802.11b and g channel selection

I am trying to plan for an additional wireless router (AP) in my house LAN
and I just wanted to confirm something before jumping in. In the case of
802.11b/g, there are 11 channels I can select from in my router but due to
overlapping of adjacent frequencies, there are really only 3 channels which
can work together "nicely": 1,6,11 is this correct? I seem to be having
random interference problems and I am guessing it is from a neighbour's 2.4
GHz phone or similar. Any devices out there which would let me do a site
survey to see the best of choice of channel or to find out which channels
are already occupied or "dirty"? Since this is a one time usage thing, not
looking to spend a lot for such a tool and I was just wondering if there
was a simple test unit that others use. TIA.

Press Ctrl-Alt-Del Now wrote:
> I am trying to plan for an additional wireless router (AP) in my house LAN
> and I just wanted to confirm something before jumping in. In the case of
> 802.11b/g, there are 11 channels I can select from in my router but due to
> overlapping of adjacent frequencies, there are really only 3 channels which
> can work together "nicely": 1,6,11 is this correct? I seem to be having
> random interference problems and I am guessing it is from a neighbour's 2.4
> GHz phone or similar. Any devices out there which would let me do a site
> survey to see the best of choice of channel or to find out which channels
> are already occupied or "dirty"? Since this is a one time usage thing, not
> looking to spend a lot for such a tool and I was just wondering if there
> was a simple test unit that others use. TIA.
There does need to be a five channel separation. 1,6,11 is the common
choice for multiple APs. If you are using just one or two channels, you
can choose any frequency in that range so long as you separate multiple
choices by 5 channels.

I don't know of any particular devices to site survey with. Have you
checked the wireless utility for your wireless device? Many if not most
will have a 'link status' page which will show both signal strength and
noise.

Jerry Park <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:7W6Zb.10091$(E-Mail Removed):

> Press Ctrl-Alt-Del Now wrote:
>> I am trying to plan for an additional wireless router (AP) in my
>> house LAN and I just wanted to confirm something before jumping in.
>> In the case of 802.11b/g, there are 11 channels I can select from in
>> my router but due to overlapping of adjacent frequencies, there are
>> really only 3 channels which can work together "nicely": 1,6,11 is
>> this correct? I seem to be having random interference problems and I
>> am guessing it is from a neighbour's 2.4 GHz phone or similar. Any
>> devices out there which would let me do a site survey to see the best
>> of choice of channel or to find out which channels are already
>> occupied or "dirty"? Since this is a one time usage thing, not
>> looking to spend a lot for such a tool and I was just wondering if
>> there was a simple test unit that others use. TIA.
> There does need to be a five channel separation. 1,6,11 is the common
> choice for multiple APs. If you are using just one or two channels,
> you can choose any frequency in that range so long as you separate
> multiple choices by 5 channels.
>
> I don't know of any particular devices to site survey with. Have you
> checked the wireless utility for your wireless device? Many if not
> most will have a 'link status' page which will show both signal
> strength and noise.

Thanks. Ok, so I was correct about the apart by 5 rule, and since I am
only using 2 WAP then I do have a lot more choices available to me. I
was trying to avoid the frustrating task of configuring my router for one
channel, then trying to connect to it and measure signal strength via a
wirelessly connected PC, then change to another and so on and so on. I
have been down that road before and it is tedious and slow.

It was about 1 yr ago when I first installed my WAP and since then there
have been several homes nearby change hands and I think at least one
place has a teenager with a wireless laptop (or other) and a curiousity
to explore... I was looking at something like the Kensington unit sold
at Circuit City but this unit is over simplified since it filters out non
WiFi signals so I do not see interference from phones, microwaves, etc.
I want something which I could use in an instant to try and pinpoint the
source of the offending signal but I was unsure of the best product for
this task.

