distance to neighbors is large.

The initial settings are as follows: when you turn on the router, any channel is automatically selected (the one that is less loaded). When you turn off and turn on the router again, a different channel is selected.

Of course, you can set this setting - when turned on, the router will connect to a specific channel, for example, the second. This will always happen. But one day this channel may become very busy, and you will encounter the problems that we talked about at the beginning of the article. Therefore, automatic channel selection has an advantage. You can always reboot the device, and it will find another option, a freer one.

A useful thing is special programs that are designed to track which channels are busy and which are free. We will talk about them further.

But still, the easiest and most affordable way to deal with wireless connection problems is this. If after the first time you cannot solve the problems, then do it again. You can also experiment with the settings:

If you chose to install a static, that is, permanent, channel, go to automatic selection;

If, on the contrary, the router automatically selected the channel, set its specific number - first try 1,6 and 11.

Such manipulations help to cope with problems that have arisen.

If your attempts are unsuccessful, you can turn to special programs. They're called inSSIDer,WiFiInfoView. Helpful assistants will tell you information about free channels that you can connect to.

However, interruptions in the Internet are not always associated solely with the congestion of a particular channel. Sometimes problems are detected with the power system, interference coming from other gadgets, or breakdowns of individual parts.

How to work with special programs?

When your device (be it a laptop, smartphone or something else) shows that there are many different networks in a nearby radius, use special programs that will indicate to you the availability of a free channel.

The most famous program for this purpose is rightfully considered inSSIDer. Its main advantage is free access, that is, it is absolutely free. There is no menu in Russian; English will not be difficult to understand.

A good alternative is the WiFiInfoView program (I recommend using it).

Searching for a channel in the inSSIDer program

The algorithm of actions within the framework of this program will be as follows:

First you need to download it. It is available (home version 3.0.3.53 for Windows 7 and Windows 8).
Next comes the installation. Run the installer and follow the recommendations suggested in the instructions.
Launch it by clicking on the appropriate shortcut (the shortcut will be on the desktop).
The program can be easily installed not only on computers, but also on phones (based on Android/iOS).
Turn on Wi-Fi. If you need to set it up, you can always find practical advice.
After starting the program, go to the tab NETWORKS. You will see a list of available Wi-Fi networks that are nearby, including yours. You can find out about connecting to the latter if there is an asterisk next to it.
We pay attention to Channel, namely, to what is displayed under this tab (information about busy channels).

We make a choice in favor of one or the other.

A small recommendation: when you analyze busy channels, pay attention to channels such as 1, 6, 11. If other networks have not selected them, then first try setting up the router on them. This is due to the fact that these three channels never intersect, which cannot be said about others, for example, about 10 . When the network is configured for it, then 2 before and 2 after are busy, that is, channels from 8 to 10. For example: 8,9,10,11,12.

Selecting a channel using WiFiInfoView

This program is even easier to learn than the previous one. You don't even have to install it. Yes, it will give you less information, but it will be enough. WiFiInfoView is freely available here.

Opening the downloaded file. Launch WifiInfoView.exe.
Column Channel contains information about which channel is being used by the network.

We analyze busy people and make a choice in favor of the most free one. We set the number in the settings of our router. Next we will tell you how to do this.

Changing the channel on the Tp-Link router

If your router is Tp-Link, follow the following instructions if you want to change the channel:

We establish a connection to the router (wireless or wired - it doesn’t matter);
Enter the following numbers in the browser line - 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.1 .
A window will pop up asking you to enter data. Standard values are admin, admin. In your case they may be different - maybe you changed them.

The further path is as follows: Wireless - Wireless Settings(Wireless Mode - Wireless Settings) - Channel(Channel) - select a channel.

Before doing this, you should check that the specified region is correct. To do this, look at the tab Region- she is right here.

Changes are saved when clicked Save. Next, you should reboot the router and check how well the Internet works.

