To change the wireless channel on your NETGEAR router:

If you use WiFi extenders, and you change your router’s wireless channels, you must also set your extenders up to use the same channels as your router. You can also use the WiFi Analytics tools in the NETGEAR Nighthawk and Orbi apps on your Android device to help you determine which channels have the least interference. If this happens, try different channels to see which channel works best. We recommend that you use the default wireless channels unless you experience interference. For more information, see What do I need to know before selecting a different wireless channel? If you are experiencing frequent lost connections, slow data transfers, or other WiFi issues that can be caused by interference, you might want to manually change the wireless channels on your router.

Your router automatically selects a 2.4 GHz channel based on your network environment, and uses default 5 GHz (and 6 GHz, if equipped with WiFi 6E) channels based on your region. If you need more detailed tips on optimizing your WiFi signal strength, be sure to go have a look at our WiFi signal boosting guide.NETGEAR routers are pre-configured to use wireless channels that work well for most people. Then manually set your router to use a different one.

If you are worried about channel congestion, you can use your analyzer to check which channels have no other hotspots (or the fewest) using it. This can help you make a decision on whether to use a WiFi extender or perhaps change the location of your router. At home, you can walk from one spot to the next and make a note of how your router’s signal strength changes. Once you have the WiFi analyzer of your choice, the two most useful ways to use it is pretty straightforward. Even better, its visual design will make you look like a TV hacker or an extra from The Matrix. The downside to this is that you will have to pay a few bucks to own the app, but once that’s done you’ll have a robust network tool that can do way more than simply scan local WiFi networks. Scany seems to be the only viable choice that’s made it through Apple’s policy checks. While the details are a little vague, it seems they took issue more with the specific low-level ways apps like WiFi Analyzer work under the hood than simply the idea that you might want to see available networks, channels and signal strengths. However, Apple didn’t ban this category of tool as a whole.

Netgear wifi channel scanner