Wi-Fi Channel Reference

Channel numbers, center frequencies, UNII bands, DFS requirements, and non-overlapping channel sets for 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi.

2.4 GHz Channels

Each channel is 20 MHz wide and spaced 5 MHz apart, so adjacent channels overlap. The only truly non-overlapping channels in a 20 MHz deployment are 1, 6, and 11 (FCC/most countries). Channel 14 is restricted to Japan and 802.11b only.

Channel	Center Freq (MHz)	Notes
1	2412	Non-overlapping (FCC)
2	2417
3	2422
4	2427
5	2432
6	2437	Non-overlapping (FCC)
7	2442
8	2447
9	2452
10	2457
11	2462	Non-overlapping (FCC)
12	2467	Restricted in some regions
13	2472	Restricted in some regions
14	2484	Japan only · 802.11b only

Formula: center freq = 2407 + (channel × 5) MHz. Channel 14 is an exception at 2484 MHz.

5 GHz Channels

5 GHz channels are spaced 20 MHz apart so they never overlap. Center frequency = 5000 + (channel × 5) MHz. Channels marked DFS require radar detection; an AP must vacate the channel if radar is detected.

Channel bonding: two adjacent 20 MHz channels form a 40 MHz channel; four form 80 MHz; eight form 160 MHz.

UNII-1 (Indoor, 5.15–5.25 GHz)

Channel	Center Freq (MHz)	DFS
36	5180	No
40	5200	No
44	5220	No
48	5240	No

UNII-2A (5.25–5.35 GHz) — DFS Required

Channel	Center Freq (MHz)	DFS
52	5260	Yes
56	5280	Yes
60	5300	Yes
64	5320	Yes

UNII-2C (5.47–5.725 GHz) — DFS Required

Channel	Center Freq (MHz)	DFS
100	5500	Yes
104	5520	Yes
108	5540	Yes
112	5560	Yes
116	5580	Yes
120	5600	Yes
124	5620	Yes
128	5640	Yes
132	5660	Yes
136	5680	Yes
140	5700	Yes
144	5720	Yes

UNII-3 (5.725–5.85 GHz)

Channel	Center Freq (MHz)	DFS
149	5745	No
153	5765	No
157	5785	No
161	5805	No
165	5825	No

6 GHz Channels (Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7)

The 6 GHz band (5.925–7.125 GHz) was opened for unlicensed use starting with Wi-Fi 6E. It provides 1200 MHz of spectrum — 59 non-overlapping 20 MHz channels. Center frequency = 5950 + (channel × 5) MHz.

Preferred Scanning Channels (PSC) are every 16th channel starting at 5: 5, 21, 37, 53, 69, 85, 101, 117, 133, 149, 165, 181, 197, 213, 229. Clients scan PSCs first to find APs faster. APs operating on 80 MHz or wider should anchor to a PSC.

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) adds 320 MHz channel width, doubling the widest channel available in Wi-Fi 6E and only feasible in the 6 GHz band.

UNII Band	Freq Range	20 MHz Channels	PSC Channels
UNII-5	5.925–6.425 GHz	1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65, 69, 73, 77, 81, 85, 89, 93	5, 21, 37, 53, 69, 85
UNII-6	6.425–6.525 GHz	97, 101, 105, 109, 113, 117	101, 117
UNII-7	6.525–6.875 GHz	121, 125, 129, 133, 137, 141, 145, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165, 169, 173, 177, 181, 185, 189, 193, 197, 201, 205, 209, 213	133, 149, 165, 181, 197, 213
UNII-8	6.875–7.125 GHz	217, 221, 225, 229, 233	229

Note: UNII-6 and UNII-8 availability varies by country. In the US, the full 1200 MHz (UNII-5 through UNII-8) is available for standard-power and low-power indoor use.

Channel Width Comparison

Width	Bands Available	Max Throughput*	Typical Use	Trade-offs
20 MHz	2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz	~72–300 Mbps	Dense deployments, IoT, legacy devices	Lowest interference; most compatible
40 MHz	2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz	~150–600 Mbps	Mixed environments, some 2.4 GHz use	Halves available channels on 2.4 GHz
80 MHz	5 / 6 GHz	~433 Mbps–1.7 Gbps	Home/office Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6	Requires 4 adjacent non-overlapping channels
160 MHz	5 / 6 GHz	~867 Mbps–3.5 Gbps	High-throughput Wi-Fi 6/6E	Very limited non-contiguous options in 5 GHz; best in 6 GHz
320 MHz	6 GHz only	~up to 23 Gbps	Wi-Fi 7 high-density/backhaul	Requires 6 GHz band; 16 adjacent channels

*Max throughput is per-stream theoretical (single spatial stream to multi-stream MIMO). Real-world rates are lower.

Channel Selector

Choose a band and channel width to see the recommended non-overlapping channel set.

Band Channel width

Recommended channels: —