BT Home Hub -Which Channel is Best?

macman

Can anyone advise what default channels the BT Home Hubs are generally set to, and what is the best channel to use to avoid clashes? I've just spent a frustrating 2 hours trying to get a PC with a USB wireless adapter reconnecting to a Home Hub (version 1.0). It had been working fine for 2 years, nothing else had been changed or moved, then suddenly this week it couldn't detect the network anymore. The other PC was connected by ethernet to the Hub and was fine, the Hub was apparently transmitting OK.
Won't bore you with all the details, but after trying everything else relating to the wireless adapter end of things, I attempted to connect with my own laptop from 3 ft away and could only get an intermittent network. The default (auto) channel was set to 7, I changed this to manual and tried channel 11, much to my surprise it reconnected.
Am I right in thinking that someone else had set up a router a few doors away on the same channel (I could detect another Home Hub in the vicinity, as well as other networks)?
So what are the best channels to use to avoid this kind of thing-is it only established by trial and error, or is there a recommended sequence to try?

bluboy

It could be a new wireless router, a new cordless dect phone (or even a dect baby monitor?!) all commonly broadcasting in the 2.4ghz range.
I've always found a good channel but by trial and error as it seems different manufacturers have different default channels.

edit - You could try NetStumbler (non Vista) to tell you who's using what channel although I must admit I never got round to trying it.

macman

Maybe a good idea to establish the default HH channels then and stay away from these? Because I see more HH networks around my house than anything else-and that's just the ones where the default network name has not been changed. I'm assuming that if the default name has not been changed, then neither has the default channel either.

DatabaseError

download netstumbler, run it (it will disconnect from your current network and temporarily turn off wzconfig) and look at what channels are currently populated by other wireless devices. Find the biggest gap and use the channel in the middle of that.

You'll probably be surprised how many people are using the same channel!

old_codger1

Hey Mac dude

I can't remember if you're the fella who runs linux as well as windows on his laptop but if you do, (and you've got a wireless connection), there's always iwlist, i.e.


andy@linux-desktop:~$ iwlist scan
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

pan0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wmaster0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Scan completed :
Cell 01 - Address: 00:90:D0:F1:0C:A0
ESSID:"ajb"
Mode:Master
Channel:1
Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)
Quality=0/100 Signal level:56/100
Encryption key:on
IE: WPA Version 1
Group Cipher : TKIP
Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=00000027453ac117
Extra: Last beacon: 3784ms ago
Cell 02 - Address: 00:90:96:FB:CE:10
ESSID:"BTVOYAGER2100-10"
Mode:Master
Channel:4
Frequency:2.427 GHz (Channel 4)
Quality=35/100 Signal level:11/100
Encryption key:off
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=000000495e9ae188
Extra: Last beacon: 96ms ago
Cell 03 - Address: 00:14:95:83:6C:F1
ESSID:"2WIRE729"
Mode:Master
Channel:6
Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
Quality=11/100 Signal level:23/100
Encryption key:on
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=000000a24786f989
Extra: Last beacon: 3448ms ago
Cell 04 - Address: 00:14:7F:A5:31:63
ESSID:"BTHomeHub-92A4"
Mode:Master
Channel:11
Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
Quality=70/100 Signal level:19/100
Encryption key:on
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=0000031268ff04c4
Extra: Last beacon: 3184ms ago
Cell 05 - Address: 00:1D:68:7F:3E:47
ESSID:"BTHomeHub-5E80"
Mode:Master
Channel:11
Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
Quality=64/100 Signal level:17/100
Encryption key:on
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=0000017fe162ddb3
Extra: Last beacon: 3188ms ago
Cell 06 - Address: 00:11:50:A1:C3:D4
ESSID:"Belkin54g"
Mode:Master
Channel:6
Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
Quality=11/100 Signal level:18/100
Encryption key:off
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=0000050707290c48
Extra: Last beacon: 3436ms ago
Cell 07 - Address: 00:12:BF:38:26:EF
ESSID:"Madhouse"
Mode:Master
Channel:6
Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
Quality=29/100 Signal level:12/100
Encryption key:on
IE: WPA Version 1
Group Cipher : TKIP
Pairwise Ciphers (2) : TKIP CCMP
Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1
Group Cipher : TKIP
Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP
Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
Preauthentication Supported
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 22 Mb/s
6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s
36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=000000eed94791ea
Extra: Last beacon: 3516ms ago

andy@linux-desktop:~$

Looks like I probably don't need a broadband connection at all Mind you, signals are a bit weak.

PS. Just seen what the forum does to MAC addresses and whatnot. Very artistic

macman

No codger it's not me, but thanks anyway.

damo24

The best channels to use are 1, 6, 11 and 13. 1, 6 and 11 are unique channels without any cross-over from the other channels and 13 is not officially in use in the UK so it is not set as a default channel.

espresso

damo24 wrote: »

The best channels to use are 1, 6, 11 and 13. 1, 6 and 11 are unique channels without any cross-over from the other channels and 13 is not officially in use in the UK so it is not set as a default channel.

No, the best channel to use is one that is not currently in use locally and this varies as some users switch off their wireless routers. A site survey is the only sensible way to choose what channel to use as more and more households are now using WiFi devices.