D-Link: changing channel parameters

For routers of this brand, the algorithm will be basically the same: Connect to the network – enter settings – enter address 192.168.0.1 and data ( admin And admin). Are there any difficulties? Use this one.

D-Link has a great tip in the settings. You can see at the same time which channel you are using and the load scales of other numbers. A visual diagram allows you to make a more correct choice. You don’t even have to install the special programs that we talked about earlier.

What about Asus?

Working with Asus routers is no different from the options discussed above. We also connect Wi-Fi, enter the settings (the address is the same - 192.168.1.1 , both name and password – admin, admin). More detailed steps can be found if you open this one.

Tab Wireless network, indicating the channel number, Apply- ready. The router will reboot automatically.

What are the steps for the Zyxel Keenetic router?

Establishing an Internet connection. Open the settings page, which is located at the standard address 192.168.1.1 . Enter the required data. Here the standard password is not admin, but 1234. Any difficulties? It will help you.

In the settings window, go to the tab called Wi-Fi network, edit the region (if necessary), and then install the desired channel. For the specified parameters to take effect, you need to click Apply.

Setting a specific channel on Tenda routers

To get to the settings page, you must specify the address 192.168.0.1 . The standard fields – login and password – will be as follows: login – admin, password is an empty cell. Let's go to the tab Wireless settings. In the Channel line we enter the selected number. Let's save the changes - Ok.

conclusions

If your situation has not changed in any way after all the methods that were proposed in this article, there is only one solution left - buy a more powerful router, exactly the one we talked about at the beginning - with a frequency of 5 GHz. There have been such cases in practice, and no manipulation of changing channels helped solve the problem with interruptions.

Also remember that sometimes problems can be of a technical nature - some element in the router may break. Then no action to change the settings will be useful.

The article turned out to be very informative and useful for all users of the World Wide Web. In it, we tried to analyze the easiest and most accessible ways to resolve the most common problems with the Internet and wireless Wi-Fi connections.

The most common problems when using routers include loss of Wi-Fi signal, as well as low Internet speed.

The most common reason for their appearance is that your wireless network is using the same channel that is used by other Wi-Fi access points in the neighborhood. As a result of this, due to interference and “clogging” of the channel, such things appear. The solution is obvious: change the channel, because in most cases, users leave the Auto value, which is set in the default router settings.

To change the channel, it is necessary to determine in advance the most free ones.
You need to download (or its mobile application), which searches for all working Wi-Fi access points in the vicinity and provides in a convenient form all the information about them: the channel on which data is exchanged, operating frequencies, equipment manufacturer, MAC addresses of all nearby points access, SSiD, name of the wireless network, maximum possible connection speed, type of encryption and much more. All this is presented in the form of visual graphs.

Run this program on a device with WiFi - for example, a laptop. And scan all surrounding wireless networks.

We use the received data – especially channel loading – to select free bands. On our chart these are channels 5,6,7 at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, at which the author’s network operates.

Also, it is possible to perform the described steps without a laptop; Android and iOS owners can use the free WiFi Analyzer program, which is similar in functionality, which can be found and downloaded in the official Google Play and Apple Stores.

The channel selection method is no different from inSSIDer:

Many home wireless Internet users have probably thought about how to choose the optimal Wi-Fi channel that would guarantee the fastest signal. After all, the loading time of sites or individual files depends on the signal speed.

Most modern routers are programmed to independently detect and connect to a suitable communication channel, but sometimes users have to do this manually. However, people often lack the technical skills and knowledge to perform such settings. Therefore, to fully immerse ourselves in the problem of choosing a Wi-Fi channel on a router, let’s dive into the theory.

Mostly, modern Wi-Fi routers operate at frequencies from 2,401 to 2,483 GHz. Frequency bands form special channels. For the Russian Federation there are 13 of them. It is worth paying attention to this so as not to make mistakes when setting up the router, since the user is given the choice of the country in which the router is used. If you choose the wrong country, for example, a country that has only 11 channels, then, accordingly, the router, when installing numbers of a higher denomination, simply will not see the access point. All that remains is to manually set the desired channel number, but only from the available range (1-11). Carefully select the country of use, and no additional manual settings should be required.

