How to disable smart channel selection

[survesunil]

On EE Smart Hub Plus, is there a way to disable its automatic/smart selection of best channel and force a channel number of my choice? 

[XRaySpeX]

Only for the 2.4 GHz band in the Channels drop-down you can choose between channels 1, 6 & 11.

[survesunil]

Thanks. So, for 5ghz band, I don't have a choice of selecting a specific channel and have to rely on the hub's smart scan. Right?

[bobpullen]

@survesunil- correct, and neither do I think there would there be much merit in allowing it.

There are only really two 80MHz channel segments that you could select in the 5GHz band that are not DFS regulated, and in my experience, certain devices don't play nicely with the upper of the two. That effectively gives you the 'choice' of a single 80MHz set of channels spanning ch36-48 i.e. no choice at all!

There is little point in allowing a user to explicitly select any of the DFS-regulated channels, because if the hub detects any weather/military radar etc. in the same spectrum, then it has to shift to a different channel; I imagine that would cause confusion for customers e.g. "Why is my hub broadcasting on ch36, when I've told it to use ch100?"

The Smart Hub Plus is also capable of using 160MHz channel widths, and in doing so, it has to use DFS-regulated channels.  There are only two available 160MHz channel segments in the 5GHz spectrum and if you were to fix a 5GHz channel it would exempt you from use of at least one of them (possibly both). This could result in your 5GHz bandwidth  being unnecessarily halved in certain scenarios.

[survesunil]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I note that my hub's so-called smart selection is always stuck at channel 100, which I see very busy with hubs in my neighbourhood. Would that be a problem? 

[bobpullen]

Channel 100 is one of the highest powered so it makes sense that the hub would prefer it. I'm very surprised that there's much else broadcasting in that space in your neighbourhood though. Are you sure you're not seeing other wireless broadcasts from your hub (there will be more than one) and misinterpreting them as your neighbours'?

When scanning for networks, the signal strength/RSSI values should be a decent indicator as to whether or not the 'competing' signals are yours. If the value is similar to your 'main' Wi-Fi broadcast, then chances are it's coming from your hub.

Regardless, I'd personally trust the hub is doing the right thing unless you're having any specific problems.

[survesunil]

Thanks for sharing the information. I'm checking this in Netspot, and I can see 3 different SSIDs along with mine in the same channel 100. I see the signal strength of other SSIDs is very low. Hence, I thought if I could pick up another channel. 

Also, for my hub, it shows 100 (114). What is the 2nd number in brackets?

[bobpullen]

I suspect it means the hub is operating at 160MHz channel width, so channels 100-128 (centered on channel 114).

[Anglomandingo68]

1, 6 and 11 are the worst channels for me. They perform very poorly and since installing the "smart" hub the upgrade has definitely felt like a downgrade. The process of changing and arranging my wifi has me yearning for a retrograde to my dumb BT 900 package, that was flawless.

I have been sold a lemon....thanks EE, proper mugged me off.

[bobpullen]

@Anglomandingo68 - what hub were you using with BT? AFAIK, the BT Smart Hub 2 also limits the 2.4GHz channel selection to 1, 6 and 11  🤔