On Mon, 4 Dec 2006 16:45:24 -0700, massello@newsguy.com (Neill Massello)
wrote in <1hptxiz.15axnr41d7hdfqN%massello@newsguy.com>:

>Bill Radio <Wireless@MountainWirelessNOSPAN.com> wrote:
>
>> I have a simple 802.11g home network, but every home surrounding mine has
>> one too. Choosing an "open" 2.4 GHz channel for me is an exercize in logic
>> versus bandwidth. Every reference, including the manufacturer of my 2.4GHz
>> cordless phones, says choosing channels 1, 6 or 11 is optimum. Of course
>> those 3 are heavily used, with most units staying on their default channel
>> of 6 or 9.

9???

>> So, I feel one of the interval channels may be superior based on
>> the fact that I can have a unique center frequency with the greatest amount
>> of overlap only with the weakest neighbor transmitters.

There's no way to know without actual extensive testing.

>> However, I'm wondering how much concern I should have for users who are 1
>> vs. 2 channels removed? Most users near me use channel 6. Logic tells me
>> to avoid channels 5 and 7. Channel 2 removes me the farthest from the
>> meelee on channel 6, but it also places me closer to a single user on
>> channel 1. In striking a balance, am I better to distance myself from a
>> busy channel than one adjacent to just one user, or to split the difference
>> between occupied center frequencies? IOW, is it better to share 3/4ths of
>> your channel with a single signal, than 1/2 of your channel with a bunch?

There's no way to know without actual extensive testing. Radio issues
often seem illogical simply because they are so complex.

>> Am I focusing on the wrong criteria? My weakest signal received from my
>> own network is 65% in the kitchen. Should I just ignore every signal below
>> that level and just concern myself only with the one or two signals that may
>> actually get that strong in my house?

You should just test, particularly to find out if your 2.4 GHz phone is
enough of a problem to warrant replacement (e.g., with 900 MHz).

>Researchers at Cisco found that, because of the way data is transmitted
>in 802.11b/g, it is actually better to use one of the non-overlapping
>channels (1, 6 or 11), even if it's in use by another network. See
><http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/...d_technical_re
>ference09186a00802846a2.html>.

"All generalizations are false," and that's not exactly what that
article says -- it's mostly responding to suggestions to use 4 channels
(e.g., 1, 4, 8, 11) instead of 3 channels (1, 6, 11) in a single
multi-access point network. That study doesn't necessarily extend to
separate interfering networks.

>I suggest trying the non-overlapping channel (1, 6, or 11) with the
>weakest signal from other networks before you try any of the other
>channels.

Sure, but I have found some cases where one of the other channels (e.g.,
4) does work better -- so it's worth trying 3, 4, 8, and 9 if you can't
get good operation on 1, 6, or 11. (Note that even 1 and 6, and 6 and
11, overlap to some degree.)

--
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