Does your WiFi occasionally cut out for, what seems like, no reason at all?  Do you feel like your wireless internet connection is dragging and you just know it should be faster?  Both of these issues might be the result of interference caused by other electronic items in your home and/or around you.   As simple as it sounds, a simple channel change in your router might fix the issues.

Backstory

In order to understand the problem, you need to understand how your wireless router works, preferably in English and not super-techie talk.  Basically, if you want WiFi in your home or office, you need to connect a router to your internet connection (cable, DSL, T1, CLEAR).   The router converts your internet into a wireless signal and allows you to connect one or multiple devices, like laptops, video game consoles, smartphones, printers, etc.   The wireless signal is transmitted in a narrow radio frequency range of 2.4 GHz.  Unfortunately, there are various other electronic devices in a home that may use the exact same frequency.  Devices like cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors and microwave ovens can actually conflict with your wireless router.

The Test

How do you know if you are experiencing WiFi interference?  If you experience regular losses in your WiFi signal, it might be as simple as looking for patterns in the behavior.  For me, I finally noticed that my internet connection would die every time someone called the house.  Apparently, the wireless phone signal was causing the issue.  As soon as the phone call was over or the answering machine was through taking the message, the wireless signal came back.  There are also spectrum analyzers, like this one from Wi-Spy, that allow you to find the best channel (read on for an explanation of channels) for your WiFi router to broadcast on.  Unfortunately, these analyzers cost around $100.

Channels

Fortunately, the overcrowded 2.4 GHz range (the frequency that the WiFi signal is broadcast on) is divided into a number of smaller bands called channels.  These channels, much like those on a television set, allow routers to broadcast their signal in slightly different ways.  You can set your router to any channel (1-11) and all your devices will connect on that channel.  The trick is, you need to make sure that your neighbor’s router and/or other devices are not operating on that same channel.  One way to do that is to use a Wi-Fi network scanner (software) to see what channels are occupied.

There are quite a few FREE scanners on the market and you can even use your smartphone (assuming it has WiFi).

• inSSIDer from metageek – FREE software for Windows users
• WiFi Stumbler from Meraki – FREE tool (no installation required) that works from your browser
• WiFi Analyzer – FREE app for your Android based smartphone

Example of San from inSSIDer Program

Changing the Channel

Making changes to the settings of your wireless router vary by manufacturer and even model.  Honestly, I haven’t found a router menu system yet that I liked, but this is where you will have to land if you want to end the frustrations of WiFi ups and downs.  If you don’t have the installation disk or manual that came with your router, check your brand and model number on Google for details on how to access your router and make the necessary changes.  It might just be easier to start with Google, since locating old boxes, books and CD’s can be even more frustrating than having your WiFi signal drop.

Tags: analyzer, channel, interference, internet, router, smartphone, spectrum, video game console, WiFi, wireless

This entry was posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 10:04 am and is filed under Technical Issues, Tips and Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.