Recommended Settings for 802.11n Connectivity
Below are the default and recommended settings for Intel® Wireless Adapters supporting 802.11n. To change these settings, see Advanced Intel® Wireless Adapter Settings.
| Note | Update your adapter and wireless router software. Use the Intel® Driver & Support Assistant to update your Intel® drivers. |
Default/recommended settings
| Property | Value |
| Channel Width for 2.4GHz | Auto (AP determines width) |
| Channel Width for 5GHz | Auto (AP determines width) |
| 802.11n Mode (for legacy adapters only) | Enabled |
| Fat Channel Intolerant | Disabled |
| Roaming Aggressiveness | Medium |
| Throughput Booster | Disabled |
| Transmit Power | Highest |
| 802.11a/b/g Wireless Mode or Wireless Mode | Dual Band 802.11a/b/g or 802.11a/b/g |
| 802.11n/ac Wireless Mode or HT mode | 802.11ac or VHT mode |
| Note |
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Make sure you've configured your access point (AP) or Wi-Fi router for 11n mode. If you aren't sure if the AP is configured for 11n, contact your AP manufacturer.
Key settings related to 11n
| Note | The actual name and feature of the setting may vary depending on the AP. Check the user manual or contact manufacturer of your AP for details. |
- Channel
Controls the channel your AP uses to communicate with client devices on your Wi-Fi network.
Most APs should have this set to Auto by default. We don't recommend changing this setting unless you:- Have a good understanding of Wi-Fi channels
- Know how to determine the least congested channel in your environment
Most of the time, Channel 1~14 (2.4GHz) are more congested than Channel 36~ (5GHz) but this can differ depending on the environment.
Some newer or higher-end APs are capable of operating at multiple bands (or channels) at the same time. For example, you may configure the AP to use Channel1@2.4GHz and Channel40@5GHz at the same time.
- Channel Width or channel bandwidth
Controls the width of the channel (20 or 40MHz) your AP uses to communicate with client devices on your Wi-Fi network. Wider channel width allows higher performance.
Note Certain AP may not have this setting but instead have a different setting called transmission speed or similar. For optimal performance and compatibility, enable support for all channel widths. Certain AP may allow 40MHz only mode which prevents legacy devices that support only 20MHz from connecting to the AP.
- (Wireless) Mode
This setting controls the type of Wi-Fi devices (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) that can connect to the AP.
For optimal performance and compatibility, enable support for all wireless modes.
If configured for 11n mode only, legacy devices that support only 11a/b/g aren't able to connect to the AP.
| Note | WEP and WPA-TKIP aren't compatible with 802.11n. |