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G54: Changing the Wi-Fi Channel

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Question
How do I change the Wi-Fi channel in the G54 gateway?
Answer
In some cases, wireless interference may occur when nearby wireless networks are broadcast on the same channel as the G54.  Changing the Wi-Fi channel in the G54 may reduce wireless interference.  The G54 broadcasts Wi-Fi on four radio bands simultaneously and the default channel is Auto.   It is recommended to leave the channel at Auto because the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) feature included in the G54 periodically scans other Wi-Fi channels and switches to the channel with the least amount of interference without restarting the G54. 

This document describes changing the Wi-Fi channel using the Web Manager.


Identify the Wi-Fi Radio Band
First, check which Wi-Fi radio band the Wi-Fi clients that is experiencing interference are connected to. 
  1. Launch a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari.  Enter http://192.168.0.1 into the address box, and press the Enter key.     
     
  2. A security or private risk alert may appear on the web browser advising users to proceed with caution when accessing the Web Manager.  There is no risk in proceeding to the Web Manager.  For instructions to bypass the alert screen, refer to article # 18181 - Alert Message for Web Manager Access.

    NOTE: The Home Network Wizard will appear if this is the first time accessing the Web Manager.  For assistance with the wizard, refer to article #19497 - G54: Web Manager First Time Login.
     
  3. On the Login page, enter the custom password in the Password field.  The Username field is populated with admin. 

    NOTE: If the Username field is populated with an email address, retrieve the admin password from the SURFboard Central app to log in.  For detailed instructions in the app, refer to article # 19069 - SURFboard Central: Web Manager Access.

     
  4. Click the Login button.  The Gateway > Summary page will appear.

    User-added image

     
  5. On the left-hand menu, click the Connected Devices link.  The Connected Devices > Devices page will appear. 
     
  6. Under the Online Devices section, locate the Wi-Fi client that is experiencing interference and identify the Wi-Fi radio band it is connected to under the Frequency Band.

    Image of Connected Devices page
     
Scan with Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer
After the Wi-Fi radio band is determined, use the Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer tool to scan the affected radio band to identify nearby access points, and the least used Wi-Fi channels.   

 
  1. Click the Troubleshooting link in the left-hand menu. The Troubleshooting > Logs page will appear.
     
  2. Click the Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer sub-menu link.  The Troubleshooting > Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer page will appear.
     
  3. Click the Start Scan button.  The pop-up window will appear.

    Image of Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer.
     
  4. Click the OK button on the Are You Sure prompt.  NOTE: The Wi-Fi network will be briefly interrupted during the scan.
     
  5. Review the scan results to determine the most congested Wi-Fi channels.  The least congested channel would be best to use.      

    NOTE: In the example below, 2.4 GHz channel 11 is highly congested, and channel 3 is moderately congested.  The best available channel is 6 or the channels not in use.


    Right click on the image to save it to your computer. User-added image
     
  6. To review the scan results for another Wi-Fi radio band, click the pull-down menu next to the VIEW GRAPH button and select the radio band.
 
Change the Wi-Fi Channel
Select the appropriate Wi-Fi radio band and change the Wi-Fi channel.  The Wi-Fi client’s Internet connection will be interrupted when changing the Wi-Fi channel.
  1. On the left-hand menu, click the Gateway link.  The Gateway > Summary page will appear.
     
  2. Click the Connection link, then click the Wi-Fi link.
     
  3. Click on a Wi-Fi radio link in the sub-menu to access the settings.
     
  4. Select the Manual bullet point for the Channel Selection field, then select a channel from the Channel drop-down menu.

    NOTE 1: It is recommended to leave the Channel default setting at Auto because the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) feature included in the G54 periodically scans other Wi-Fi channels and switches to the channel with the least amount of interference without restarting the G54.  

    NOTE 2: When changing the channel, choose the recommended channel in the table below for better performance and stability.  Other Wi-Fi channels may overlap and degrade performance.

     
    Wi-Fi BandAvailable ChannelsRecommended Wi-Fi Channels
    2.4GHz1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 111, 6, 11
    5GHz36, 40, 44, 48, 149, 153, 157, 16136, 40, 44, 48
    6GHz1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65, 69, 73, 77, 81, 85, 89, 93, 97, 101, 105, 109, 113, 117, 121, 125, 129, 133, 137, 141, 145, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165, 173, 177, 181, 185, 189, 193, 197, 201, 205, 209, 213, 217, 221, 225, 229, 23337, 53, 69, 133, 149
  5. Click the Save Settings button.

    NOTE: Wi-Fi clients will briefly disconnect and reconnect.

    Image of 2.4 GHz Radio page.
     
 

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