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Spectrum preview unavailable.

Use the exact field above for plans above 100 APs.
APs
Verify the final pool against the deployed AP model, device class, and country setting.
Dense deployments usually start at 20 or 40 MHz; 320 MHz is available only for 6 GHz planning.
Allow DFS only when client behavior, radar history, and operations can support it.
Use 1 to 50 stacked zones; unused when Grid or Corridor is selected.
Examples: AP, Floor2, or WingA. The default is AP.
Use 1 for a new plan or match an existing controller sequence.
Enter comma-separated channels or inclusive ranges from current survey evidence.
Selects the first Preferred Scanning Channel inside each bonded block when available.
{{ prefer_psc ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled' }}
Channel 165 is a 20 MHz-only option and is ignored for bonded widths.
{{ include_channel_165 ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled' }}
APPositionPrimaryBlockWidthCenter frequencyFlagReuseCopy
{{ row.ap }}{{ row.position }}{{ row.primary }}{{ row.block }}{{ row.width }}{{ row.frequency }}{{ row.flag }}{{ row.reuse }}
No AP assignments are available until the channel pool is restored.

The chart renderer is unavailable. Reuse counts remain available in the channel pool.

PrimaryBlockMembersCenterSegmentAssigned APsFlagCopy
{{ row.primary }}{{ row.block }}{{ row.members }}{{ row.frequency }}{{ row.segment }}{{ row.assigned }}{{ row.flag }}
No candidate blocks remain. Review width, DFS stance, profile, and exclusions.
CheckpointStatusRecommendationDetailCopy
{{ row.checkpoint }}{{ row.status }}{{ row.recommendation }}{{ row.detail }}
Free Space Path-loss & RSSI Calculator Estimate free-space path loss and received signal strength with link reserve, signal-to-noise ratio and Fresnel clearance for RF planning.
MAC Address Details Lookup Inspect a MAC or EUI address with normalized forms and first-octet flags plus special-use checks and optional vendor assignment evidence.
Attenuator Pad Calculator Design a matched Pi or T attenuator from target loss and impedance, then audit preferred resistor values, input match and power rating.
IP3 and SFDR Calculator Estimate IIP3 and OIP3 with IM3 clearance and SFDR for an equal-tone RF test based on gain, noise bandwidth and detection margin.

Nearby Wi-Fi access points compete when they transmit on the same channel or on overlapping spectrum. A first-pass channel plan spreads radios across a usable pool so adjacent cells are less likely to contend with one another. It is a starting arrangement for survey work, not a prediction of airtime quality.

Channel width determines how many independent choices remain. A 20 MHz radio consumes one basic channel; 40, 80, 160, and 320 MHz radios bond several neighboring 20 MHz channels into one block. Wider blocks can raise peak throughput for capable clients, but they leave fewer blocks for reuse and are more exposed to interference across the bonded span.

  • 2.4 GHz travels well and supports older clients, but a practical 20 MHz plan usually relies on only channels 1, 6, and 11.
  • 5 GHz offers more capacity, though Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channels may be interrupted by radar detection and can behave differently across clients.
  • 6 GHz adds a large pool for newer equipment. Power class, indoor or outdoor use, country rules, firmware, and client discovery support still determine what can actually be deployed.

A candidate block is more than its primary channel. Bonded blocks also have a center channel and a set of 20 MHz members. An exclusion must therefore remove the entire block whenever any member overlaps measured interference or a local restriction.

Geometry matters after the pool is built. A corridor can rotate channels in a simple sequence, while a grid or stacked-floor plan benefits from offsetting neighboring rows or floors. These patterns reduce obvious same-channel adjacency, but they do not know wall loss, antenna direction, transmit power, client density, or neighboring networks.

Regulatory profiles are deliberately broad planning shortcuts. The controller country code, access-point model, device class, indoor or outdoor mode, and current local rules remain authoritative. Validate the final arrangement with a spectrum survey and post-deployment radio telemetry.

How to Use This Tool:

Choose the band and width first because they determine every later channel choice.

  1. Enter the number of access points, then choose 2.4, 5, or 6 GHz and the regulatory planning profile closest to the intended deployment.
  2. Select a channel width. Start with 20 or 40 MHz for dense or reliability-focused layouts unless survey evidence supports a wider block.
  3. Choose the DFS stance for 5 GHz and a Grid, Corridor, or Floors reuse pattern. Enter the floor count only for stacked zones.
  4. Add excluded channels or inclusive ranges from current survey evidence. For 6 GHz, keep the PSC preference unless the controller or client guidance calls for another primary; channel 165 applies only to 20 MHz 5 GHz plans.
  5. Review the candidate pool, assignment rows, reuse pressure, and planning notes. Restore an empty pool by narrowing width, relaxing exclusions, or changing the DFS stance before attempting deployment.

