How To Internet & Network Change the Wi-Fi Channel Number to Avoid Interference Choosing the right Wi-Fi channel can minimize wireless interference Share Pin Email Print The Wireless Connection The Wireless Connection Introduction All About Wireless What Does Wireless Really Mean? 802.11 Standards Explained The Range Of A Wireless Network Dual-Band Wireless Networking Explained How Bluetooth Works With Wireless Measure It: Wi-Fi Signal Strength What Is A Wi-Fi Hotspot? The Best Wi-Fi Channels For Your Network Access Your Router As An Administrator 5 Tips for Securing A Wireless Network How Many Devices Can Connect To One Wireless Router? How To Connect At Home How to Name Your Wireless Network How to Change Your Wireless Router's Admin Password Change the Wi-Fi Channel Number to Avoid Interference Build a Wireless Home Network Use Wireless Speakers In Home Theater Connect Your Echo & Alexa To Wi-Fi Connect Google Home to Wi-Fi Wirelessly Connect An iPad To Your TV Use a Free Firewall Program How To Connect On The Go How to Find Free Wi-Fi Locations Get 4G or 3G on Your Laptop Connect To Wi-Fi in Your Car Get Wireless Internet Access in a Hotel Use Your Android As A Wi-Fi Hotspot Set Up Personal Hotspot On Your iPhone Connect Nintendo Switch To Bluetooth Headphones Connect To A Wireless Network With Windows Access Your Computer Remotely How to Troubleshoot Wireless Issues 7 Reasons Wi-Fi Connections Drop Disable Automatic Wireless Connections on Windows How to Hack-proof Your Wireless Router How to Fix OS X Bluetooth Wireless Problems What to Do When Google Home Won't Connect To Wi-Fi How to Hide Your Wireless Network Can't Connect To The Internet? Try This What to Do When There's No Internet Connection The Future of Wireless 5G Changes Everything How 4G And 5G Are Different Why 5G Really Is Faster All About 5G Cell Towers 5G Challenges: Why It Isn't Rolling Out Faster Is 5G The High-Speed Replacement for Cable? When 5G Is Coming to the US The 12 Best 5G Phones Coming in 2019 by Bradley Mitchell An MIT graduate who brings years of technical experience to articles on SEO, computers, and wireless networking. Updated November 10, 2019 221 221 people found this article helpful Wireless home networks transmit signals in a narrow radiofrequency range around 2.4 GHz and it's common for devices on the same frequency to affect the wireless signal and slow down an internet connection. Electronics such as cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors, and microwave ovens may use this frequency range. The wireless networks of neighbors may use the same radio signaling that interferes with an internet connection, especially in residences that share walls. If your electronic devices or your neighbor's network slow down your home network and internet connection, change the wireless channel on your router so that it communicates on a different frequency to avoid interference. Fausto Favetta Photoghrapher / Getty Images How Wi-Fi Channels Work The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal range is divided into a number of smaller bands or channels, similar to television channels. In most countries, Wi-Fi network equipment provides a set of available channels to choose from. In the United States, for example, any of the Wi-Fi channels 1 through 11 can be chosen when setting up a wireless LAN (WLAN). Setting this channel number strategically can help avoid sources of wireless interference. Which 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Channel Is Best? Wi-Fi equipment in the U.S. often ships with its default Wi-Fi channel set to 6. If you encounter interference from other devices in your home, change the channel up or down to avoid it. However, all Wi-Fi devices on a network must use the same channel. Unlike television channels, some Wi-Fi channel numbers overlap with each other. Channel 1 uses the lowest frequency band and each subsequent channel increases the frequency slightly. Therefore, the further apart two channel numbers are, the less the degree of overlap and likelihood of interference. If you encounter interference from a neighbor's WLAN, change to a more distant channel. The three Wi-Fi channels 1, 6, and 11 have no frequency overlap with each other. Use one of these three channels for the best results. Which 5 GHz Wi-Fi Channel Is Best? Newer 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi networks also support 5 GHz wireless connections. These frequencies are less likely to encounter wireless interference issues in homes the way 2.4 GHz does. Additionally, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi channel choices available in most home network equipment have been selected to choose only non-overlapping channels. Choices vary by country, but in the United States, these non-overlapping 5 GHz channels are most recommended: 36, 40, 44, 48, 149, 153, 157, and 161. Usable non-overlapping 5 GHz channels also exist between 48 and 149, specifically 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, and 136. These channels fall into a specially regulated category where a Wi-Fi transmitter detects whether other devices are transmitting on the same channel and automatically changes its channel to avoid conflict. While this Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) feature avoids interference issues, many network administrators avoid using these channels to minimize complications. How to Find or Change the Wi-Fi Channel You're Using To find the wireless channel your router uses, access the router administration page, usually at the router IP address. Log in to the page, then look for something referring to wireless channels or WLAN. To see the wireless channel setting, use a mobile or desktop wireless app. These Wi-Fi apps point out the channel of your network and the WLANs that your device can see in the range. The ability to see nearby wireless networks and their channels is crucial. You need to know what the other channels are set at so that you know which channel to change. Did You Change Your Wi-Fi Channel but the Internet Is Still Slow? Wireless interference is only one of several possible causes of a slow network connection. If you've changed the wireless channel but you still have a slow connection, follow these tips: Find the best place for the wireless router. The position of the access point is crucial. If it's too high, too low, or behind too many walls, you won't get the most out of the signal.Test the internet speed and compare it to your service plan. If you don't get the speeds offered by the ISP, either buy a new router or contact your ISP for support.Speed up the computer. Apps such as web browsers and email clients may slow down an internet connection. Continue Reading