How to Change the Router Channel Spectrum

If you are using a router to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, you may notice that your internet speed sometimes fluctuates, sometimes coming to a near standstill. This can happen if you live in a crowded area if there are too many people using the same Wi-Fi channel. Something you can do to optimize that signal and increase your internet speed is to change the Wi-Fi channel.

What are Router Channels?

Just to be clear, most modern routers allow you to use either the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band. These are the frequencies that data is transmitted over. Within those frequencies, there are various channels to choose from. If using the 2.4 GHz frequency, channels 1, 6, and 11 are generally best.

However, if you are using the 5 GHz frequency, there are 24 non-overlapping channels, each as good as the last. Keep in mind that most routers are set to the same default channels. If you just bought a new router and it’s slow, changing the channel can help.

How to Change the Channel on Your Router

Changing the channel spectrum on your router is not very difficult, but you need to follow the steps outlined below.

1. The first thing you will need to do to change your router's channel spectrum is to log into the router. To log into your router, make sure that you are connected to the internet. Open a browser and then type in the IP address of your router. If you don’t know what your router's IP address is, it should be listed in the user’s manual. You can also go online to look up the IP address for your router.
2. Once you have found the IP address, enter it into the browser and hit “enter.” You should now be transferred to the login page for your router. You will need to enter the corresponding username and password for the router. There will usually be default settings to use, such as “admin” or “user” for the username. The default login credentials will depend on the specific router.
3. Once you have logged into your router, go to the wireless settings tab. Where you find these wireless settings will also depend on your specific router.
4. Now, go to the dropdown menu that includes Wi-Fi channels. You can select the channel that you want. Don’t forget to hit the “apply” button.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that changing the channel on your router is not hard, but using the right channel is essential.