Communication Channel and Interference

Communication Channel

A communication channel refers either to a physical transmission medium such as a wire, or to a logical connection over a multiplexed medium such as a radio channel in telecommunications and computer networking. A channel is used to convey an information signal, for example a digital bit stream, from one or several senders (or transmitters) to one or several receivers. A channel has a certain capacity for transmitting information, often measured by its bandwidth in Hz or its data rate in bits per second.

Communicating an information signal over space requires some form of pathway or medium. These pathways, called communication channels, use two types of media: cable (twisted-pair wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable) and broadcast (microwave, satellite, radio, and infrared). 

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Wireless channels

Communication Interference

In telecommunications, an interference is that which modifies a signal in a disruptive manner, as it travels along a communication channel between its source and receiver. The term is often used to refer to the addition of unwanted signals to a useful signal.

WLAN

Mutiplexing

As Wifi is typically handled by a single router as the point of entry to the internet for multiple devices, it is a typical use case for multiplexing signal transimission, and more specifically, FDM in most cases.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplexing

In telecommunications and computer networking, multiplexing (sometimes contracted to muxing) is a method by which multiple analog or digital signals are combined into one signal over a shared medium. The aim is to share a scarce resource. For example, in telecommunications, several telephone calls may be carried using one wire. Multiplexing originated in telegraphy in the 1870s, and is now widely applied in communications. In telephony, George Owen Squier is credited with the development of telephone carrier multiplexing in 1910.

Multiple low data rate signals are multiplexed over a single high data rate link, then demultiplexed at the other end

The multiplexed signal is transmitted over a communication channel such as a cable. The multiplexing divides the capacity of the communication channel into several logical channels, one for each message signal or data stream to be transferred. A reverse process, known as demultiplexing, extracts the original channels on the receiver end.

A device that performs the multiplexing is called a multiplexer (MUX), and a device that performs the reverse process is called a demultiplexer (DEMUX or DMX).

Inverse multiplexing (IMUX) has the opposite aim as multiplexing, namely to break one data stream into several streams, transfer them simultaneously over several communication channels, and recreate the original data stream.

In computing, I/O multiplexing can also be used to refer to the concept of processing multiple input/output events from a single event loop, with system calls like poll[1] and select (Unix).[2]

FDM

Frequency-division multiplexing

Frequency-division multiplexing (FDM): The spectrum of each input signal is shifted to a distinct frequency range.

Frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) is inherently an analog technology. FDM achieves the combining of several signals into one medium by sending signals in several distinct frequency ranges over a single medium. In FDM the signals are electrical signals. One of the most common applications for FDM is traditional radio and television broadcasting from terrestrial, mobile or satellite stations, or cable television. Only one cable reaches a customer's residential area, but the service provider can send multiple television channels or signals simultaneously over that cable to all subscribers without interference. Receivers must tune to the appropriate frequency (channel) to access the desired signal.[3]

One stream, one color, light waves, in WDM.

A variant technology, called wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is used in optical communications.

Wifi Channels

WiFi channels explained

Frequency bands, WiFi channels, and your WiFi performance

Our routers use one of the two WiFi frequency bands for signal: 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Some routers are dual-band routers, so you can choose which frequency band to use for your wireless network (Check out this article by LifeWire on the pros and cons of each). The main difference between these two frequency bands are the range and bandwidth that they provide. If you're looking for more WiFi coverage, you want to be using the 2.4 GHz band; if you're looking for faster speeds, you want to be using the 5 GHz band.

Within these WiFi frequency bands, we have smaller bands which are referred to as WiFi channels. A WiFi channel is the medium through which our wireless networks can send and receive data. For routers made in the U.S., the 2.4 GHz band has 11 channels and the 5 GHz band has 45 channels.

Why should I care what WiFi channel I'm on?

MetaGeek has a great explanation as to why we should avoid using certain channels, which I'll summarize below:

The reason that certain channels aren't the best choice to use is because they have interference. There are a couple different ways this interference is caused: Co-Channel interference results when there are numerous devices all competing for time to talk on the same channel. Adjacent-Channel interference occurs when devices from overlapping channels are trying to talk over each other.

Channels that have interference from other devices are considered to be 'crowded'. The time it takes to transmit data is increased and you are left waiting for your Internet request to be made. The channels with the most interference are those that overlap with each other. 

