There is a dirty little secret in the world of enterprise Wi-Fi: auto-channel selection doesn't work very well. Every wireless LAN vendor has it. Every wireless LAN vendor promotes it. But when the Wi-Fi gets busy or crowded of full of mobile devices, auto channels will leave users frustrated and admins confused. What to do about enterprise auto-channel? Why, fix it, of course. Here are some tips for getting it fixed the right way. First, the positive side of auto-channel: it saves you time. Auto-channel selection is one of the two primary parts of auto-RF protocols that are supported by enterprise controllers, APs and management systems. (The other part is auto-transmit power.) Auto-RF protocols automatically adjust channel numbers and transmit power levels on APs. Auto-RF protocols use information received by a large number of APs to decide when to adjust. What that means is that if an AP senses a microwave oven b...
