Wireless networks have made human life much easier. Today it is not necessary to stretch wires everywhere; it is enough to install one single router that will provide wireless communication to the entire apartment or house. Not everyone can understand the operating principles of these devices, especially when a person opens the router configuration interface for the first time. Very often, people come across such a parameter as Wi-Fi channel width and do not understand what this wireless connection settings item can mean and how it affects the network created by the router. Today’s material will look at what 20 or 40 MHz Wi-Fi width is, what is better and how they differ.
What is Wi-Fi channel width: what does it affect?
Before you figure out what the difference is between Wi-Fi channel widths of 20 and 40 MHz, you need to familiarize yourself with the theoretical part of the question. The width of a wireless signal is the size of the strip over which the router exchanges data with devices connected to it.
Rules for using width depend on the BOM type
As an example, consider traffic flow. The wider the road and the more lanes it has, the more cars it can accommodate. The Wi-Fi channel width parameter works on a similar principle: the larger it is, the more data can be sent to the device and back in a certain unit of time.
Possible channel width when using different frequencies
What to do if the router slows down the WiFi speed and how can you increase it? : 91 comments
Try updating the firmware. And it is advisable to test it with a laptop.
These are the settings (screenshots) that you so diligently laid out here, it’s all... bullshit. If the speed increases, it will be just a little bit. High load of base stations, interference and switching speed are what are very important.
For ordinary home routers, this is relevant information. Loading base stations has nothing to do with it. And the switching speed on normal modern routers can significantly increase the speed.
Tell me where this switching is indicated. It is very important. Or at least how to recognize it? My situation is not simple. The speed of your Internet connection jumps like a horse at a race. At 5 am the speed can reach up to 43 Mbit/s and then the speed FALLS AND FALLS. It happens that no more than 7 Mbit/s can be measured during the day. This is signal interference. Or I'm wrong? Maybe “booting” the base station? The router is weak, but I tried to configure it well. Router model: TP-LINK TL WA 3420. It is extremely important for me to know whether this is interference (interference) or a load on the BS, sorry for the repetitions, or a lack of switching speed. Because changing the router is not a problem, the problem is if after changing the router there is no 43 Mbit/s via wifi. It turns out that money is thrown away, and I really don’t want that. I really need your advice.
Sailor - are you connected to the Internet via mobile communications?
Totolink N300RT Enabling the WMM function in the laptop's network adapter settings helped (WMM in the router should also be enabled).
I need to change the channel width to 20. Thank you very much
Thank you! The speed during rush hour increased from 5 to 50 on the laptop!
Hello. I’ll say right away that I haven’t made the settings according to your article yet, but I’ll do it in the evening. I have a Beeline provider, a smart box one router, the speed right next to the router on the iPhone 7 is around 30 Mbit, if you connect the laptop via a wire from the router, it downloads at full speed - 90 Mbit. Question - Is the manager right who advises to buy a xiaomi 3g router to connect and he promises a very powerful 60-80 Mbit and, most importantly, a long (depending on the distance from the router) signal?
I tried all modes, channel width, router in line of sight. The highest speed is in 11bgn mixed mode, channel width is auto
Thank you, it really helped. I was already planning to change the router.
What is the difference between Wi-Fi channel width 20 and 40
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Now it’s worth figuring out what Wi-Fi bandwidth is 20 or 40 MHz, and which is better. If we return to the previous example with the road and cars, then it is worth making a reservation. A wide canal, unlike a highway, is subject to more negative influence from external factors. It especially depends on the amount of interference and electromagnetic waves that are emitted by other household appliances in the house.
Important! So you should keep in mind: the wider the channel, the more it will interfere with the operation of other Wi-Fi networks, regardless of the frequency they use. The opposite is also true.
The router channel settings contain two parameters: 20 MHz and 40 MHz. What's the difference between them? It is believed that 20 MHz is a narrow channel, and 40 is a wide one. A number of devices allow you to select a parameter automatically. Switching will occur depending on the conditions of use.