To further explain channel overlapping, let's look at the 2.4 GHz band, where each channel is allotted 20 MHz and separated by 5 MHz. Considering the 2.4 GHz band is only 100 MHz wide, the 11 channels of 20 MHz overlap with one another ==> 5 MHz spacing only applies channels in the same "group". This is what causes the interference on your network and and a lag in your WiFi's performance.

Certain channels yield better WiFi performance than others because they are non-overlapping. Yes, there are some channels in the 2.4 GHz spectrum that don't overlap with the other channels. These are the channels you ought to look for, especially if experiencing WiFi problems: Channels 1, 6, and 11.

(There are also 24 non-overlapping channels in the 5 GHz band spectrum.)

How are WiFi channels typically chosen?

Many routers are set up to automatically choose what WiFi channel to use; and they may not choose 1, 6, or 11. The WiFi channel your router chooses actually depends on  the hardware itself.  For example, at Minim, we've observed that the TP-Link Archer C2 router is more likely to pick an overlapping channel than the TP-Link Archer C7 router:

This doesn't mean a router that continually chooses crowded WiFi channels is a bad router; it just means that if you're using such a router and experiencing WiFi problems, the WiFi channel is likely to be the culprit. Another interesting fact: Whenever your router reboots, the WiFi channel it is using changes. This means you could easily go from having a great WiFi experience to a not-so-great WiFi experience in a matter of minutes.

Therefore, we think it's so important to have an automated process that monitors the WiFi channel with the state of the router's wireless environment; and we're actively working on a way to make this happen.

Channel Width

WiFi channels explained: What is WiFi channel width?

What is WiFi channel width?

WiFi channels are each allotted a 20 MHz segment in the frequency band they're in, and can also be bonded together to form wider segments. The width of a WiFi channel dictates how much data can pass through and at what speed, where the wider channels are usually associated with more data transferred at faster speeds— at least, when they aren't impacted by interference. 

Choosing a WiFi channel width

Interference is more common in certain frequency bands and on certain WiFi channels than others. Depending on the likelihood of interference, there are recommended WiFi channel width settings for routers and access points, as described by Apple for achieving optimal WiFi performance with iOS devices. However, the same recommendations apply to boosting WiFi performance with any connected device. Here's a summary:

Set 2.4 GHz WiFi channel width to 20 MHz

It is typically advised to use the narrower 20 MHz WiFi channel width when in the 2.4 GHz band. The main reason is because there are several overlapping channels in this band— in fact, 8 out of the 11 channels overlap. As we know, overlapping WiFi channels are one of the main causes of network interference. So, if you were to choose a wider channel width that bonds multiple overlapping channels in this band, it is more likely than not that you will experience a weaker wireless performance than the expected faster speeds.

Set 5 GHz WiFi channel width to 20, 40, or 80 MHz

Wider WiFi channel widths— including 40 MHz and 80 MHz— are best used in the 5 GHz frequency band. In this band, there are not only significantly more WiFi channels, but also less overlapping channels (24 out of 45 do not overlap). As such, the 5 GHz band is known for being less crowded and is more equipped to support wide WiFi channel widths, in addition to the narrow 20 MHz width.

When adjusting WiFi channel width settings for this band, the key is to enable support for all channel widths rather than for a single wide channel width. Doing so will ensure no client devices are prevented from connecting (e.g., a device may only support 40 MHz channels, and if you enable a 80 MHz-only mode, it won't be able to connect).

Minim automates WiFi channel settings to ensure the best WiFi channel and WiFi channel width are selected for the given frequency band. ISPs are also able to remotely adjust WiFi channel settings for a customer if need be. Check out a sneak peek of these features here.

Intel's Guide for Wifi Configuration

Guide to configure Wi-Fi Channels and Channel Widths to Improve...

The network configuration can be a reason for Wi-Fi issues. Slow Internet connection and disconnects can happen if the wireless network is not set correctly, or if too many devices are competing for wireless airspace in your network. Not all the devices in the same network can be affected by this issue to the same level.

When adjusting or setting up your Wi-Fi network in a home or business, the primary goals are to:

• Minimize interference
• Maximize range
• Maximize throughput (which is what you will see on an Internet speed test)

To do this, you will need access to your specific router’s setup interface.