"Walker" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:c14441$28v6$(E-Mail Removed):

>
> "Press Ctrl-Alt-Del Now" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:Xns949464731CA0A3fingermssolutionreb@140.99.9 9.130...
>> I am trying to plan for an additional wireless router (AP) in my
>> house LAN and I just wanted to confirm something before jumping in.
>> In the case of 802.11b/g, there are 11 channels I can select from in
>> my router but due to overlapping of adjacent frequencies, there are
>> really only 3 channels
> which
>> can work together "nicely": 1,6,11 is this correct? I seem to be
>> having random interference problems and I am guessing it is from a
>> neighbour's
> 2.4
>> GHz phone or similar. Any devices out there which would let me do a
>> site survey to see the best of choice of channel or to find out which
>> channels are already occupied or "dirty"? Since this is a one time
>> usage thing,
> not
>> looking to spend a lot for such a tool and I was just wondering if
>> there was a simple test unit that others use. TIA.
>
> Most of the wireless cards have a utility through which you can
> proceed site_survey(maybe "site browse") shipped with the card itself.
> So just check it up from the CDROM of your wireless card.

Thanks but I do not have a wireless card. My wireless system consists of
a wireless router and a couple of ethernet wireless bridges to connect 2
separate places I could not reach with an ethernet cable. The 2nd
wireless router is an attempt to get a better signal in the basement at
the other end of the house which has 1 of the 2 wireless bridges.

"Press Ctrl-Alt-Del Now" <(E-Mail Removed)> дÈëÏûÏ¢ÐÂÎÅ
:Xns9494E7C7267163fingermssolutionreb@140.99.99.13 0...
> "Walker" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:c14441$28v6$(E-Mail Removed):
>
> >
> > "Press Ctrl-Alt-Del Now" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > message news:Xns949464731CA0A3fingermssolutionreb@140.99.9 9.130...
> >> I am trying to plan for an additional wireless router (AP) in my
> >> house LAN and I just wanted to confirm something before jumping in.
> >> In the case of 802.11b/g, there are 11 channels I can select from in
> >> my router but due to overlapping of adjacent frequencies, there are
> >> really only 3 channels
> > which
> >> can work together "nicely": 1,6,11 is this correct? I seem to be
> >> having random interference problems and I am guessing it is from a
> >> neighbour's
> > 2.4
> >> GHz phone or similar. Any devices out there which would let me do a
> >> site survey to see the best of choice of channel or to find out which
> >> channels are already occupied or "dirty"? Since this is a one time
> >> usage thing,
> > not
> >> looking to spend a lot for such a tool and I was just wondering if
> >> there was a simple test unit that others use. TIA.
> >
> > Most of the wireless cards have a utility through which you can
> > proceed site_survey(maybe "site browse") shipped with the card itself.
> > So just check it up from the CDROM of your wireless card.
>
> Thanks but I do not have a wireless card. My wireless system consists of
> a wireless router and a couple of ethernet wireless bridges to connect 2
> separate places I could not reach with an ethernet cable. The 2nd
> wireless router is an attempt to get a better signal in the basement at
> the other end of the house which has 1 of the 2 wireless bridges.

It seems that you have to put your wireless routers(or antennas if there
are)
at a very high location for examle the your housetop.

I still think it is a good way to buy/borrow a wireless card.
Otherwise,you'll have to get an site survey device which is
usually quite expensive.

"Press Ctrl-Alt-Del Now" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns949464731CA0A3fingermssolutionreb@140.99.9 9.130...
> I am trying to plan for an additional wireless router (AP) in my house LAN
> and I just wanted to confirm something before jumping in. In the case of
> 802.11b/g, there are 11 channels I can select from in my router but due to
> overlapping of adjacent frequencies, there are really only 3 channels
which
> can work together "nicely": 1,6,11 is this correct? I seem to be having
> random interference problems and I am guessing it is from a neighbour's
2.4
> GHz phone or similar. Any devices out there which would let me do a site
> survey to see the best of choice of channel or to find out which channels
> are already occupied or "dirty"? Since this is a one time usage thing,
not
> looking to spend a lot for such a tool and I was just wondering if there
> was a simple test unit that others use. TIA.

Most of the wireless cards have a utility through which you can proceed
site_survey(maybe "site browse") shipped with the card itself.
So just check it up from the CDROM of your wireless card.