Some of the content has been made with the help of AI!
Work in progress, Please be Patient.
Read this amazing Ressource about WiFi for even more Information:
Wi-is-Fi - Understanding Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7
Please visit the Website of BAKOM (Bundesamt für Kommunikation) for the most up to date information about TX-Power, available channels and frequency spectrums.
All information in this page targets Switzerland. USA and other countries may have other regulations! Please always check your Countries Regulations!
There Are 3 mainly used Frequency Bands in WiFi:
There is also a 60GHz Band relased in 2014 for IEEE802.11AD but due to the very short range of 60GHz, it isn't used in a normal home or business enviorment to provide network-connectivity to clients (Your phone, Tablet or Laptop).
However, it is used for Long Range Wireless Bridges. An example: Ubiquiti-Networks UBB-XG. Notice the 5GHz Backup radio. 60GHz is blazing fast and stable in optimal situations but as soon as it rains or something else happens that interrupts the 60GHz signal, it will fall back to the 5GHz radio.
| Characteristics | 2.4 GHz | 5 GHz | 6 GHz |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency Range (MHz) | 2'400 - 2'485 | 5'150 – 5'250, 5'250 – 5'350, 5'470 – 5'725 | 5'945 - 6'425 |
| Available Channels 20MHz | 3 - 4 | 16 | 24 |
| Available Channels 40MHz | 2 | 8 | 12 |
| Available Channels 80MHz | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Available Channels 160MHz | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Available Channels 240MHz | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Available Channels 320MHz | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Allowed max TX-PWR in EIRP (EU) | 100mW | 200mW - 1W | 25mW - 200mW |
| Supported Standards | B, G, N, AX, BE | A, N, AC, AX, BE | AX, BE |
| Antenna Streams | 1x1 - 4x4 | 1x1 - 8x8 | 1x1 - 8x8 |
| Feature | 2.4 GHz | 5 GHz | 6 GHz |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Longer range | Medium range | Shorter range |
| Speed | Lower speeds (up to ~600 Mbps) | Higher speeds (Gbps area) | Highest speeds (multi-Gbps) |
| Wall Penetration | Best (low-frequency travels farther) | Moderate | Poor (high-frequency limited by walls) |
| Congestion | High (many devices use it) | Moderate (more channels available) | Low (new band, less crowded) |
| Channels (non-overlapping) | 3 | ~19 (depends on region) | Up to 59 (Switzerland: ~24 available) |
| Interference | Prone to interference (Bluetooth, microwaves) | Less interference | Minimal interference |
| Device Support | Universal (almost all devices) | Widely supported | Limited to newer devices |
| Use Case | General use, IoT, long-range | Streaming, gaming, moderate distances | Ultra-fast, low-latency applications (VR) |
| Regulatory Status (CH) | Fully allowed | Allowed with DFS on Channel 52 - 64 and 100 - 140 | Allowed (Wi-Fi 6E approved by OFCOM) |
| Ideal For | Broad coverage, legacy devices | Performance with decent range | Dense environments, future-proofing |
Note: Switzerland follows ETSI regulations. 6 GHz Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E) is approved for indoor use with low power.
You can use different Channel widths in all three frequency bands.
| Channel | Center frequency (MHz) | EIRP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2'412 | 100mW |
| 2 | 2'417 | 100mW |
| 3 | 2'422 | 100mW |
| 4 | 2'427 | 100mW |
| 5 | 2'432 | 100mW |
| 6 | 2'437 | 100mW |
| 7 | 2'442 | 100mW |
| 8 | 2'447 | 100mW |
| 9 | 2'452 | 100mW |
| 10 | 2'457 | 100mW |
| 11 | 2'462 | 100mW |
| 12 | 2'467 | 100mW |
| 13 | 2'472 | 100mW |
There are two methods on how to use the 2.4GHz Spectrum with 20MHz Bandwidth.