The newest router models can also support the 5 GHz frequency. But mostly, users use cheaper models, which, as stated above, operate at 2.4 GHz frequencies. Such routers operate on one (or a pair) of channels, and to find out the channels occupied by neighboring routers, you can use a special program. For example, inSSIDer is one of the most popular and free programs for manipulating Wi-Fi. The program must be downloaded to your computer (or other device used), installed, opened, and you can immediately view the available data about access points (routers and routers) operating nearby. Here is a screenshot of the running inSSIDer program:

You need to look in the “Channel” column. And below you can see the channel usage graph, from which you can see which channel is less loaded. The graph shows that at the moment the least loaded channels are from 8 to 13.

On the right of our graph there is also a field for displaying the signal of routers at 5 GHz, but it is empty, since this diagnostic is available only in the paid version of the program used. This program is relevant for computers, tablets and laptops. If you set up Wi-Fi on a phone, for example, on Android, then you need to use special application programs.

What is the operating mode of all routers? Routers most often initially have automatic channel selection settings. In most cases, the operation of the router under these conditions is completely acceptable. However, there are situations when it is necessary to change the channel manually and enter the necessary data.

This is what the router setup (automatic) from TP-Link looks like:

In the highlighted line you can change the automatic mode to manual. To do this, just change the value of the “Channel” section.
This channel selection is necessary when there are many networks in the house and the access points are too close to each other.

Wi-Fi speed drops significantly;
the connection between the device and the access point is interrupted;
The signal remains strong, but connection is not possible at a distance from the router.

If the above mentioned problems occur, then you should probably set up manual channel selection. This way you can find a free channel and configure the router.

You must also remember that problems with wireless networks occur for various reasons. Before touching the router settings, you must:

reboot the router;
completely reset settings;
change the location of the router;
change the encryption type.

Selecting a free wireless channel on the router

No matter what router is used, the algorithm for setting up the required and free channel on the router is the same for everyone. Setting up the selected channel will take a little time. To do this you need to know:

Router IP address;
password for the web interface.

You will find this data either in the instructions for the router, or on the label/box of the router itself. You can find instructions on how to enter the router settings on our website. Now let's look at choosing a wireless channel using the example of various routers.

D-Link

Let's look at changing the frequency of a wifi channel using the DIR-300 NRU as an example. go to the settings of the D-Link router.

1. Enter the SETUP section.
2. Select the subsection on the left - Wireless Setup.
3. Click on the Manual Wireless Connection Setup button, which will help you change the Wi-Fi setup method.

4. In the Wireless Network Settings section, look for Wireless Channel and select the desired channel.
5. To save changes in settings, click Save Settings.
6. Wait a few minutes, disconnect the device from the network and reconnect to Wi-Fi.

TP-Link

Let's consider changing the frequency of a wifi channel using the TL-WR941N as an example. The first thing you need to do is go to the settings of your TP-Link router.

1. Go to the Wireless section. The Wireless Settings subsection will automatically open. Let's go to this subsection.
2. We look for the Channel item and select the number of the channel we need.
3. To save the change in the settings, click Save. Only after this the changes will take effect.
4. Disconnect from the network, and after a couple of minutes connect to Wi-Fi again.

Asus

The first thing you need to do is go to the ASUS router settings.

1. Go to the “Wireless Network” section. A series of tabs will open in the open interface, we click on “General”
2. In the open tab, look for the “Channel” item and click on its setting.
3. In the list that appears, look for the number of the optimal Wi-Fi channel.
4. Click the Apply button to save the router settings.
5. Turn off Wi-Fi, wait a little, and connect to the network again.

ZyXEL

The first thing you need to do is go to the settings of the ZyXEL router.

