Somebody out there in the myst of the web googled “HOW DO I FIND THE wireless channel THAT IS BEING USED BY MY NEIGHBORS” and reached wirelessisfun.com

I know this query is really relevant so I decided to quickly post a few tips on how to avoid that upsetting interference.
Current WiFi regulations allow a limited number of channels as follows: 11 Channels (USA, Canada), 13 Channels (Europe), 14 Channels (Japan) for the 2.4Ghz band.

11 channels permits exactly like the number says: eleven concurrent networks broadcasting in the same area (typical up to 300 feet with no obstacles) without interference. When there’s one single router broadcasting on the same channel another router is already tuned to, interference occurs. WiFi clients can’t tell which signal is which and that makes the connection highly unstable, if not unusable. It’s like having two people talking at the same time in a small room! More so, running more routers than the number of channels available also spells trouble. In the urban realm this is sadly an occurrence that can not be avoided.

There’s little to be done when this happens but fortunately there are some tricks to make your WiFi work again.

TIP - Pick that channel that is used less and by the faintest signal
The first trick is to scan the radio spectrum with a widget or a special utility.
For Macs a great widget is AirTrafficControl and for Windows one can use an application called Netstumbler. Once you got acquainted with what channels each neighboring network occupies note which signals are lower and less stable. It’s likely those access points are at the limit of their reach, therefore generate lesser noise for your home networks. Now set your router to chose the channel the weakest signal uses, also keeping an eye to the availability of the channel among more stronger signals.

The more expensive alternative is to buy 802.11a compatible hardware (a router and a PC card). Most latest high-end laptops come with built in 802.11a/b/g/n compatible cards so there’s no need to upgrade. Please check with the manufacturer to see if your card is compatible with these standards. Though still a flavor of WiFi, 802.11a uses the less crowded 5Ghz band and because of the double frequency compared to regular 2.4Ghz WiFi, it allows just as many more simultaneous non-overlapping signals.

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