ASUS N66U and AC56U

[quantum28]

In the review for the AC56U, it scored #1 in all categories for AC1200 routers, the one criticism was the price. At my local shops, the RT-AC56U is now about the same price as the RT-N66U dark knight, which is N900.

My current arrangement puts my home office a couple walls from my router and signal strength drops off significantly (even though its only 30-ish ft away). Which of these is better suited?

I have multiple devices. Would like a separate guest SSID. N would suffice I suppose, but a new AC NIC for my laptop seems reasonable (<$30 ?!)

Would love to hear your thoughts

 

[KGB7]

External antennas will give you better range on n66.

Ac56 router has more horsepower to handle havier lan traffic.

If you want both, you'll have to go with ac68 router.

 

[quantum28]

I realized that this should have been posted in the wireless buying advice forum and not this one, rookie mistake. (Moderator: can you move this?)

Thanks for the suggestion. Will the external antenna have more bearing on range regardless of N vs AC?

Is range the issue when a wall cuts down on signal strength? When I'm sitting in front of the router i get 130Mbps, and in my home office I'm getting like 39, sometimes less!

 

[KGB7]

Don't know what router you have, so I can't answer your question.

 

[sfx2000]

External antennas will give you better range on n66.

No, they won't...

sfx

 

[KGB7]

No, they won't...

sfx

Because.....?

 

[theveterans]

Because.....?

He probably meant that you need a client with high gain and high power to match the N66U's range.

It doesn't really matter how strong or how far the router's signal can reach. If your device can't talk to the router at very long range even if the router's signal is showing 4 bars, you won't be able to connect at all. Need a directional antenna plus high TX power from the client pointed to the router in order to communicate at unbelievable range.

 

[KGB7]

He probably meant that you need a client with high gain and high power to match the N66U's range.

It doesn't really matter how strong or how far the router's signal can reach. If your device can't talk to the router at very long range even if the router's signal is showing 4 bars, you won't be able to connect at all. Need a directional antenna plus high TX power from the client pointed to the router in order to communicate at unbelievable range.

4 bars is 4 bars. If a client sees 4 bars, then it will connect. Other wise we wouldn't have the need for "bars".

Here is a simple example. Take a 12" circle( it will represent a router). Then take a 4" circle( it will represent a cell phone).
Now move both circles towards each other till they touch one another. As you continue to move both circles so both centers.meet, then bars/signal goes up.
So if they are touching, then you might be able to get a connection. When they overlap, then you have a higher chance of connection between router and client, even if they are slightly overlapping.

Directional antenna, simply focuses the beam in narrower pass and spesific direction. Thus most of the energy is directed more effectively vs omni antenna. Omni antenna, spreads out the energy/signal in all directions equally, thus the range is reduced.
Light bulb vs a laser.

 

[sinshiva]

4 bars is 4 bars. If a client sees 4 bars, then it will connect. Other wise we wouldn't have the need for "bars".

Here is a simple example. Take a 12" circle( it will represent a router). Then take a 4" circle( it will represent a cell phone).
Now move both circles towards each other till they touch one another. As you continue to move both circles so both centers.meet, then bars/signal goes up.
So if they are touching, then you might be able to get a connection. When they overlap, then you have a higher chance of connection between router and client, even if they are slightly overlapping.

Other wise, the range between router and a weak client would be half; the center of small circle is touching the edge of a big circle.

wtf are you smoking?

 

[KGB7]

wtf are you smoking?

Great answer. Thanks for stopping by.

 

[sinshiva]

it appears you believe that as long as the signal range of an AP and the signal range of a client overlap, a connection is possible.

unless the devices themselves both are within each other's radiated signal, there is no communication, period.

using TCP as an example; if an AP is broadcasting SYNs but never hears a client's SYN-ACK, it will never respond with an ACK. zero communication.

 

[KGB7]

it appears you believe that as long as the signal range of an AP and the signal range of a client overlap, a connection is possible.

unless the devices themselves both are within each other's radiated signal, there is no communication, period.

using TCP as an example; if an AP is broadcasting SYNs but never hears a client's SYN-ACK, it will never respond with an ACK. zero communication.

You do realize that OP doesn't know what any of the acronyms mean?? You might as well speak in piglatin. So speak in a way OP can understand.

 

[RMerlin]

The circle analogy isn't a good one, as it doesn't factor the fact that it's a two-way communication.

Best analogy remains having two persons talking to one another from a good distance. If they are way apart, and one starts talking louder, you still won't be able to have a good conversation unless the other person also talks louder. Otherwise, second person will keep asking the first one to repeat, which it will do. End result: conversation will still take much longer than it should.

Directional antennas would be like cupping your hands around your mouth - it helps carrying the voice away. And cupping them behind your ear helps hearing them. But in both case, it must be in the direction you are aiming.

 

[KGB7]

The circle analogy isn't a good one, as it doesn't factor the fact that it's a two-way communication.

Best analogy remains having two persons talking to one another from a good distance. If they are way apart, and one starts talking louder, you still won't be able to have a good conversation unless the other person also talks louder. Otherwise, second person will keep asking the first one to repeat, which it will do. End result: conversation will still take much longer than it should.

Directional antennas would be like cupping your hands around your mouth - it helps carrying the voice away. And cupping them behind your ear helps hearing them. But in both case, it must be in the direction you are aiming.

Sound wave and radio waves are not same thing. Thus should never be compared.

 

[RMerlin]

Sound wave and radio waves are not same thing. Thus should never be compared.

It's about the send/receive communication model here, not about the involved physics. My analogy is more accurate to reality.

 

[KGB7]

It's about the send/receive communication model here, not about the involved physics. My analogy is more accurate to reality.

Except in reality there is no sound wave in space, but there is radio wave. Radio even works in Vacuum, you know out in space.

 

[RMerlin]

It's about the send/receive communication model here, not about the involved physics. My analogy is more accurate to reality.

Except in reality there is no sound wave in space, but there is radio wave. Radio even works in Vacuum, you know out in space.

As I just said, it's NOT about the physics involved, it's about the communication model. Totally different layers.

 

[KGB7]

As I just said, it's NOT about the physics involved, it's about the communication model. Totally different layers.

Its a faulty and flawed example, as soon as you said "sound". The whole model went out the window.

Plus the model doesn't work for Omni antennas, that send radio wave 360 degrees.

 

[dlandiss]

Is range the issue when a wall cuts down on signal strength?

Yes, it is.

Better antennas can indeed help. Because of a feature called "reciprocity" an antenna's gain in transmitting applies equally to receiving -- it can not only transmit farther, it can receive farther. A better antenna is a far more effective way to improve coverage than simply raising the power which, as has been accurately pointed out, doesn't help the RECEIVING range a bit.

 

[sinshiva]

Yes, it is.

Better antennas can indeed help. Because of a feature called "reciprocity" an antenna's gain in transmitting applies equally to receiving -- it can not only transmit farther, it can receive farther. A better antenna is a far more effective way to improve coverage than simply raising the power which, as has been accurately pointed out, doesn't help the RECEIVING range a bit.

that is a solid point. some might argue that this increases received interference, but i wonder if this is better for the clients because it would enable the AP to negotiate around other APs closer to the client, as opposed to jamming fringe APs (and vice-versa)