Use Fitlet to Analyze and Improve Your Wireless Network
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 1:09 am
Overview
Recently, it seems that devices connected to my 2.4 GHz wireless network are operating more slowly than they used to. Since this is not a desirable situation, I set out to see if any improvements in wireless performance are possible.
Some Theory
Often, poor wireless network performance is the result of some form of interference. Such interference can generally be divided into 4 classifications. These are:
1. Adjacent Channel Interference
Adjacent Channel Interference occurs when WiFi devices set to adjacent, overlapping channels operate in close physical proximity to one another. As WiFi devices have grown in popularity and number, adjacent channel interference has become an ever growing issue.
In the 2.4 GHz ISM Band, the 11 available WiFi Channels are spaced 5 MHz apart. Generally, each Channel is 20 MHz wide, so with 5 MHZ Channel Spacing some overlap is possible and most likely probable.
In order to have the high wireless data throughput, RF bandwidth is a necessity. When devices operate on different WiFi channels which overlap, the effective bandwidth of these overlapping channels is reduced, and by extension the bandwidth dependent data throughput is reduced. The result can be noticeably degraded performance of WiFi devices. The image shown below shows significant signal overlap.
Overlapping Channels Typically, channels 1, 6, and 11 are used more often than the other channels because they don't overlap each other and their use thus avoids the problems of adjacent channel interference. However, when every wireless router in your neighborhood is set to either channel 1, 6, or 11, other problems can occur. The following image shows how confining routers to channels 1, 6, and 11 avoids overlap.
Non-Overlapping Channels
Recently, it seems that devices connected to my 2.4 GHz wireless network are operating more slowly than they used to. Since this is not a desirable situation, I set out to see if any improvements in wireless performance are possible.
Some Theory
Often, poor wireless network performance is the result of some form of interference. Such interference can generally be divided into 4 classifications. These are:
1. Adjacent Channel Interference
Adjacent Channel Interference occurs when WiFi devices set to adjacent, overlapping channels operate in close physical proximity to one another. As WiFi devices have grown in popularity and number, adjacent channel interference has become an ever growing issue.
In the 2.4 GHz ISM Band, the 11 available WiFi Channels are spaced 5 MHz apart. Generally, each Channel is 20 MHz wide, so with 5 MHZ Channel Spacing some overlap is possible and most likely probable.
In order to have the high wireless data throughput, RF bandwidth is a necessity. When devices operate on different WiFi channels which overlap, the effective bandwidth of these overlapping channels is reduced, and by extension the bandwidth dependent data throughput is reduced. The result can be noticeably degraded performance of WiFi devices. The image shown below shows significant signal overlap.
Overlapping Channels Typically, channels 1, 6, and 11 are used more often than the other channels because they don't overlap each other and their use thus avoids the problems of adjacent channel interference. However, when every wireless router in your neighborhood is set to either channel 1, 6, or 11, other problems can occur. The following image shows how confining routers to channels 1, 6, and 11 avoids overlap.
Non-Overlapping Channels