@OneidaLake 

 

The router in most cases will do a better job than you at selecting channels because it can switch if it finds interference on the current channel. I would use a specific channel only if it was needed for performance such as an area with a lot of WIFI traffic. Other things can affect the WIFI signal besides other WIFI so that may be why it is changing channels. As for being a good neighbor, if you do not see their WIFI, most likely they do not see your WIFI signal, hence you are not interfering with their WIFI. I would recommend you leave it on auto.

@ArcherC8 

 

Thank you for this.  From my laptop, using a WiFi Analyzer, I can see anywhere from 25-35 WiFi networks on the 2.4Ghz band, depending on conditions.  That was what I meant when I said I want to be a good neighbor.   The AX1800 seems to be doing a good job at finding the right channel for my network, but I want to make sure I'm not affecting others.  One thing I have done is to set my signal strength to medium on both the AX1800 and the RE505X.  I'm assuming most people don't have this option and are running at full power, which is probably why I can see their networks.  At medium, I have perfect signal strength all over the house.  I tried the lowest setting, but with that, the communication between the AX1800 and the RE505x was dropping out.  

 

I'll run it as-is with the hopes I'm not stepping on anyone else.  The only reason I'm using the 2.4Ghz is that many smart-home devices still use that band. All 10 of my smart-home devices use 2.4Ghz.  Otherwise, I would only be using 5Ghz.  I can only assume that most people are using 5Ghz for their bandwidth intensive devices which would not be affected by any 2.4Ghz interference.

 

Do you think that OFDMA does a better job at sorting out the 'noise'?  Is that possibly why my router is selecting overlapping channels?

 

Thanks again!

I do not know but it is possible. Some of the other routers could be using the non overlapping channels which is why your router found the overlapping channels less crowded.

@ArcherC8 

 

Yes, I did notice that others are using overlapping channels and I know they are set to auto because their channels keep changing too.

 

Thanks for the talk.  Always nice to bounce ideas back and forth.

 

Have a great week!