Users in an enterprise office report severe latency and high packet loss when connected to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network near a central atrium. A spectral scan reveals several neighboring access points operating on channels 3, 4, and 5 with 40 MHz channel widths. Which TWO of the following actions should the network administrator take to resolve the wireless signal degradation? (Select TWO.)
- Reassign the 2.4 GHz access points to non-overlapping channels (1, 6, or 11).Answer
- Reduce the 2.4 GHz channel width from 40 MHz down to 20 MHz.Answer
- CAssign the access points to channel 2 and channel 4 to create a custom channel separation scheme.
- DConfigure static APIPA IP addresses on client devices to bypass DHCP latency during wireless roaming.
Answer
The network administrator should reassign the 2.4 GHz access points to non-overlapping channels (1, 6, or 11) and reduce the channel width from 40 MHz to 20 MHz.
In the 2.4 GHz band, standard 20 MHz channels only allow three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6, and 11. Deploying access points on channels 3, 4, or 5 causes severe adjacent-channel interference, which degrades signal quality and causes packet loss. Additionally, using a 40 MHz channel width in the crowded 2.4 GHz spectrum bonds two 20 MHz channels together, leaving almost no room for non-overlapping operation. Therefore, switching to non-overlapping channels (1, 6, or 11) and reducing the channel width to 20 MHz resolves the RF contention.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Channel Planning and Channel Width Optimization