2.4ghz deconflictometer

[jrfuda]

Guys, here's a screen shot of a spreadsheet I put together to help me deconflict my Wireless Network from other 2.4 ghz devices.

• It shows the 802.11 b/g channels (1-11);
  The X10 (and others) video sender/wireless camera channels (called A-D by X10, 1-4 by others);
  The 2.4 ghz FHSS "channel; and
  The Bluetooth FHSS "channel"

FHSS = Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum. Most sites I checked said that any FHSS 2.4 ghz phone will clobber your wireless network because it indiscriminately hops throughout the spectrum... I'm not sure of older analog 2.4 ghz phones do this. Bluetooth, on the other hand - while also FHSS, is adaptive and only uses parts of the spectrum that are empty, so it should be able to coexist with your WLAN, Video Senders and phones.

Note, that according to this spreadsheet, if you have more than 1 wireless access point within range of another, they have to have enough channel separation to avoid overlapping, This also means, the maximum number of APs you can have within range of each other is 3, at channels 1, 6, and 11. Of course, throw in a wireless cam or two, and you may limit yourself further.

However! I intentionally changed my WAP to a channel that would get interference from my wireless camera, and although I did experience a mild slowdown, both devices continued to work. I didn't notice much of an effect on the wireless cam picture, but it did not look all that great to begin with.

 

[Guy Lavoie]

Interesting and timely topic. I was just experimenting with a bluetooth dongle and my newly acquired pda which has both WiFi and bluetooth. Both can be turned on together but I found that the bluetooth seemed faster an more consistent with the WiFi turned off. As I've read somewhere: they can coexist but they will interact and operate with degraded performance.

 

[JohnBullard]

Thanks John,

You put a lot of effort and research into this.

Most helpfull.