1. Click on the wireless connection indicator icon at the bottom of the screen. A Wi-Fi connection window will open in the open interface; select the “Access Point” section.
2. In the tab that appears, find the “Channel” sub-item and click on it.
3. A list will appear. In it we find the number of the required free Wi-Fi channel.
4. Click the Apply button to finally change the router settings.
5. Turn off the wireless connection, wait a couple of minutes, and we can connect to Wi-Fi.

Or another firmware option:

Netgear

1. Click on the indication of the Network section.
2. In the open tab, look for the Wireless LAN item and click on its settings.
3. In the first General tab we find the Channel Selection field. Near it we see the checked item Auto Channel Selection. Uncheck it.
3. In the Channel Selection drop-down list, look for the required frequency for correct operation.
4. Click the Apply button to finally change the router settings.
5. We interrupt the wireless connection, after a while we connect to Wi-Fi again.

So, to select a Wi-Fi channel on the router you need to:

understand the theory and method of operation of the router;
study the instructions for the router you are using;
make sure it is necessary to change the channel;
in accordance with the router model, change the router channel setup mode (basically this is one setup algorithm).

The correct choice of Wi-Fi channel will optimize operation, improve speed and prolong the life of the router.

Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Interference caused by various devices in the vicinity of a Wi-Fi network is one of the reasons why a wireless network may have poor signal and network connection problems.

Changing the Wi-Fi channel of the router (router) in this case is one of the ways to cope with the situation.

Since most wireless home Wi-Fi networks transmit signals in a narrow radio frequency band around 2.4 GHz (an additional 5 GHz band was only approved in 2014), this often affects the signal of devices operating on the same frequency.

Various electronic devices in the home also use the 2.4 GHz band for their operation, for example:

cordless phones;
microwaves;
Bluetooth devices;
children's video monitors;
garage door openers;
game console controllers.

Devices on this list or others operating on the same frequency can easily interfere with your home wireless network, reducing its performance.

Wireless Wi-Fi networks operating among neighbors also use the 2.4 GHz frequency, which often leads to interference of radio waves (adding or mutual cancellation of their amplitudes) and interference between home networks.

Fortunately, most routers allow you to change the frequency of your wireless channel so that devices can “talk” on a different frequency to avoid interference.

Reference! Selecting the appropriate Wi-Fi channel when setting up your WLAN can help minimize or avoid sources of radio interference.

How Wi-Fi channels work

The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi radio signal is divided into several smaller frequency bands (channels). There are 14 of them in total, and for Russia the possibility of changing from channel 1 to channel 13 (2.412 - 2.472 GHz) has been allocated.

Some Wi-Fi channel numbers overlap each other, channel 1 uses the lowest frequency range, and each subsequent channel increases the frequency slightly.

Note! Three 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channels - 1, 6 and 11 - do not have mutual frequency overlap. For best results, you must use one of the channels provided.

The 5 GHz Wi-Fi radio signal is used in new network devices that support the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, as well as some 802.11n devices.

In Russia, the ability to change the following 5 GHz channels has been allocated: 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153, 157 and 161.

Reference! The 5 GHz radio band has 19 non-overlapping channels, compared to three in the 2.4 GHz band.

The 5 GHz frequency suffers much less interference than the 2.4 GHz frequency. Wi-Fi devices operating on the 5 GHz band have Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), which detects whether other devices are transmitting on the same channel and automatically changes its channel to avoid frequency conflicts.

Also, the stability of the 5 GHz channel is due to the fact that there are still quite a few devices operating at this frequency.

How do you know if you need to change the Wi-Fi channel?

If your Wi-Fi devices experience delays in data transmission, possibly due to interference from other devices or Wi-Fi networks, you need to find out what is causing the delays.

For these purposes, desktop or mobile applications are used that show wireless channels of other local networks that the router can see at the moment.

The ability to see nearby Wi-Fi networks and what channels they are using allows you to understand whether a channel change is required and which channel is best to switch to.

You can find out the wireless channel that the router is currently using by going to its administration page in the section related to the wireless network. There you can also change the channel used in the router.

