How Do I Change the Channel on My Wi-Fi Extender?
Wi-Fi extenders allow you to expand the range of your wireless network without the overhead of an entire wireless access point. However, if you’re experiencing poor connectivity, you can change the wireless channel on which your device operates to try and alleviate the problem.
Should My Wi-Fi Extender Be on the Same Channel?
Generally yes, Wi-Fi extenders are designed to integrate with the “host” wireless network. When you point your device at the network you want to extend during set-up, the extender will auto-configure itself to use the host network’s channel. Then the extender can pick up signals out of range of the primary router and easily pass them along. However, there are situations where this can be a problem. For example, suppose your neighbor also has a Wi-Fi network running on the same channel as yours. You may find that when you’re in range of your Wi-Fi extender, your performance takes a hit. (Why is this an issue? Check out this explanation of wireless interference for details.) That’s because there are signals from both networks colliding, and it may take multiple tries for traffic to get from the extender to your PC or phone. But if you switch your extender to Access Point mode and change its channel, these signals won’t collide anymore, and you should see better throughput. It’s a slight trade-off, as you’ll need to find a way to connect your extender up to the network, which could involve wired networking. switch to 5 GHz.
