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Band steering in Asus Merlin

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Band steering in Asus Merlin

I am thinking of purchasing an Asus router, after a lot of reading and asking in forums, I have decided on an Asus and I can have Asus Merlin.
One question I have is, how does band steering work on Asus Merlin?

My question is why, other routers (I will omit brand) put the word band steering very big and, tested in a multitude of ways, it does not work, if it picks up x device in 2.4, it does not release it even though 5Ghz has better values.
This does not happen to me with my ISP's router, (same scenario, same devices...). Any device that connects to 2.4Ghz, as soon as it has good 5Ghz coverage, makes the automatic change (it doesn't even take 2 minutes) and I don't have to configure anything on the router, just enable: band steering.

Therefore, before making the payment and purchasing, I ask here how band steering works in Asus Merlin.

Thanks in advance and greetings.
 
Therefore, before making the payment and purchasing, I ask here how band steering works in Asus Merlin.

Thanks in advance and greetings.
The real expert to this question is @Tech9 and @Viktor Jaep . But IIRC, there is a small martian man asus employees to hold the antennas- as the device gets closer, the opportunity to use the 5Ghz band antenna increases, as the device gets further away, the opportunity to use 2.4Ghz becomes more prevalent. The problem here is the little Martian man does not always do this intuitively. Instead it relies on disconnecting and reconnecting the device in hopes the router and devices interplay allows the device to take to the other band properly.
 

Ok, I understand, it shows that I have not had/touched an Asus...and the nomenclatures, I don't know them as such...
I come from another forum where, they have advised me, an Asus (preferably with Merlin) to replace the one from my ISP, and one of my doubts (due to experience with another brand) was this, the band steering, or what it is called on Asus, Smart Connect.

The real expert to this question is @Tech9 and @Viktor Jaep . But IIRC, there is a small martian man asus employees to hold the antennas- as the device gets closer, the opportunity to use the 5Ghz band antenna increases, as the device gets further away, the opportunity to use 2.4Ghz becomes more prevalent. The problem here is the little Martian man does not always do this intuitively. Instead it relies on disconnecting and reconnecting the device in hopes the router and devices interplay allows the device to take to the other band properly.
Ok, I understand (or I think I understand) what you are telling me...
I have been looking at the guide indicated by the colleague above, and I don't know how complex it would be to configure it for it to work correctly.
Indeed, my ISP does that, when I approach a good 5Ghz area it makes the change perfectly, and if I move away, then it connects to 2.4Ghz, if I return, it connects to 5Ghz, it does this in moments, seconds. ..it works, this aspect, really well.
But... I want to put a neutral instead of my operator's.

I put all the devices I have via cable, but those that have no other option are Wi-Fi, because I would like Smart Connect to work well.
Very difficult to configure or do it in a way that makes the change well?
Although I understand that yes, disconnect to connect and see if it picks up on 5Ghz... I don't know if it's good or not...

Thank you for your replies.
 
Ok, I understand, it shows that I have not had/touched an Asus...and the nomenclatures, I don't know them as such...
I come from another forum where, they have advised me, an Asus (preferably with Merlin) to replace the one from my ISP, and one of my doubts (due to experience with another brand) was this, the band steering, or what it is called on Asus, Smart Connect.


Ok, I understand (or I think I understand) what you are telling me...
I have been looking at the guide indicated by the colleague above, and I don't know how complex it would be to configure it for it to work correctly.
Indeed, my ISP does that, when I approach a good 5Ghz area it makes the change perfectly, and if I move away, then it connects to 2.4Ghz, if I return, it connects to 5Ghz, it does this in moments, seconds. ..it works, this aspect, really well.
But... I want to put a neutral instead of my operator's.

I put all the devices I have via cable, but those that have no other option are Wi-Fi, because I would like Smart Connect to work well.
Very difficult to configure or do it in a way that makes the change well?
Although I understand that yes, disconnect to connect and see if it picks up on 5Ghz... I don't know if it's good or not...

Thank you for your replies.
Now for the real talk, the problem with the method smart connect uses is that it does not truly account for the devices preference- the device may still decide to try to connect to one band over the other. The smart connect page exist for users who want to try to calibrate this behaviorism- Asus only provides their baseline defaults. The real question is- "does it really perform smart connect?". I guess Asus thinks that anybody can be an expert if they do the correct tinkering on the smart connect page.
 
Now for the real talk, the problem with the method smart connect uses is that it does not truly account for the devices preference- the device may still decide to try to connect to one band over the other. The smart connect page exist for users who want to try to calibrate this behaviorism- Asus only provides their baseline defaults. The real question is- "does it really perform smart connect?". I guess Asus thinks that anybody can be an expert if they do the correct tinkering on the smart connect page.
Speaking from ignorance, these are not very encouraging words...
If I understand correctly, the method smart connect uses is that it does not truly account for the devices preference- the device may still decide to try to connect to one band over the other.
....
The smart connect page exists for users who want to try to calibrate this behaviorism - Asus only provides their baseline defaults.

