Wi-Fi Channel Explorer

Frequency Bands

• 2.4 GHz Band (802.11b/g/n): Heavily used, higher interference, better wall penetration.
• 5 GHz Band (802.11a/n/ac/ax): Less interference, higher data rates, lower range through walls.
• 6 GHz Band (802.11ax/be): Introduced with Wi-Fi 6E, less congested, high speeds, short range.

Channel Naming & Notation

• 2.4 GHz band: Bonded channels named by combining primary and secondary channels (e.g., "1+5")
• 5 GHz & 6 GHz bands: Bonded channels named by center frequency and primary channel (e.g., "42[36]")
• Alternative notation (e.g., "36+40") shown when hovering over bonded channels
• Primary channel determines the control channel for management frames

• Channel Bandwidth: Wider channels (40/80/160/320 MHz) provide higher data rates but are more susceptible to interference.
• DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection): Detects radar and automatically changes channel when needed.
• TPC (Transmit Power Control): Automatic adjustment of transmission power.
• BFWA (Broadband Fixed Wireless Access): Channels outside standard UNII bands, typically used for licensed or coordinated point-to-point links (e.g., Channel 169 at 5845 MHz).
• Regional Restrictions: Different regions (EU, US, etc.) allow different channels, especially in 6 GHz band.
• Wi-Fi 7 Features: Support for 320 MHz channels in 6 GHz band, providing extremely high throughput.