This parameter determines not so much the speed of the Internet, but its stability and quality. This is especially true for panel apartment buildings, where up to 4 or more routers can be located on one floor.
Important! If a person is in such a house, then it is advisable to choose a width of 20 megahertz. If the user lives in his own home, then for maximum efficiency of the device, it should be set to 40 MHz.
For a WiFi specification operating at 5 GHz, you can even select a channel with a width of 80 MHz
What to do if the router slows down the WiFi speed and how can you increase it? : 91 comments
Try updating the firmware. And it is advisable to test it with a laptop.
These are the settings (screenshots) that you so diligently laid out here, it’s all... bullshit. If the speed increases, it will be just a little bit. High load of base stations, interference and switching speed are what are very important.
For ordinary home routers, this is relevant information. Loading base stations has nothing to do with it. And the switching speed on normal modern routers can significantly increase the speed.
Tell me where this switching is indicated. It is very important. Or at least how to recognize it? My situation is not simple. The speed of your Internet connection jumps like a horse at a race. At 5 am the speed can reach up to 43 Mbit/s and then the speed FALLS AND FALLS. It happens that no more than 7 Mbit/s can be measured during the day. This is signal interference. Or I'm wrong? Maybe “booting” the base station? The router is weak, but I tried to configure it well. Router model: TP-LINK TL WA 3420. It is extremely important for me to know whether this is interference (interference) or a load on the BS, sorry for the repetitions, or a lack of switching speed. Because changing the router is not a problem, the problem is if after changing the router there is no 43 Mbit/s via wifi. It turns out that money is thrown away, and I really don’t want that. I really need your advice.
Sailor - are you connected to the Internet via mobile communications?
Totolink N300RT Enabling the WMM function in the laptop's network adapter settings helped (WMM in the router should also be enabled).
I need to change the channel width to 20. Thank you very much
Thank you! The speed during rush hour increased from 5 to 50 on the laptop!
Hello. I’ll say right away that I haven’t made the settings according to your article yet, but I’ll do it in the evening. I have a Beeline provider, a smart box one router, the speed right next to the router on the iPhone 7 is around 30 Mbit, if you connect the laptop via a wire from the router, it downloads at full speed - 90 Mbit. Question - Is the manager right who advises to buy a xiaomi 3g router to connect and he promises a very powerful 60-80 Mbit and, most importantly, a long (depending on the distance from the router) signal?
I tried all modes, channel width, router in line of sight. The highest speed is in 11bgn mixed mode, channel width is auto
Thank you, it really helped. I was already planning to change the router.
What channel width is best to choose?
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If we look at the practical side of the issue, then using 40 megahertz channel width in the presence of a large number of wireless networks around is useless. Just take your phone or laptop and look at the list of wireless points to which it can theoretically connect. The more there are, the less likely the user will feel the difference between 20 and 40 MHz.
Important! The 40 MHz channel will be affected not only by other networks, but also by a number of wireless devices. These include smart watches, radio telephones, microwaves, Bluetooth headphones, and so on.
In apartment buildings, a channel width of 20 megahertz works best. Regardless of the fact that it is more limited than 40 MHz, the speed of connection to the WAN at this width is often even higher. It would be good if it has an auto channel width selection function. Activating this option will allow the user not to worry about the wrong channel being selected, because the device itself will adapt to the influence of surrounding factors and switch.
If there is no such function, then it is advisable to set it to 20 megahertz. After this, you can test the operation of the device and, if necessary, set a different value. There shouldn't be any problems with this.
For 2.4 GHz networks, a mixed type of channel width is often chosen
Blog about modems, routers and gpon ont terminals.
The other day a man came to me who was angry with his home router and really wanted to change it. The main complaint about the work was this: “The router slows down the speed when working via WiFi”: when connected via cable, it downloads an average of 60-70 megabits, and over a wireless network - no more than 20. Moreover, the subscriber did not want to pay attention to any arguments, but stupidly demanded an exchange. Of course, they met him and exchanged one fully working device for another. So we expect it to appear again in the near future. To you, my readers, I want to explain in detail with examples why a router can limit Wi-Fi speed and how this difference can be, if not completely eliminated, then at least partially leveled for the better.