| Center Channel | Frequency (MHz) | Used Channel Range | Overlap Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2412 | 0 to 3 | ✅ Non-overlapping (3-ch) |
| 2 | 2417 | 1 to 5 | ❌ Overlapping |
| 3 | 2422 | 2 to 6 | ❌ Overlapping |
| 4 | 2427 | 3 to 7 | ❌ Overlapping |
| 5 | 2432 | 4 to 8 | ⚠️ Used in 4-ch method |
| 6 | 2437 | 5 to 9 | ✅ Non-overlapping (3-ch) |
| 7 | 2442 | 6 to 10 | ❌ Overlapping |
| 8 | 2447 | 7 to 11 | ❌ Overlapping |
| 9 | 2452 | 8 to 12 | ⚠️ Used in 4-ch method |
| 10 | 2457 | 9 to 13 | ❌ Overlapping |
| 11 | 2462 | 10 to 14 | ✅ Non-overlapping (3-ch) |
| 12 | 2467 | 11 to 15 (not valid) | ❌ Nonstandard (not used) |
| 13 | 2472 | 12 to 16 (not valid) | ⚠️ Used in 4-ch method (EU) |
I strongly discourage using 40MHz as you will only be able to use 2 Channels and you will cause a lot of interference for everyone, including yourself. Unless you have no neighbours, do not use 40MHz!
Only supported by WiFi4 and newer. some WiFi Devices do not support 40MHz Bandwidth!
| Primary Channel | Secondary Channel | Combined Center Freq (MHz) | Used Channels | Overlap Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 2432 | 1 to 8 | ⚠️ High |
| 2 | 6 | 2437 | 2 to 9 | ⚠️ High |
| 3 | 7 | 2442 | 3 to 10 | ⚠️ High |
| 4 | 8 | 2447 | 4 to 11 | ⚠️ High |
| 5 | 9 | 2452 | 5 to 12 | ⚠️ High |
| 6 | 10 | 2457 | 6 to 13 | ⚠️ High |
| 7 | 11 | 2462 | 7 to 14 | ⚠️ High |
| 8 | 12 | 2467 | 8 to 15 | ❌ Exceeds legal |
| 9 | 13 | 2472 | 9 to 16 | ❌ Exceeds legal |
DFS-Channels may not be supported by all APs and STAs! Also, APs might prefer the non-DFS Channels over DFS-Channels. You might also have to enable DFS-Channels.
Purpose: To protect radar systems (especially weather and military) that operate in the same 5 GHz band.
How it works:
Applies to: Channels 52–140 in the 5 GHz band (middle frequencies).
Required in: Switzerland, EU, and many other regions.
Purpose: To monitor wind shear and other dangerous weather near airports.
Conflict:
In Switzerland / ETSI:
Purpose: To reduce the risk of interference with radar by limiting transmission power.
How it works:
Applies to:
There is also a Channel 144 but almost no device on the market supports it.
| Channel | Center (MHz) | Max EIRP | DFS/TPC/TDWR Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 5180 | 200 mW | No (U‑NII‑1) |
| 40 | 5200 | 200 mW | No |
| 44 | 5220 | 200 mW | No |
| 48 | 5240 | 200 mW | No |
| 52 | 5260 | 200 mW | DFS + TPC (U‑NII‑2a) |
| 56 | 5280 | 200 mW | DFS + TPC |
| 60 | 5300 | 200 mW | DFS + TPC |
| 64 | 5320 | 200 mW | DFS + TPC |
| 100 | 5500 | 1 W | DFS + TPC (U‑NII‑2c) |
| 104 | 5520 | 1 W | DFS + TPC |
| 108 | 5540 | 1 W | DFS + TPC |
| 112 | 5560 | 1 W | DFS + TPC |
| 116 | 5580 | 1 W | DFS, TPC + TDWR |
| 120 | 5600 | 1 W | DFS, TPC + TDWR |
| 124 | 5620 | 1 W | DFS, TPC + TDWR |
| 128 | 5640 | 1 W | DFS, TPC + TDWR |
| 132 | 5660 | 1 W | DFS + TPC |
| 136 | 5680 | 1 W | DFS + TPC |
| 140 | 5700 | 1 W | DFS + TPC |
| 149 | 5745 | 25 mW | No (SRD) |
| 153 | 5765 | 25 mW | No |
| 157 | 5785 | 25 mW | No |
| 161 | 5805 | 25 mW | No |
| 165 | 5825 | 25 mW | No |
The maximum supported Bandwidth of WiFi 2.
