Here's something I see all the time in Geelong homes: a shiny new router, fresh out of the box, already configured to use 160MHz channel width. The manufacturer's logic? "Bigger is better — more bandwidth means faster speeds!" But in the real world of Australian suburbia — from Belmont to Highton, Newtown to Corio — this "premium" setting is often the very thing causing your WiFi headaches.
The Marketing vs Reality Gap
Router manufacturers love to advertise maximum theoretical speeds. You’ll see boxes plastered with claims like “AX5400” or “WiFi 6 — up to 4.8Gbps!” These numbers assume perfect conditions: your device right next to the router, no interference, and crucially, using the widest possible channel width.
In laboratory conditions, 160MHz channels do deliver faster speeds. They combine eight 20MHz channels into one super-highway, doubling the bandwidth compared to 80MHz. Sounds brilliant, right?
The problem is, you don’t live in a laboratory.
In my WiFi assessments across Geelong, I find that roughly 7 out of 10 homes perform better on 80MHz than 160MHz. The "faster" setting is actually slowing them down.
Understanding the Channel Width Problem
Think of WiFi channels like lanes on a motorway. A wider channel (160MHz) is like having four lanes instead of two (80MHz). More lanes should mean more traffic can flow, right?
But here’s the catch: you’re sharing that motorway with every other router in your neighbourhood. And in Australian suburbs, where houses are often 10-15 metres apart, those neighbours’ routers are absolutely within range of yours.
What 160MHz Looks Like in a Typical Street
When you use 160MHz, your router is occupying eight channels simultaneously. In the 5GHz band, there are only a limited number of channels available in Australia — thanks to ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) regulations, we actually have fewer usable channels than some other countries. The moment your neighbours’ routers overlap with any of those eight channels, you’ve got interference.
The DFS Complication
It gets worse. To achieve 160MHz width, routers often need to use DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) channels — the ones shared with weather radar. When radar is detected, your router must immediately vacate those channels.
iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks are particularly sensitive to DFS channel changes. When your router hops to a new channel after radar detection, Apple devices often fail to follow smoothly — resulting in those infuriating "connected but no internet" moments.
The 80MHz Sweet Spot
Dropping to 80MHz channel width might sound like a downgrade, but for most households it’s actually an upgrade in real-world performance. Here’s why:
Channel Width Comparison
- Most interference-resistant
- Best wall penetration
- Ideal for older devices
- May limit speed unnecessarily
- Great balance of speed & stability
- Less interference overlap
- Avoids most DFS issues
- Works with all modern devices
- Maximum theoretical speed
- High interference risk
- Requires DFS channels
- Device compatibility issues
The maths is simple: a stable 600Mbps connection on 80MHz will outperform a flaky 1200Mbps connection on 160MHz that drops out every few minutes. Consistency beats peak speed every time.
But Wait — Does My Internet Even Need This Speed?
Here’s something most people don’t consider: your WiFi speed and your internet speed are two different things. If you’re on a typical Australian NBN connection of 50Mbps or even 100Mbps, you will never saturate an 80MHz channel.
Even Netflix 4K streaming only needs about 25Mbps. A video call uses 3-4Mbps. The theoretical maximum of an 80MHz WiFi 6 channel is around 1200Mbps — more than ten times what most Australian households actually need.
If you're experiencing random dropouts, the first thing to try is switching from 160MHz to 80MHz. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and fixes the problem for about half the people who try it.
Is 6GHz the Answer?
You might be thinking: “Won’t WiFi 6E and its new 6GHz band solve all this?” The answer is… eventually, yes — but probably not for you right now.
The 6GHz band is essentially a fresh start. It offers clean spectrum with almost no interference (for now). It doesn’t share spectrum with weather radar, so no DFS drama. And currently, very few people are using it.
You might read online that 6GHz offers "seven 160MHz channels" — but that's the US allocation, not ours. The US opened up 1,200 MHz of spectrum. Australia? We got 500 MHz initially (March 2022), expanded to 660 MHz in October 2025.
In practice, this means Australia has 3-4 non-overlapping 160MHz channels in the 6GHz band, not seven. Still a significant improvement over the congested 5GHz band, but not the wireless utopia some articles suggest.
The catch? You need a WiFi 6E router AND WiFi 6E devices. As of late 2025, most phones, laptops, and tablets in Australian homes are still WiFi 5 or WiFi 6 — neither of which can see the 6GHz band at all. And 6GHz signals have even shorter range than 5GHz, penetrating walls poorly.
So while 6GHz will eventually be the answer for high-bandwidth applications, for most households optimising your 5GHz settings properly is the immediate solution. Get that right first, then consider 6E when your devices support it.
How to Check Your Channel Width
Most router interfaces hide channel width settings in “Advanced Wireless” or similar menus. Look for terms like “bandwidth”, “channel width”, or “HT mode”. If you see “Auto” selected, your router is probably defaulting to the widest width it can manage — which often means 160MHz.
For ISP-supplied routers (like those from Telstra, Optus, or Aussie Broadband), the options may be limited. Some lock you into automatic settings. If that’s the case and you’re having issues, it might be time to consider your own router — one where you control the configuration.
Key Takeaways
- 160MHz sounds impressive but causes interference problems in most suburban homes
- 80MHz offers the best balance of speed and reliability for Australian conditions
- Your NBN connection is almost certainly the bottleneck, not your WiFi channel width
- DFS channels (required for 160MHz) cause particular issues with Apple devices
- 6GHz will help eventually, but 5GHz optimisation is your immediate solution
- Stability beats peak speed — a reliable connection is always faster than a fast connection that drops
Not sure what settings to use? I can assess your home, scan your neighbourhood’s WiFi environment, and configure your router for optimal performance. Book a WiFi assessment or call me on 0489 998 445.