Channel Width
Also known as: Wi-Fi Bandwidth · Channel Bandwidth
Channel width is how much radio spectrum a Wi-Fi channel uses, measured in megahertz, and it directly affects possible speed.
A Wi-Fi channel carries data within a specific slice of radio spectrum; channel width sets how wide that slice is, measured in megahertz (MHz). A wider channel can move more data per connection, but it also takes up more of the limited spectrum available.
In practice, common widths are 20, 40, 80, and 160 MHz. The 2.4 GHz band really only offers three non-overlapping 20 MHz channels (1, 6, and 11), while the 5 GHz band provides many more channels and supports wider widths.
A common mistake: in environments with many access points or neighboring Wi-Fi networks — say, an office building shared by several companies — setting channel width too wide (80 or 160 MHz) increases overlap and interference between networks. That can actually reduce real-world speed instead of increasing it; more MHz isn't automatically better in a crowded environment.
What it means in practice
If Wi-Fi feels sluggish despite a strong signal, the cause is often a poorly chosen channel width rather than the access point itself — especially in office buildings with many other networks nearby. NDVDL sets channel width and channels to match the actual radio environment as part of Wi-Fi planning.
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