Choosing the right channel

You can use the Intel® Killer™ Control Center (If you are usinig an Intel Killer Wireless adapter) or any third-party Wi-Fi Analyzer to determine which channels are least used on each band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and change your Wi-Fi router’s settings accordingly. Here are some tips on which settings to choose:

• On the 2.4 GHz band, which is usually Wireless-N, always choose Channels 1, 11, or 6. Try to pick the emptiest of the three, using the Wi-Fi Analyzer as your guide. Channels other than 1, 11, or 6 will receive more interference. European users can also use Channels 12 and 13 on the 2.4 GHz band. You should treat these the same as Channel 11, as they will interfere with, and receive interference from, Channel 11. Keep in mind that:
  • Channel 1 will interfere with and receive interference from 2.4 GHz channels 1-5..
  • Channel 6 will interfere with and receive interference from 2.4 GHz channels 2-10.
  • Channel 11 will interfere with and receive interference from 2.4 GHz channels 7-11.

Using the information above, you can see why you should always choose channels 1, 11 (or 12/13), or 6. Doing otherwise invites interference from more than one other primary 2.4 GHz wireless channel.

• On the 5 GHz band, which is usually Wireless-AC (though some routers do support 5 GHz Wireless-N) choose a channel that is as far away from other channels as possible. If you are experiencing Wi-Fi drops or cannot see your wireless access point, and you are using a DFS channel, (Channels 50-144 in the USA, other areas can be found on this chart), try changing to a non-DFS 5 GHz channel and see if that improves the issue.
• If you cannot find an empty channel, aim for the channels with the weakest signal.
• If you have extenders, access points, or any other wireless routers, make sure they are operating on a different channel than your primary router. Even a single Wi-Fi router with multiple radios can conflict with itself if those radios are set to the same channel.

Choosing the right channel bandwidth (or sideband, channel width, or other)

Try changing your channel width (some routers may call it sideband or side channel). The higher the channel width, the more data the stream can carry, making it potentially faster, and the more likely the signal is to get around solid objects ==> more wavelength variations for better diffraction I suppose?. However, the signal will have less overall strength and will be more prone to interference from other nearby channels.

Think of your wireless signal like water. The wider the wave, the more it will hit and the more it will get around, but the less strength it will have than if it were contained to a narrower channel. A wider wave will also catch more objects on its sides which, when talking about wireless networking, results in more interference.

Depending on your Wi-Fi landscape, it may be best to give up some channel width to get the extra strength and dodge interference, even if your router and adapter can handle higher channel widths. If you are experiencing wireless drops, a too-wide channel width could be the cause.

• On the 5 GHz band, set the channel width to 40 MHz and see if that improves reliability. Keep in mind that 80 MHz and 160 MHz channel widths may carry the promise of extra speed, but will also interfere with, and receive interference from, many more sources than 40 MHz.
• On the 2.4 GHz band, set the channel width to 20 MHz and see if that improves reliability. 40 MHz Wireless-N is rarely optimal, as it will interfere with nearly the entire spectrum of Wireless-N channels.

Other considerations

• Wi-Fi is a line-of-sight radio technology, which means that it operates not by surrounding your device with a wireless signal, but by connecting directly to it, through whatever walls, subflooring, or other electronic devices are in its way. Each solid object between the antenna of your wireless access point (router/modem) and your computer will diminish the signal. Repositioning things by inches can make a world of difference.
• Sources of interference are not always obvious. Many times, you may be receiving interference from hidden wireless networks or even some electronics. Interference from electronics is more prevalent with the 2.4 GHz radio spectrum, but such interference also exists on the 5 GHz radio spectrum. If you are using a low channel width on a free channel and are still seeing wireless disconnects (even while near your wireless access point), then the issue could be something else occupying that spectrum. Try experimenting with other channels.
• In a crowded wireless landscape, wireless performance will often degrade and improve on its own, as other people use their Wi-Fi networks. Experimenting with channel settings can help here as well, since some of your competition may rarely use their Wi-Fi, while others are continually transferring data from many devices. If you live in an apartment complex, for example, and your neighbor has their router against a shared wall, sharing a wireless channel will not become a noticeable problem until they get home, connect with their smartphones, and start streaming to their television. However, at that point, your Wi-Fi may become completely unusable until you change the wireless channel.