How to See What Wifi Channels Are Being Used

If you live in an apartment circuitous, yous've probably noticed more than than only the passive-ambitious network IDs that your neighbors employ—very likely you've had problems with your wireless connections dropping out, or simply not beingness as fast as you'd like. This often has to do with the Wi-Fi channels in your area.

If your wireless router is on the same Wi-Fi channel as a lot of your neighbors, yous'll experience a lot of interference with their networks—so it's best to choose a different channel with fewer people on it. When you do, you'll reduce that interference and improve your WI-Fi bespeak.

The start stride, though, is finding out which channel is to the lowest degree congested in your expanse. These tools will help yous place which nearby networks are using which channels.

Note that Wi-Fi channels overlap with nearby channels. Channels 1, 6, and xi are the almost frequently used for two.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and these 3 are the only ones that don't overlap with each other.

Windows: NirSoft WifiInfoView

We previously recommended inSSIDer for this on Windows, but it's go paid software. You probably don't want to pay $twenty only to figure out which Wi-Fi channel is ideal, then use a free tool instead.

Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector is very powerful, but information technology's a chip overkill for this. We liked NIrSoft's WifiInfoView instead — its simple interface does the job and information technology doesn't demand any installation. Launch the tool, locate the Aqueduct header, and click information technology to sort past Wi-Fi channel. Here, nosotros can run into that channel six looks a bit chaotic — nosotros might desire to switch to channel i instead.

Mac: Wireless Diagnostics

Believe information technology or not, macOS really has this characteristic integrated. To access information technology, agree the Option cardinal and click the Wi-Fi icon on the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select "Open Wireless Diagnostics."

Ignore the magician that appears. Instead, click the Window menu and select Utilities.

Select the Wi-Fi Scan tab and click Scan At present. The "All-time 2.4 GHz Channels" and "Best 5 GHz" Channels" fields will recommend the platonic Wi-Fi channels you should be using on your router.

Linux: The iwlist Command

You could utilise a graphical app similar Wifi Radar for this on Linux, only you'd have to install it starting time. Instead, you might also just use the terminal. The command here is installed by default on Ubuntu and other pop Linux distributions, so it's the fastest method. Don't fear the terminal!

Open a Terminal and run the following command:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan | grep \(Channel

Read the output of the control to see which channels are the virtually congested and brand your decision. In the screenshot below, aqueduct 1 looks the to the lowest degree congested.

Android: Wifi Analyzer

RELATED: How To Get a Meliorate Wireless Bespeak and Reduce Wireless Network Interference

If you want to search for Wi-Fi channels on your phone instead of your PC, the easiest-to-utilise application we've found is Wifi Analyzer on Android. Simply install the free app from Google Play and launch information technology. Y'all'll run into an overview of the wireless networks in your area and which channels they're using.

Tap the View menu and select Channel rating. The app will display a list of Wi-Fi channels and a star rating — the 1 with the virtually stars in the all-time. The app volition really tell yous which Wi-Fi channels are improve for your Wi-Fi network, and then y'all tin become directly to your router's web interface and cull the ideal one.

iOS: Airport Utility

Update: We've been informed yous can do this with Apple's own AirPort Utility application. Enable and apply the "Wi-Fi Scanner" feature inside the app.

RELATED: Jailbreaking Explained: What Yous Demand to Know Nearly Jailbreaking iPhones and iPads

This isn't possible on iPhones and iPads. Apple restricts apps from accessing this Wi-Fi information directly from the hardware, and then you can't get an app like Android'due south Wifi Analyzer on Apple tree'south App Store.

If y'all jailbreak, y'all can install an app like WiFi Explorer or WiFiFoFum from Cydia to get this functionality on your iPhone or iPad. These tools moved to Cydia after Apple tree booted them from the official App Store.

You probably wouldn't want to go through the trouble of jailbreaking just for this, and so use one of the other tools hither instead.

How to Change Your Router'south Wi-Fi Channel

RELATED: x Useful Options Yous Can Configure In Your Router'southward Web Interface

One time yous've found the to the lowest degree congested channel, changing the channel your router uses should be simple. Kickoff, log into your router's web interface in your spider web browser. Click over to the Wi-Fi settings page, locate the "Wi-Fi Aqueduct" option, and cull your new Wi-Fi aqueduct. This option may be on some sort of "Advanced Settings" folio, too.

RELATED: What's the Difference Between 2.4 and v-Ghz Wi-Fi (and Which Should I Use)?

If there are too many other nearby networks interfering with your bespeak, endeavour getting a router that supports 5 GHz (like a "Dual Band" router). five GHz Wi-Fi channels are farther autonomously and won't interfere with each other equally much.