Seems a lot of folks out there like me have a lot of issues with the 5.0Ghz band in keeping a consistent wireless signal that won't occasionally drop out. Just curious about this. Has anyone encountered a distinct advantage to using 5.0Ghz channels that have only two digits (Uni I) as opposed to those with three digits (Uni III Category?)
When I originally set up my AC router it automatically selected channel 153 with 20Mhz channel width. Fighting occasional but continual signal drop-offs, I switched to a two-digit channel using 40Mhz channel width and lowering my transmission strength to "medium". So far so good...very stable compared to using those higher channels on the 5.0Ghz spectrum.
Something I stumbled onto when I found this website:
Best 5Ghz Channel For Your Router - Find The Wifi Channel
Also found a freeware app called "WiFi Analyzer" by Matt Hafner on the Microsoft Store to be quite helpful in determining the channels and bands of all my neighbors. Quite a few of them all around me given I live in an apartment complex. This program allowed me to see that using the lower end of the 5.0 channels was to my advantage, and also allowed me to "tweak" my connectivity between my router and my network adapter. Moving the external antennas allowed me to quantitatively achieve "97% improvement" according to this WiFi Analyzer app.
I suppose I could have solved some of such problems using Mesh or extender technology, but it seemed overkill inside a one bedroom apartment. Though this experience has made me a bit skeptical that the 5.0Ghz band is impervious to various types of interference compared to so many devices using the 2.4Ghz band. And that the 5.0Ghz can be damn sensitive to going through walls. However the AC 5.0Ghz protocol allows considerably higher speeds in comparison.
In other words there appear to be tradeoffs when transitioning from 2.4 to 5.0Ghz. The 2.4 band can be quite slow, but it seems rock steady compared to 5.0Ghz.
Of course I have the ultimate backup where I can always hook up my Ethernet Adapter and end all wireless considerations for around 480Mbps. Of course my provider only gives me up to 200Mbps tops. Still, I like the usability of wireless when it comes to other components like my Smart TV and printer. Though both still utilize only the 2.4Ghz band. And now there's "WiFi 6" to consider. Hopefully the pursuit for a reliable wireless connection will continue to evolve and improve.
When I originally set up my AC router it automatically selected channel 153 with 20Mhz channel width. Fighting occasional but continual signal drop-offs, I switched to a two-digit channel using 40Mhz channel width and lowering my transmission strength to "medium". So far so good...very stable compared to using those higher channels on the 5.0Ghz spectrum.
Something I stumbled onto when I found this website:
Best 5Ghz Channel For Your Router - Find The Wifi Channel
Also found a freeware app called "WiFi Analyzer" by Matt Hafner on the Microsoft Store to be quite helpful in determining the channels and bands of all my neighbors. Quite a few of them all around me given I live in an apartment complex. This program allowed me to see that using the lower end of the 5.0 channels was to my advantage, and also allowed me to "tweak" my connectivity between my router and my network adapter. Moving the external antennas allowed me to quantitatively achieve "97% improvement" according to this WiFi Analyzer app.
I suppose I could have solved some of such problems using Mesh or extender technology, but it seemed overkill inside a one bedroom apartment. Though this experience has made me a bit skeptical that the 5.0Ghz band is impervious to various types of interference compared to so many devices using the 2.4Ghz band. And that the 5.0Ghz can be damn sensitive to going through walls. However the AC 5.0Ghz protocol allows considerably higher speeds in comparison.
In other words there appear to be tradeoffs when transitioning from 2.4 to 5.0Ghz. The 2.4 band can be quite slow, but it seems rock steady compared to 5.0Ghz.
Of course I have the ultimate backup where I can always hook up my Ethernet Adapter and end all wireless considerations for around 480Mbps. Of course my provider only gives me up to 200Mbps tops. Still, I like the usability of wireless when it comes to other components like my Smart TV and printer. Though both still utilize only the 2.4Ghz band. And now there's "WiFi 6" to consider. Hopefully the pursuit for a reliable wireless connection will continue to evolve and improve.
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