Smart channel selection for low bandwidth iot clients

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with a network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:
• classify each client of a set of access points in the wireless network as either an Internet of Things (IoT) device or a non-IoT device;
• select, for each of the access points in the set, a channel width based on the classifications of its clients;
• assign, for each of the access points in the set, one or more wireless channels for use by that access point, based on the selected channel width for that access point;
• and
• instruct the access points in the set to use their assigned channels to communicate with their clients.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a supervisory service for a wireless network to execute a process comprising:

• classifying, by the supervisory service for the wireless network, each client of a set of access points in the wireless network as either an Internet of Things (IoT) device or a non-IoT device;
• selecting, by the supervisory device and for each of the access points in the set, a channel width based on the classifications of its clients;
• assigning, by the supervisory device and for each of the access points in the set, one or more wireless channels for use by that access point, based on the selected channel width for that access point;
• and
• instructing, by the supervisory device, the access points in the set to use their assigned channels to communicate with their clients.