Question about auto channel selection

[TwistedKestrel]

Posting this in the Merlin section because that's what I'm using (380.63_2 on a RT-AC56) and I'm thinking the behavior might be more narrowly defined.

I live in a pretty rural area, but in this day in age I can still pick up signals coming from the properties to either side of mine, and between all of us the full 802.11 2.4GHz spectrum is occupied. I found that some people are using 802.11g routers that have annoying channel switching behavior, so I thought I'd try using the auto setting to try and avoid winding up on the same channels as them. Not only did that not work, but the router ended up picking channel 2 (when there are very clearly APs on channel 6).

My question is: why? On what level is this decided? (i.e. hardware/driver/software) I suspect it's hardware... but why would it avoid channel 1? Is it possible there is a "good" reason?

 

[martinr]

The full spectrum may be occupied but have you looked at signal strengths with something like InSSider? The last free version of InSSider, version 3, might still be found on the Internet, and I'm sure there are others including Android apps (Apple doesn't permit such apps). And you have to remember such programs show signal strength in dB, so, just because you have overlapping signals, it doesn't necessarily follow they will interfere.

Is this recent link of any help?

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/ac68u-extremely-poor-signal-strength.35879/#post-292362



As for Channel 1 (and others, 15 onwards?) not being available, I imagine it will be down to US/European regulations. There may well be something on it here: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asus-locking-down-routers-to-comply-with-new-fcc-rules.18762/

But I don't know if that'd come under your heading of a "good" reason....

 

[TwistedKestrel]

Yeah InSSider Home or whatever they used to call it is a bit long in the tooth now. I like either Acrylic Wifi (prettier) or Homedale (very lightweight but still configurable).

They definitely interfere... if they are co-channel and start actively using the internet in the evening, it just about destroys my own wireless. 5GHz doesn't seem to have enough range for some corners of the house, either. The current arrangement seems that it's about as good as it's going to get (until their Netgear 802.11g routers die... funny, because all the Netgears of similar vintage that passed through my hands seemed to expire after about a year and a half)

And yeah, if it was a regulatory restriction then that would at least be a reason. AFAIK channel 1 isn't restricted anywhere, though.

 

[sfx2000]

Yeah InSSider Home or whatever they used to call it is a bit long in the tooth now. I like either Acrylic Wifi (prettier) or Homedale (very lightweight but still configurable).

Acrylic is very good - and with certain WiFi client adapters, it is an essential tool (with some Broadcom adapters, Acrylic makes it very easy to do Wireless captures that can be loaded into Wireshark for post-analysis).

They definitely interfere... if they are co-channel and start actively using the internet in the evening, it just about destroys my own wireless.

Remember, Beacon's are a lot stronger than actual traffic - so if one has about 20dB higher than the neighbor on the same channel, there is no interference...