Finding the best Wi-Fi channel for your router can help improve your wireless network’s performance and speed. Here’s how to do it on different operating systems:
On Windows:
- Press the Windows key + X and select “Settings.”
- Click on “Network & Internet.”
- Select “Wi-Fi” from the left-hand menu, and then click on “Hardware Properties.”
- Scroll down to the “Advanced options” section and look for “Channel Width for 2.4GHz” and “Channel Width for 5GHz.”
- Change the values to “20 MHz” for 2.4GHz and “80 MHz” for 5GHz.
On macOS:
- Hold down the Option key and click on the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
- Click on “Open Wireless Diagnostics.”
- Click “Window” in the menu bar and select “Scan.”
- Wait for the scan to finish, and then click on “Performance” in the left-hand menu.
- Look for the “Best 2.4 GHz” and “Best 5 GHz” channels under “Recommendations.”
On Android:
- Download and install a Wi-Fi analyzer app from the Google Play Store, such as “WiFi Analyzer” by farproc.
- Open the app and allow it to access your device’s location.
- Select the “Channel graph” tab to see the channels being used by nearby Wi-Fi networks.
- Look for channels that are not being used or have the least amount of interference.
On iOS:
- Download and install a Wi-Fi analyzer app from the App Store, such as “NetSpot” by Etwok, or “WiFi Analyzer: Network Tools” by AppDynamic.
- Open the app and allow it to access your device’s location.
- Select the “Channels” or “Channel graph” tab to see the channels being used by nearby Wi-Fi networks.
- Look for channels that are not being used or have the least amount of interference.
Keep in mind that finding the best Wi-Fi channel is just one of many ways to improve your wireless network’s performance. Other factors, such as signal strength, interference from other devices, and network congestion, can also affect your network’s speed and reliability.