| Channel | Center Freq (MHz) | DFS / TPC / TDWR |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 5180 | No |
| 40 | 5200 | No |
| 44 | 5220 | No |
| 48 | 5240 | No |
| 52 | 5260 | DFS/TPC |
| 56 | 5280 | DFS/TPC |
| 60 | 5300 | DFS/TPC |
| 64 | 5320 | DFS/TPC |
| 100 | 5500 | DFS/TPC |
| 104 | 5520 | DFS/TPC |
| 108 | 5540 | DFS/TPC |
| 112 | 5560 | DFS/TPC |
| 116 | 5580 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 120 | 5600 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 124 | 5620 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 128 | 5640 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 132 | 5660 | DFS/TPC |
| 136 | 5680 | DFS/TPC |
| 140 | 5700 | DFS/TPC |
| 149 | 5745 | No |
| 153 | 5765 | No |
| 157 | 5785 | No |
| 161 | 5805 | No |
| 165 | 5825 | No |
The maximum supported bandwidth for WiFi 4.
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | DFS / TPC / TDWR |
|---|---|---|
| 36–40 | 5190 | No |
| 44–48 | 5230 | No |
| 52–56 | 5270 | DFS/TPC |
| 60–64 | 5310 | DFS/TPC |
| 100–104 | 5510 | DFS/TPC |
| 108–112 | 5550 | DFS/TPC |
| 116–120 | 5590 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 124–128 | 5630 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 132–136 | 5670 | DFS/TPC |
| 140–144 | 5710 | DFS/TPC |
| 149–153 | 5755 | No |
| 157–161 | 5795 | No |
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | DFS / TPC /TDWR |
|---|---|---|
| 36–48 | 5210 | No |
| 52–64 | 5290 | DFS/TPC |
| 100–112 | 5530 | DFS/TPC |
| 116–128 | 5610 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
| 132–144 | 5690 | DFS/TPC |
| 149–161 | 5775 | No |
Wi-Fi 5 Wave1 does not support this bandwidth. Not all Devices will support 160MHz operation!
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | DFS / TPC /TDWR |
|---|---|---|
| 36–64 | 5290 | DFS/TPC |
| 100–128 | 5610 | DFS/TPC/TDWR |
There are almost no devices on the market supporting this Operation mode.
| Channel Pairs | Included Channels | DFS / TPC / TDWR |
|---|---|---|
| 36–48 + 100–112 | 36, 40, 44, 48 + 100, 104, 108, 112 | DFS/TPC |
| 52–64 + 149–161 | 52–64 + 149–161 | DFS/TPC (DFS in lower band) |
| 36–48 + 149–161 | 36–48 + 149–161 | No |
| 100–112 + 132–144 | 100–112 + 132–144 | DFS/TPC |
| Channel | Center Frequency (MHz) | Max. EIRP (VLP/LPI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5955 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 5 | 5975 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 9 | 5995 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 13 | 6015 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 17 | 6035 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 21 | 6055 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 25 | 6075 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 29 | 6095 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 33 | 6115 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 37 | 6135 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 41 | 6155 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 45 | 6175 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 49 | 6195 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 53 | 6215 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 57 | 6235 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 61 | 6255 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 65 | 6275 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 69 | 6295 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 73 | 6315 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 77 | 6335 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 81 | 6355 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 85 | 6375 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 89 | 6395 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| 93 | 6415 | 25 mW (VLP) / 200 mW (LPI) |
