Channel Tracking in a Wireless Home Network

A wireless access point (WAP) comprising:

• a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmit and receive paths including:
• a first set of receive path components supporting at least two MIMO receive paths dedicated exclusively for MIMO reception of wireless local area network (WLAN) communications on a selected communication channel of a plurality of communication channels;
• a second set of receive path components supporting a single MIMO receive path and configured to switch the single MIMO receive path between MIMO reception of WLAN communications on the selected communication channel concurrently with the at least two MIMO receive paths of the first set of receive path components, and monitoring of communications on remaining ones of the plurality of communication channels;
• and
• a channel tracker coupled to the plurality of transmit and receive paths configured to intermittently switch one of the plurality of MIMO receive paths to concurrently process both communications on the selected communication channel together with monitoring communications on unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN.