Episode 38: Wireless Troubleshooting — Signal Strength and Channel Conflicts
Wireless networks introduce unique troubleshooting challenges that differ significantly from wired environments. In this episode, we focus on signal strength, interference, and channel planning as core issues affecting wireless performance. You’ll learn how RSSI and SNR influence the quality of a wireless connection, and how even a strong signal can perform poorly in a noisy environment. We also explain how improper placement of access points, antenna misalignment, and physical obstructions contribute to client dropouts and latency.
We then move on to channel conflicts, particularly in the 2.4 GHz band, where overlapping channels lead to contention and interference. You’ll learn how to identify and resolve these problems using Wi-Fi analyzers, heatmaps, and controller logs. We also discuss best practices for channel reuse, AP separation, and client load balancing. This episode is essential for diagnosing wireless problems that aren’t fixed by simply restarting the router.
