Wifi Channel hopping

[#1]

Hi All

I have been noticing a bit of wifi slowdown recently. I had a look my wifi analyser app, and noticed that another signal was on the same channel and basically swamping my signal. I moved my channel to a relatively quiet channel, but the other network intriguingly called "Living Room TV.b" immediately followed me. Every time I moved channel it followed.

I should say that I don't have a smart TV.

Does anyone have any ideas what's causing it?

John

[#2]

Perhaps a neighbour's TV?

Why not restrict your router to the 5ghz band assuming it's a dual band one; that

is far less populated currently, and provides more channels.

[#3]

Do you have a Chromecast? Are you sure it's not coming from that?

[#4]

Sounds like that TV might be helping itself to your wifi. You need to disable the SSID broadcast on your router so that your router can't be seen by other devices - but you can use it by entering the name on your client devices. Also change your password / access key for your router.

Very suspect how it follows your channels like that and using tv bandwidth would certainly account for your slowdown.

[#5]

I suppose the first thing to check is whether the 'LivingRoom TV' is showing on your routers home network page.

The other things to check, if it is, does the rear of your router face a window (as cheeky blighters often read the SSID and wireless passkey that's normally stuck on the rear of certain routers). If it isn't showing on your home network, then it does seem that it could have been a coincidence that it too hopped channels.

But again if it is, you'd firstly need to ask your neighbour why they've stolen your connection and secondly change your passkey to another one, but don't write it on the rear of your router (if it's in a window).

[#6]

Or it could just be a wireless network created by your Chromecast enabling you to connect to your Chromecast to configure it!

[#7]

Thanks all. I do have a Chromecast plugged in, and hadn't quite realised that it creates it's own wifi network. I probably should have done. I'm not sure why it needs it's own wifi, as it needs to be connected to my wifi to work. Why would it need two wifi connections?

[#8 · Accepted solution]

I think it's so that you'll be able to wirelessly connect to the Chromecast to configure it in case it can't connect to your own wifi network (after you've changed your wifi password, for example).

It probably has to be on the same channel as your own network, because it'll only be able to stay on one channel at a time. With virtually no traffic on the network, it won't be causing you any problems. I could quite easily switch on a few spare wireless routers I've got knocking around, and put all their networks on the same channel as mine. They won't cause any problems. They'll all just be sitting there doing practically nothing with nothing connected to their wireless networks.