Is it better to have router on auto channel or to manually select?

[Sydero]

Currently I have a WNDR3700 router and I notice that sometimes the signal strength dips for no apparent reason (from 81 mbps to 11 mbps according to Win 7). One possibility might be interference, so I was wondering what selecting specifically does and if it is recommended.

Will the router actually find the ideal channel? Will it change the channel while the router is on if there is too much interference on that specific channel?

Thanks

 

[stevech]

IMO: don't use auto-channel-select. Choose 1, 6 or 11. Avoid channels with 11n and with heavy traffic. Unfortunately, consumer WiFi doesn't tell you which channels have light/heavy traffic.