And do these default values work in any way, would we say "acceptable"?

The real question is- "does it really perform smart connect?". I guess Asus thinks that anyone can be an expert if they do the correct tinkering on the smart connect page.

I think this answers my previous question, you have to modify those parameters and it is not an easy task, even so, above you indicate that; smart connect uses is that it does not truly account for the devices preference.

I don't know if this is good or not or if it makes me clear at all, I suppose that if I have it in my hand and I can try it, what you are telling me will be clearer to me.

But I sense that...the operation of band steering or, called here, smart connect, is not very "optimal" (to put it in a "mild" way).

Thanks for the reply
 
I use Smart Connect with the default rules. If it didn't work well enough as is with my clients, I'd use separate SSIDs before tinkering with SC rules... just not that interested in battling troublesome clients.

I believe band steering is of the WiFi silicon/OEM design... integrators like ASUS wrap their own user interface around it... so similiar to/same as band steering in most WiFi chipsets(?)

OP wants band failover at distance... this sort of depends on the client... I tested a laptop client at distance, over 350 feet... it always performed better with a 5.0 connection so I would not want it to steer to a 2.4 connection.

tldr: try it, you might like it regardless of the quest for perfect band steering, whatever that can mean for various conditions.

OE
 
Speaking from ignorance, these are not very encouraging words...
If I understand correctly, the method smart connect uses is that it does not truly account for the devices preference- the device may still decide to try to connect to one band over the other.
....
The smart connect page exists for users who want to try to calibrate this behaviorism - Asus only provides their baseline defaults.

And do these default values work in any way, would we say "acceptable"?



I think this answers my previous question, you have to modify those parameters and it is not an easy task, even so, above you indicate that; smart connect uses is that it does not truly account for the devices preference.

I don't know if this is good or not or if it makes me clear at all, I suppose that if I have it in my hand and I can try it, what you are telling me will be clearer to me.

But I sense that...the operation of band steering or, called here, smart connect, is not very "optimal" (to put it in a "mild" way).

Thanks for the reply
That's what we are here for. I would say that it is a good thing the smart connect settings page exist because it gives you the opportunity to correct any nuances and undesired behaviors. At the end of the day though, you may find there are a few stubborn devices that will not want to switch bands upon reconnecting. This is not too often an issue, but I am sure you can find threads in this forum where it has been reported. I recommend using the threads search engine for reading more about users experiences with smart connect.
 
I use Smart Connect with the default rules. If it didn't work well enough as is with my clients, I'd use separate SSIDs before tinkering with SC rules... just not that interested in battling troublesome clients.

I believe band steering is of the WiFi silicon/OEM design... integrators like ASUS wrap their own user interface around it... so similiar to/same as band steering in most WiFi chipsets(?)

OP wants band failover at distance... this sort of depends on the client... I tested a laptop client at distance, over 350 feet... it always performed better with a 5.0 connection so I would not want it to steer to a 2.4 connection.

tldr: try it, you might like it regardless of the quest for perfect band steering, whatever that can mean for various conditions.

OE
IIRC, you have shared your experiences with smart connect here a few times. I also use smart connect, I personally have never had any issues. But I find it important for the user to see other users experiences. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
 
IIRC, you have shared your experiences with smart connect here a few times. I also use smart connect, I personally have never had any issues. But I find it important for the user to see other users experiences. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Your welcome. My tests were simple and generally confined to 'what's this all about'... ultimately, clients decide how to connect and modern not-cheap ones are good enough at it.

OE
 
I use Smart Connect with the default rules. If it didn't work well enough as is with my clients, I'd use separate SSIDs before tinkering with SC rules... just not that interested in battling troublesome clients.

I believe band steering is of the WiFi silicon/OEM design... integrators like ASUS wrap their own user interface around it... so similiar to/same as band steering in most WiFi chipsets(?)

OP wants band failover at distance... this sort of depends on the client... I tested a laptop client at distance, over 350 feet... it always performed better with a 5.0 connection so I would not want it to steer to a 2.4 connection.

tldr: try it, you might like it regardless of the quest for perfect band steering, whatever that can mean for various conditions.

OE

Here are technical details that escape me, but regarding this phrase:
"OP wants band failover at distance... this sort of depends on the client... I tested a laptop client at distance, over 350 feet... it always performed better with a 5.0 connection so I would not want it to steer to a 2.4 connection."
It is not exactly what I am looking for, but to connect to the one that works best at that moment, and from experience, in my location, where I live, in my home, the 23.4ghz is super saturated, even if I connect a good device to the 2.4 the Navigation becomes difficult at times (being next door).
It wouldn't be because of distance, but because of "quality."

That's what we are here for. I would say that it is a good thing the smart connect settings page exist because it gives you the opportunity to correct any nuances and undesired behaviors. At the end of the day though, you may find there are a few stubborn devices that will not want to switch bands upon reconnecting. This is not too often an issue, but I am sure you can find threads in this forum where it has been reported. I recommend using the threads search engine for reading more about users experiences with smart connect.

And grateful for that, indeed, these pages are for this.
I just wanted to inform myself before purchasing an Asus.
I won't say the brand, but I have tried 3 different ones from another brand, and which one is worse...
I understand that there may be some rebellious device, that always happens, but until I got here, I have spent about 4 or 5 months testing different devices from another brand, they assured me. They told me...(the support itself) until I was tired, and I discarded them (because of that and other problems).
My testing scenario is always the same, and I do not consider the devices that change with my ISP router "rebellious", a new device may come one day, which is rebellious, yes, but that will be something else :)

IIRC, you have shared your experiences with smart connect here a few times. I also use smart connect, I personally have never had any issues. But I find it important for the user to see other users experiences. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Yes, email, and I have searched, and before arriving here, other readings, it was a somewhat "generalized" question.
If you ask me about the other brand that I have tried in the other months I would have an answer: Don't even try it, it doesn't work, no matter what they say...

Here I have found, in a way, what I was looking for with this question, functioning works, each scenario is different, some touch on the advanced, others do not. But at least I know that it works, which is what I wanted to know...

From here, in fact, to read from other users and, when you have the router at home and the first problems or doubts arise, to look for more and share your experience and see how to solve it.

As I said, thank you all.
 
Therefore, before making the payment and purchasing, I ask here how band steering works in Asus Merlin.

Asuswrt-Merlin firmware is actually unrelated to your question. Perhaps even Asuswrt is unrelated. Whatever Asus calls Smart Connect comes from Broadcom. I have tested personally how Smart Connect works on different models Asus routers and found it's radio and drivers related. A good combination of both can only encourage the clients to switch the connection. The client decides where to connect just like with roaming. If kicked off forcefully there is a chance it will reconnect to the "wrong" radio. I have observed "sticky clients" just like with roaming, broken time sensitive applications like voice/video, broken Wi-Fi calling, etc. All this is the reason I recommend separate SSIDs per radio and clients assigned to each manually. I call Smart Connect "Some Connect". Doesn't produce optimal results and not very smart, just provides some "connect".
 
Your welcome. My tests were simple and generally confined to 'what's this all about'... ultimately, clients decide how to connect and modern not-cheap ones are good enough at it.

OE
I didn't know you were IIRC...
The colleague, is he referring to your experiences in the post you published above?
I have also seen your signature, I just added it to favorites to study it carefully.
If there is another one more specific to you, I will go for it to study it...

Thank you.
 
Asuswrt-Merlin firmware is actually unrelated to your question. Perhaps even Asuswrt is unrelated. Whatever Asus calls Smart Connect comes from Broadcom. I have tested personally how Smart Connect works on different models Asus routers and found it's radio and drivers related. A good combination of both can only encourage the clients to switch the connection. The client decides where to connect just like with roaming. If kicked off forcefully there is a chance it will reconnect to the "wrong" radio. I have observed "sticky clients" just like with roaming, broken time sensitive applications like voice/video, broken Wi-Fi calling, etc. All this is the reason I recommend separate SSIDs per radio and clients assigned to each manually. I call Smart Connect "Some Connect". Doesn't produce optimal results and not very smart, just provides some "connect".
But if you use SSIDs separated by radio, it may be that you carry a device far away and the signal is not enough, it does not release that band but it is "difficult" to use the internet... (I don't know if I explained myself correctly...)
 
Something else to add - Band Steering works better on Qualcomm hardware. Perhaps the reason "mesh" systems based on Qualcomm work also better in most cases.
I have to look at what processor my ISP router has, the previous ones that I had in recent months, I would have sworn they had Qualcom, although if so, it is even more serious about that other brand...because if they work with Qualcom (or rather , they don't work) like that....

Yes, it's something I understood, that this issue is always better with Qualcom...

Thank you.
 
Some people underestimate the capabilities of ISP provided gateways. Some of them are very high quality hardware with faster CPUs than many high-end routers and tuned for compatibility radios. Locked down firmware ensures higher level of security. ISPs don't want support calls. Not everyone is obsessed with changing settings anyway.
 
Some people underestimate the capabilities of ISP provided gateways. Some of them are very high quality hardware with faster CPUs than many high-end routers and tuned for compatibility radios. Locked down firmware ensures higher level of security. ISPs don't want support calls. Not everyone is obsessed with changing settings anyway.
Comcast routers suck. I could never use an ISP router. Low/High-end routers don't require a change of settings often either.
 

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