Channel selection questions

[bru20]

After experiencing several issues with my new wireless set up including my SSID disappearing

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=8128

I used inSSIDer to check things out. I switched to channel 1 rather than auto and things have been running pretty well (touch wood). SSID has not disappeared and my connection has dropped only a few times over the last two weeks or so, so maybe it really was interference.

My questions, based on the channels being used nearby does channel 1 seem like a good choice? My SSID is the first listed. I should say that I sometimes see two or three more SSIDs including another on channel 1 and also several on channel 11 which for some reason didn't show right now.

Second, sometimes I will see my own SSID show two channels, like 1+5, similar to how some other SSIDs on my screenshot display. It only happens for a millisecond (as opposed to those others that stay that way) but I did notice that one time it happened that's when I had a disconnection. How is this possible? Is it two different bands being used?

 

[stevech]

After experiencing several issues with my new wireless set up including my SSID disappearing

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=8128

I used inSSIDer to check things out. I switched to channel 1 rather than auto and things have been running pretty well (touch wood). SSID has not disappeared and my connection has dropped only a few times over the last two weeks or so, so maybe it really was interference.

My questions, based on the channels being used nearby does channel 1 seem like a good choice? My SSID is the first listed. I should say that I sometimes see two or three more SSIDs including another on channel 1 and also several on channel 11 which for some reason didn't show right now.

Second, sometimes I will see my own SSID show two channels, like 1+5, similar to how some other SSIDs on my screenshot display. It only happens for a millisecond (as opposed to those others that stay that way) but I did notice that one time it happened that's when I had a disconnection. How is this possible? Is it two different bands being used?

channels 1 and 5 are both in 2.4GHz. I wonder if your router has an "auto channel select" feature and imprudently, it is electing to change channels on-the-fly. I never enable that feature.

Channels 1, 6 and 11 are the ideal channels if most all neighbors do likewise. It's not the number of SSIDs you detect, it's the busyness of an SSID within 3 channels of the one you use.

 

[thiggins]

If you have an N router that is set to auto 20/40 mode, you could be seeing the router occasionally trying to switch to 40 MHz mode, detecting interfering networks and staying in 20 MHz mode.