It’s less of a problem now, though. I am using a simultaneous dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless router.

It would still be better if people could coordinate, especially since I use only a fraction of the bandwidth I pay for. At least interference is less of a problem than back in 2008.

I am using WiFi with my iMac.

Now, enough of my neighbours have locked 802.11n routers for there to be significant interference on those frequencies now. My internet connection is back to an awkward stuttering mode of operation.

“Baby monitors and wireless TV transmitters are responsible for slowing down Wi-Fi connections in built-up areas, according to a report commissioned by British telecoms regulator Ofcom. The research smashes the myth that overlapping Wi-Fi networks in heavily congested towns and cities are to blame for faltering connection speeds. Instead it claims that unlicensed devices operating in the 2.4GHz band are dragging down signals. “It only requires a single device, such as an analogue video sender, to severely affect Wi-Fi services within a short range, such that a single large building or cluster of houses can experience difficulties with using a single Wi-Fi channel,” the report claims.”

I’m running a WRT54G (that I got on Craigslist for $20) with Tomato firmware, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Allow me to explain how you might benefit: It does wireless surveys right from the router to allow you to see the least crowded channel, it allows you to use the usually inaccessible 12-14 channels (which I’ve personally found don’t work with a lot of devices) and best of all it allows you to boost your antenna gain which is great. You want your router to be ‘louder’ than the others, don’t you?

I’ve also experimented with DD-WRT which has a better interface. I’ve found Tomato to be more stable with QOS that works very well if you spend the time setting it up correctly. Both offer great features, though, like static DHCP assigned IPs (useful for keeping ports forwarded to the right computer) and bandwidth graphs. Again, I very highly recommend using a router with open source firmware.

Let’s come right out with it — you should be running a dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz WiFi network. Why? Because the 2.4GHz spectrum is cluttered with everything from other networks to Bluetooth to cordless phones and microwaves, and all that RF interference slows everything down, making file transfers interminable and HD streaming nearly impossible. On the other hand, 5GHz 802.11n is clean and incredibly fast — we’re talking almost hardwire fast. But you can’t just move up to 5GHz without leaving your phones and other legacy devices behind, so you’ve got to keep 2.4 around as well — which is really easy if you’ve got a simultaneous dual-band router like Apple’s new Airport Extreme or something like the D-Link DIR-825, and only slightly harder if you don’t. And, as luck would have it, Apple just sent us a new AEBS to play with, so we thought we’d show you how to configure both kinds of setups. We promise you’ll thank us.

By Soulskill on all-it-takes-is-one-EMP

marciot writes “I live in a condominium where I get interference from my neighbors’ WiFi. I understand that 1, 6 and 11 are the only non-overlapping WiFi channels, but how does this translate into real-life best practices? When you must overlap, is there a ‘good’ way to do it? With nine access points, for example, is it better to have three APs each on 1, 6 and 11, so that each completely overlaps with only two others? Or is it best to distribute those APs across nine channels such that they only partially overlap others (but potentially overlap more APs in total)? Do use patterns affect interference? For example, is it best to overlap a channel with multiple APs that rarely transfers data, or to share a channel with one person who downloads torrents 24/7? Does maximum data rate affect interference or robustness to interference? I found out by accident that setting my access point to ’802.11b only’ mode appeared to give me a vastly more reliable connection that leaving it in ‘mixed 802.11b/g.’ Is this a fluke? Or does transmitting at 10 Mbps when everyone else is using 54 Mbps (for their 3 Mbps DSL pipes!) give you a true advantage?”