Possibility to release the option to choose which Wifi operating channel manually

[AlexkiddBR]

I would like to know what the chances are that the Nest Routers and Google WiFi system will allow us to choose Wifi channels manually, as sometimes the automatic option creates more problems than it solves.

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

Hello @AlexkiddBR 

Automatic channel selection only happens in the 2.4GHz band. Is that where you are having issues?

The 5GHz band, which is also used for the 802.11s mesh interconnect between primary and secondary access points, uses a single channel determined by which region the device was configured for at the factory. This is determined by the regulatory rules in each region. Despite there being a "lot" of channels in the 5GHz band, most of them are restricted to "Dynamic Frequency Selection" (DFS) rules, which requires the access points to use a Channel Availability Check process to listen for local radar signals on each channel for 60 seconds before using it. This process has to be repeated periodically. It's also possible a radar transmitter may start using a DFS channel after this check, so that must be detected and handled as well (by switching to a new channel, including another 60 second radar check if the target is another DFS channel). Coordinating this between Google/Nest WiFi primary unit and the secondary units adds another level of complexity that Google has not invested in implementing for a consumer product like Google/Nest WiFi.

In short, in the U.S., there are really only two 80MHz-wide 5GHz channels to choose from, and Google/Nest WiFi uses the upper one. Outside the U.S., there is typically only one 80MHz-wide channel.

I hope that helps explain some of the complexity behind channel selection.

[AlexkiddBR]

I'm from Brazil, and what I was referring to was the channels: in Brazil the following channels are recommended.
channels UNII-1 (36, 40, 44, 48) and UNII-3 (149, 153, 157, 161). However, my Google Wifi leaves some equipment produced in Brazil, which works exclusively on these channels, outside the 5G network, meaning that I simply have the 2.4G network as an option. A very simple example is my son's video game (Nintendo Switch made in Brazil)

[MichaelP]

It looks like Brazil has similar band support to the U.S. But, I don't know when the upper part of the 5GHz band became available there. I also noticed that Google/Nest WiFi are not available in a supported configuration for Brazil. So, you must be using a set that is configured for another region. It's entirely possible yours are running on a channel some of your client devices that were manufactured for Brazil are not configured to support (e.g., a U.S. Google WiFi system will be on channel 149/155, but your Nintendo Switch may not support that channel). Unfortunately, this is not uncommon when mixing equipment from multiple regions (and I seem to recall the Switch is somewhat notorious for not supporting some parts of the 5GHz band, depending on when it was made).

[AlexkiddBR]

Yes, exactly, so I would like to have the option to select the channel. Just as a detail, my equipment was purchased in Brazil. So shouldn't I set the channels that work here? Or could you add a button somewhere in the Google Home app where we could define the location we are using, so that it can configure the appropriate channel?