Interpreting Results:

Ready means at least one candidate block survived the selected profile and filters. It does not mean every assignment is legal, supported, or clean at the site. Confirm the same pool on the deployed controller after its country code and radio mode are set.

Unique assignment places no more than one access point on any block; Light reuse allows two, Managed reuse allows three or four, and Heavy reuse means the busiest block has more than four access points. These labels count assignments only. Use measured cell overlap, utilization, adjacent-channel energy, radar events, and client support to judge whether the reuse is acceptable.

Technical Details:

Channel planning proceeds from spectrum blocks to placement. A fixed band profile creates candidate blocks, DFS and manual exclusions remove blocks, the selected layout assigns the surviving blocks, and the highest per-block assignment count sets the reuse label.

Transformation Core:

StageTransformationResult
BuildBand, width, and regional profile create 20 MHz channels or bonded member groups.Unfiltered candidate blocks
FilterDFS stance, channel 165 policy, PSC preference, and exclusions modify the pool.Usable candidate pool
AssignCorridor, grid, or floor position maps each access point to a pool index.Deterministic AP assignments
CountAssignments per block are tallied and the maximum count is classified.Reuse pressure

Formula Core:

Channel labels use 5 MHz numbering steps. The displayed frequency uses the primary channel for a 20 MHz block and the midpoint channel for a bonded block.

f2.4=2407+5c MHz f5=5000+5c MHz f6=5950+5c MHz ccenter=cfirst+clast2

Here c is a Wi-Fi channel number. The 2.4 GHz exception for channel 14 is 2484 MHz, although the practical pool used here contains only 1, 6, and 11. A 5 GHz block with members 36 and 40 has center channel 38, so its center frequency is 5190 MHz and its default primary is channel 36.

Rule and Lookup Core:

BandExact pool basisImportant boundary
2.4 GHz20 MHz channels 1, 6, and 11Every requested width is normalized to 20 MHz with a warning.
5 GHzChannels 36 to 64, 100 to 144, and 149 to 165 from fixed 20, 40, 80, and 160 MHz groupings320 MHz returns an empty pool. Channel 165 is included only at 20 MHz.
6 GHz, FCC/USFifty-nine 20 MHz channels from 1 through 233, grouped sequentially for the selected widthPSC primaries satisfy channel 5 plus a multiple of 16 when one exists in the block.
6 GHz, lower profileTwenty-four 20 MHz channels from 1 through 93A 320 MHz request leaves one complete bonded block and reports the narrow pool.

For 5 GHz, channels 52 through 144 are treated as DFS. The ETSI and world-safe profiles remove channels 149 and above; the world-safe profile also removes channel 144. These are conservative planning rules, not complete jurisdiction or device rules.

Manual exclusions accept individual channel numbers and inclusive ranges from 1 through 233. A bonded block is removed when an exclusion matches its primary channel, its center channel, or any 20 MHz member. Invalid tokens are ignored and reported rather than silently interpreted.

Assignment Mechanism:

Corridor placement cycles through the pool in order. Grid placement uses the ceiling of the square root of the AP count as its column count, then offsets each new row by two pool positions when more than two blocks exist, otherwise by one. Floor placement divides access points evenly with a ceiling operation and applies the same offset between floors. The same inputs always produce the same names, positions, channel blocks, and reuse counts.

Accuracy Notes:

The plan does not model signal strength, contention, transmit power, antenna patterns, client capabilities, neighboring WLAN changes, or automatic frequency coordination. DFS availability and 6 GHz permissions can change with country, device class, indoor or outdoor operation, firmware, and current regulation. Treat the generated pool as survey input and let verified controller configuration and on-site measurements govern deployment.

Worked Examples:

Twelve access points on a 5 GHz grid

With the FCC/US profile, 40 MHz width, DFS avoided, and no exclusions, four non-DFS blocks remain: 36+40, 44+48, 149+153, and 157+161. A 12-AP grid assigns each block three times, so the result is Managed reuse. That count is a prompt to inspect real cell overlap, not a reason by itself to widen channels.

References: