Wifi channel selection

[Gebla]

Dear Arlo, 

Please enable wifi channel selection. Following my router all of the time to sit on the same channel is impacting overall wifi performance in my house.

This is basic wifi configuration and current implementation sucks (to use a technical description).

Why are you refusing to allow this? 

[Edinburgh_lad1]

This has been requested before and won't happen.

[jguerdat]

There are technical reasons for allowing the base/hub to be on the same channel but there are always possible ramifications. The easiest thing to do is to move the base/hub as far away from the router as possible or, failing that helping, use a WiFi or power line extender to be able to move the base/hub to another location.

[Gebla]

Are you sure, search on this in the forum. Multiple ask exist

[Gebla]

I need yo introduce more radio clutter to push Arlo to another band. Weird solution

[StephenB]

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@Gebla wrote:

Are you sure, search on this in the forum. Multiple ask exist

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Personally I think they should let you select the channel (I've said that in earlier posts on the subject).  

Although the strategy of following the router wifi is unusual, it dates back to the time when Arlo was part of Netgear (and my understanding is that the Netgear WiFi folks recommended it).  No idea what the thinking behind that was.

[jguerdat]

It's been described here many years ago (I didn't find the specific post about it, though) as to why this is by design. I won't venture to say either way as to whether same channel is a good idea but I will defer to WiFi experts (the ones that actually design WiFi as opposed to home enthusiasts). 

Here's a somewhat technical description with both Pro and con comments that could be useful.

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Pro/WiFi-channel-Arlo-Base-Station-can-t-believe-this/td-p/157736...

I will also state that I had my primary base (and then hub) sitting directly next to my router for years without discernable issues. I moved the hub away from my router on the suggestion of an L3 engineer for a high reading of some WiFi parameter (I'm no expert so the term and reason I don't recall). The hub is still on the same 2.4GHz channel as the router with no issues.

[StephenB]

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@jguerdat wrote:

I will also state that I had my primary base (and then hub) sitting directly next to my router for years without discernable issues. I moved the hub away from my router on the suggestion of an L3 engineer for a high reading of some WiFi parameter (I'm no expert so the term and reason I don't recall). The hub is still on the same 2.4GHz channel as the router with no issues.

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I haven't had any issues either.  But there are some folks who have, and the only workaround for them was to put their hub next to a "decoy" router or extender that was set to the channel they needed.

Choosing the channel would be easy to add, and could be done from the app.  And there are some situations where it could improve wifi performance.

[Gebla]

That is exactly my case as well. I just ordered a cheap wifi extender from Ali as decoy to move Aarlo to a different channel.

Maybe change the ssid of that decoy into "Arlo is not wifi friendly" 😂

[Gebla]

So many channels available but yet Arlo needs to sit on the router channel

 

[StephenB]

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@Gebla wrote:

So many channels available but yet Arlo needs to sit on the router channel

 

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For better or worse, it is by design.  As I already posted, I do think they should let you set the channel.

Are you sure this is affecting your wifi performance?

How close is the base to the router?  If it is very close, then that can result in overloading the receiver on one (or both) devices.  Generally I recommend moving the base as far as the ethernet cable can stretch.

[Gebla]

I moved the basestation to the attic which is the edge of the mesh network at home (and has wired connection possibility) Maybe this will help

In the past when the Arlo is switched on next to the mesh point I get intermittent slow wifi on mobiles. When I switch off Arlo I do not get that.

Design of Arlo in this case is just weird. And I have so many empty channels in my area that it is ridiculous to use the router channels.