18
Sep
2023
WiFi Channels, 5GHz vs 5G, and Client Setup
Today I helped a client set up their WiFi and learned some interesting things about WiFi channels and common misconceptions about 5G vs 5GHz.
WiFi Channels Explained
WiFi networks operate on specific frequency channels. I learned that:
- 2.4GHz band has 14 channels (though only 1-11 are used in the US)
- 5GHz band has many more channels (36-165 depending on region)
The key insight: Adjacent channels overlap and cause interference! For 2.4GHz networks, only channels 1, 6, and 11 don’t overlap with each other.