Routers also often come with automatic channel number settings set by default. In this situation, you will also have to set it manually.

Channel selection using special programs

To find an unused or least used channel in the reception area of a router on a PC running Windows, you can use the excellent WifiInfoView and inSSIDer software by downloading it and running it on your PC.

Installation of the WifiInfoView program on the system is not required.

Step 2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the download link “Download WifiInfoView”.

Note! you can by clicking on the browser’s “Settings” button and selecting “Downloads.”

Step 3. Click on the downloaded archive.

Step 4. Select the files in the window that opens and drag them with the mouse into a folder on your PC.

Step 5. Run the “WifiInfoView” executable file by double-clicking.

The program will automatically scan Wi-Fi networks located in the router's access area and provide the necessary information about them.

Step 6. View the Channel and Signal Quality columns after scanning.

The higher the quality of the signal on the channel you are watching, the worse the other network will work on it, i.e. this channel should be avoided at all costs.

InSSIDer is another popular Wi-Fi network diagnostic program.

Step 2. Run the program installation file and click “Next”.

Step 3. Check the “I agree...” checkbox and click “Next”.

Check the “I agree...” checkbox and click “Next”

Step 4. Click "Next".

Step 5. Click "Next".

Step 6. Click “Install”.

Step 7 Click “Finish”.

After launching, the program itself will scan nearby networks and show information about the “Channel” channels and the strength of their “RSSI” signal.

Step 8 Select an unoccupied (missing) channel or the channel with the weakest signal and go to it, setting it in the router settings panel.

Reference! If the WLAN channels of the router and the “neighboring” network are close or coincide, and the neighboring channel has a higher signal strength, it is better to switch to the channel most distant from this network.

Channel selection via smartphone

To select a suitable Wi-Fi channel using a smartphone with Android OS installed on it, Wi-Fi Analyzer software is best suited.

Step 1. Download the program on Google Play on your phone or tablet.

Step 2. Run the program. It will automatically start analyzing Wi-Fi networks.

Step 3. After the analysis, click on the “View” button and select “Channel rating”.

Changing the Wi-Fi channel on the router

To change the Wi-Fi channel of the router, you need to go to its web panel by entering the IP address of the router model, its username and password.

Reference! Information about the router's login and password can be read on the bottom of its case, found in the device's instructions, or found out via the Internet.

Step 1. Launch a web browser and enter the IP address of the router in its line. Press Enter on your keyboard.

Step 2. Enter "User Name" and "Password" into the login menu. Click “Log In”.

Router D-Link

Step 1. Click on “Setup” and select “Wireless settings” on the left.

Step 2. Uncheck “Enable Auto Channel...” on the right and select the desired channel (CH 1-13) in “Wireless Channel”. Click “Save Settings”.

Uncheck “Enable Auto Channel...” on the right and select “Wireless Channel”

Router ASUS

Step 1. Select “General” and go to the “Wireless Network” tab on the left.

Step 2.

Router ZyXEL

Step 1. Select “Wi-Fi Network” on the left and click “Connection”.

Step 2. Select the desired channel on the right in the “Channel” item and click “Apply”.

Router TP-Link

Step 1. Select “Wireless” on the left and click “Wireless settings”.

Step 2. Select the desired channel in the “Channel” item on the right and click “Save”.

Tenda router

Step 1. Go to “WLAN Settings” on the left and click “Basic Settings”.

Step 2. Select the desired channel on the right in the “Channel” item and click “Apply”.

Step 3. Close the router settings window in the Internet browser.

Video - How to change the wifi channel on the router

Change process

Wireless settings for TP-Link;
Wireless setup for D-Link;
Wireless network for Asus;
Networking for Zyxel.

You need to select the appropriate channel from the drop-down list

Channel selection

To understand which wireless communication channel to choose, you need to use special applications. Among the most effective and understandable programs it should be noted:

inSSIDer;
WIFIInfoview;
WiFi Analyzer for Android.