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5955 | VLP / LPI |
| 5 | 5975 | VLP / LPI |
| 9 | 5995 | VLP / LPI |
| 13 | 6015 | VLP / LPI |
| 17 | 6035 | VLP / LPI |
| 21 | 6055 | VLP / LPI |
| 25 | 6075 | VLP / LPI |
| 29 | 6095 | VLP / LPI |
| 33 | 6115 | VLP / LPI |
| 37 | 6135 | VLP / LPI |
| 41 | 6155 | VLP / LPI |
| 45 | 6175 | VLP / LPI |
| 49 | 6195 | VLP / LPI |
| 53 | 6215 | VLP / LPI |
| 57 | 6235 | VLP / LPI |
| 61 | 6255 | VLP / LPI |
| 65 | 6275 | VLP / LPI |
| 69 | 6295 | VLP / LPI |
| 73 | 6315 | VLP / LPI |
| 77 | 6335 | VLP / LPI |
| 81 | 6355 | VLP / LPI |
| 85 | 6375 | VLP / LPI |
| 89 | 6395 | VLP / LPI |
| 93 | 6415 | VLP / LPI |
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 5 | 5965 | VLP / LPI |
| 9 - 13 | 6005 | VLP / LPI |
| 17 - 21 | 6045 | VLP / LPI |
| 25 - 29 | 6085 | VLP / LPI |
| 33 - 37 | 6125 | VLP / LPI |
| 41 - 45 | 6165 | VLP / LPI |
| 49 - 53 | 6205 | VLP / LPI |
| 57 - 61 | 6245 | VLP / LPI |
| 65 - 69 | 6285 | VLP / LPI |
| 73 - 77 | 6325 | VLP / LPI |
| 81 - 85 | 6365 | VLP / LPI |
| 89 - 93 | 6405 | VLP / LPI |
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 17 | 6005 | VLP / LPI |
| 37 - 53 | 6165 | VLP / LPI |
| 69 - 85 | 6325 | VLP / LPI |
The maximum bandwidth of WiFi 6E.
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 33 | 6045 | VLP / LPI |
| 37 - 69 | 6205 | VLP / LPI |
Not allowed in Switzerland!
WiFi 7 only!
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 49 | 6095 | VLP / LPI |
| 45 - 93 | 6185 | VLP / LPI |
WiFi 7 only!
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 65 | 6125 | VLP / LPI |
or:
| Channel Range | Center Freq (MHz) | Device types |
|---|---|---|
| 33 - 93 | 6765 | VLP / LPI |
| Name | IEEE Standard | Antenna streams | Theoretical max. Throughput Rate | Frequency Bands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 1 | 802.11b | 1 | 1 - 11 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz |
| Wi-Fi 2 | 802.11a | 1 | 6 - 54 Mbit/s | 5GHz |
| Wi-Fi 3 | 802.11g | 1 | 6 - 54 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz |
| Wi‑Fi 4 | 802.11n | up to 4 | 72 - 600 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz |
| Wi‑Fi 5 (Wave1) | 802.11ac | up to 3 | 433 - 1.300 Mbit/s | 5GHz |
| Wi‑Fi 5 (Wave2) | 802.11ac | up to 8 | 433 - 6.933 Mbit/s | 5GHz |
| Wi‑Fi 6 | 802.11ax | up to 8 | 600 - 9.608 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz, 5GHz |
| Wi‑Fi 6E | 802.11ax | up to 8 | 600 - 9.608 Mbit/s | 6GHz |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | up to 8 | 1.376 - 46.120 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz |
| Wi-Fi 8 | 802.11bn | unknown | 100.000 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz |
WiFi 8 is not yet Finalized! This table is from Wikipedia. I have customized it.
Disclaimer: All information in this chapter is from Wikipedia. I cannot guarantee that everything is correct!
Wave 2, referring to products introduced in 2016, offers a higher throughput than legacy Wave 1 products, those introduced starting in 2013. The maximum physical layer theoretical rate for Wave 1 is 1.3 Gbit/s, while Wave 2 can reach 2.34 Gbit/s. Wave 2 can therefore achieve 1 Gbit/s even if the real world throughput turns out to be only 50% of the theoretical rate. Wave 2 also supports a higher number of connected devices. Source: Wikipedia
Please read: Work in Progress, I did not get around to document MLO on my wiki yet...
Intel - PDF - wi-fi-tutorial-long.pdf