Since the past few years, Wireless networks have developed a lot. The bandwidth, as well as upload and download speed, has also increased. Nowadays, Wi-Fi routers are present at every home. If you know how to configure a router or a modem, then surely you have come across a word called “Channel”. Mostly, the channels of the routers are set to automatic mode. When you navigate to the Settings of the router, you will see a lot of channels. Speaking of a dual-band router (2.4 and 5 GHz), a question might arise – Which one is the best channel for 5GHz? The 5 GHz band of a router provides stable and fast internet speeds.
From the large list of channels, some are quite fast, while some channels are slow. It’s not possible to have a look at the channels and be sure about that. Regarding the fast channels, the network experts don’t at all recommend you to try all the channels one by one. So, let’s find out more about the best channel for 5 GHz.
The Latest WiFi 6
Wi-Fi 6 technology is very much interrelated to the router channels. This technology is the latest version of Wi-Fi which runs with the 802.11ax protocols. Some relevant Wi-Fi standards are 802.11, 802.11ac, 802.11-2016, 802.11ah, 802.11ai and others. These protocols were previously used. The subsidiary standard of Wi-Fi 6 is Wi-Fi 6E. The subsidiary version easily supports 5 and 6 GHz bands. But unfortunately, the hardware to support this band is not easily available in the market.
The 5GHz Band: The Insight
Before you opt for selecting the best channel for 5GHz, you must know what it is. The 5GHz band is embedded with 802.11n, 802.11ac protocols. Furthermore, it also features the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology.
Talking about the frequency, it’s much higher than all the other bands and protocols. The 5GHz band has the capability to provide 23 channels of 20 MHz each. These channels are overlapping in nature with an approximate rate of 6 GHz.
If you look at 802.11n and continue to 802.11ac, you will notice that wireless network technology has changed a lot. In addition to that, if you talk about the network throughput, the power has also been maximized a lot and the chances for interference have been reduced.
As per the analysis, when you are using a 5GHz router, then there might be physical obstacles in your home. In such cases, the network device uses 160MHz channels mostly for faster data transmission and superior bandwidth.
The 5 GHz Channel Collection
The 2.4 GHz is now outdated. But still, there are approximately three channels that are at service. Now, let’s start to look at the best channel for 5GHz.
The Channels of 36, 40, 44, and 48
These 4 channels are the lowest at the 5 GHz band. They are known as the UNII-1 band. The frequency of these channels starts from 5150 MHz to 5250 MHz. Nowadays, most home routers run with the help of these channels. If you are using a Wi-Fi router of 5 GHz, surely, these four channels are present in the device. A few users consider them as the best channel for 5GHz.
As per the experts, these channels are the best choice for home networks. Of course, the internet connection will be blazing fast. In addition to that, there are several chances of network congestion. So, you have to set up a strong and secure password. Lastly, never allow any guest to connect to the network.
The Channels of 52, 56, 60, and 64
These channels belonging to the category of UNII-2 might be the best channels for 5GHz. The bandwidth of these 4 channels starts from 5,250 MHz to 5,350 MHz. Furthermore, the range of the frequency is considered UNII-2A. Speaking about the successor of UNII-2A, its UNII-2B. The frequency range of the successor starts from 5,350 MHz to 5,470 MHz. Whereas, the UNII-2C range varies from 5,470 to 5,725 MHz.
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The latter range actually contains those channels starting from 100 to 140. With the help of Dynamic Frequency Selection and Transmit Power Control, all these frequencies will not conflict with other frequencies.
Channels of 149, 153, 157, 161, and 165
These UNII-3 channels have a frequency that starts from 5,725 MHz to 5,850 MHz. The following channels provide the service to various medical, technical and scientific research organizations. On the other hand, you can also call the following channels UNII-3/ISM.
The UNII-4 WiFi Channels
The UNII-4 channels have the most upper hand amongst all the other channels. In this category, channel number 165 is the lowest and there are higher channels as well. In case, if your router has channels above 165, then you must not use them due to the possible occurrence of several complications in the future.
The Best Channel for 5GHz: Let’s Find Out
According to the network experts, some of the most active channels are 36, 40, 44, 48. Now, the counting continues and ends with the following channels like 149, 153, 157 to 165. These are such types of channels that are not serving any professional organizations. As per the analysis done by the experts, regarding the home networks, 36, 40, 44, 48 are the best channels for 5GHz.
Can you Eliminate Home Network Congestion?
Of course, there will be network congestion even with the best channels for 5GHz. However, the 5GHz channels have a stronger network, and it also has the risk of being interfered with. To avoid such a situation, you can avail any third-party wireless network analyzer. It will help you to detect errors and resolve any issues.