Step-by-step instructions for setting up Wi-Fi bandwidth
To change the width settings, you need to go to the settings of your router. This is easy to do, since, most likely, the reader has already been to the web interface, because without it it is often impossible to perform the initial setup of the device after purchasing it. You can get to the settings interface as follows:
- Open any web browser.
- Go to its address bar.
- Enter the settings address there (192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
- Press the Enter key.
- Enter authorization data, namely login and password, which by default are “admin”.
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After a person has entered the settings, you should find the “Wireless Mode” section and select “Channel Width”. All that remains is to specify the desired value and exit the settings, not forgetting to save the changes.
Important! If the router does not automatically reboot, then it is advisable to do it yourself. If there is an automatic parameter selection function, then it is better to select it.
Which country to choose in Wi-Fi settings for maximum power
Wi-Fi signal strength can sometimes depend on the country selection in the router configuration interface. Sometimes router chip manufacturers impose some restrictions on the signals emanating from devices, since different countries have different laws and standards that regulate communication power.
Setting the width parameter in the router
For example, experts recommend setting Bolivia as the country of residence, but it is not a fact that by setting this parameter the signal will be increased, since manufacturers can limit this too.
If a person lives in an apartment, then in most cases, increasing the width or strength of the router signal will lead to a deterioration in the quality of communication. This is due to the fact that the waves will simply reflect off the walls and dampen themselves.
In conclusion, we can say that the width of the Wi-Fi communication channel is not always able to increase the quality of the connection and speed up access to the global network. It is necessary to use wider channels where there is no constant influence of external factors on the router.
Blog about modems, routers and gpon ont terminals.
The other day a man came to me who was angry with his home router and really wanted to change it. The main complaint about the work was this: “The router slows down the speed when working via WiFi”: when connected via cable, it downloads an average of 60-70 megabits, and over a wireless network - no more than 20. Moreover, the subscriber did not want to pay attention to any arguments, but stupidly demanded an exchange. Of course, they met him and exchanged one fully working device for another. So we expect it to appear again in the near future. To you, my readers, I want to explain in detail with examples why a router can limit Wi-Fi speed and how this difference can be, if not completely eliminated, then at least partially leveled for the better.
Before moving on to active actions, I will give a few facts that you must take into account if you use Wi-Fi.
Firstly, network equipment manufacturers usually indicate theoretically achievable speeds in their technical specifications. That is, if you see the words Wireless N150 on the router, this means that the maximum operating speed of the device’s wireless module can theoretically reach 150 mb/s. Accordingly, N300 - up to 300 mb/s. Pay attention to the word theoretically. With the one you actually have, it will not only not coincide, but will differ significantly to a lesser extent. We encountered this several years ago, when the 802.11G standard was still actively used with a maximum theoretical speed of up to 54 mb/s, which in practice was rarely higher than 20 mb/s. With faster and more modern standards, everything is completely identical.
Secondly, if you have problems with WiFi speed, first of all, update the router firmware, because... the operation of absolutely all its components depends on it. You can get it from the manufacturer’s official server. For example, for D-Link devices this is the ftp.dlink.ru server. Please note the firmware versions:
As a rule, you need to download the one with the latest date and the highest serial number (version index).
Thirdly, be sure to update the Wi-Fi adapter driver on your computer or laptop. Not only the speed of operation depends on it, but also the ability to use additional modes and functions.
Fourth, if your router supports the 5GHz band, transfer all the devices you can to it. On the old band, you can leave “slow” devices that do not work at 5 gigahertz. At the same time, one will have practically no influence on the other.
Fifth, do not expect high performance from an obviously weak router. Here such a concept as switching speed appears on the scene - this is the maximum high-speed flow that your device is capable of processing and transmitting from the copper WAN port (aka Internet) to the Wi-Fi wireless module. You can check this parameter on the official website of the manufacturer of your device.
Now that we have considered all the extraneous circumstances, we can move on to “fine-tuning” your devices. Here are 7 basic tips.
