Comparison between RT-AC68U with HGGOMES & Merlin and EnGenius ECB1750

[Flying Dutchman]

As I have a spare AC68U I thought "let me compare my ECB1750 with the Asus one, loaded with HGGOMES firmware ...58.2 and with Merlin 58.0".

I placed them on the same location, of course only one was running at the time.
Each firmware version had it's own SSID.

I know the weak spots in my house and garden, so I started to use my Samsung tablet and Sony Xperia Z3C for surfing, looking to a YouTube movie and listening to streaming live radio.

The EnGenius ECB1750 was set to maximum power (28dBm), the Asus RT-AC68U to 100%. I only tested the 2.4GHz band, using channel 6.

Both EnGenius and HGGOMES gave similar results: both gave good streaming at the same location and in the grey area's both showed problems with streaming.

EnGenius compared with Merlin's firmware gave big differences: Merlin's was dead while EnGenius (and so also HGG) was still running like a charm.

I wasn't surprised. But an EnGenius, straight from the box, untouched firmware, ETSI approved, is so much better than the "official" Asus and Merlin firmware (FCC-approved) when it comes to range...... .
Sad that I never even can update my Asus routers again when I want to keep my range.

 

[dvohwinkel]

As I have a spare AC68U I thought "let me compare my ECB1750 with the Asus one, loaded with HGGOMES firmware ...58.2 and with Merlin 58.0".

I placed them on the same location, of course only one was running at the time.
Each firmware version had it's own SSID.

I know the weak spots in my house and garden, so I started to use my Samsung tablet and Sony Xperia Z3C for surfing, looking to a YouTube movie and listening to streaming live radio.

The EnGenius ECB1750 was set to maximum power (28dBm), the Asus RT-AC68U to 100%. I only tested the 2.4GHz band, using channel 6.

Both EnGenius and HGGOMES gave similar results: both gave good streaming at the same location and in the grey area's both showed problems with streaming.

EnGenius compared with Merlin's firmware gave big differences: Merlin's was dead while EnGenius (and so also HGG) was still running like a charm.

I wasn't surprised. But an EnGenius, straight from the box, untouched firmware, ETSI approved, is so much better than the "official" Asus and Merlin firmware (FCC-approved) when it comes to range...... .
Sad that I never even can update my Asus routers again when I want to keep my range.

It would be interesting if you swapped the hardware the two firmwares were running on to eliminate hardware quality variations.

 

[ColinTaylor]

The EnGenius ECB1750 was set to maximum power (28dBm), the Asus RT-AC68U to 100%. I only tested the 2.4GHz band, using channel 6.

Yes, unsurprising results.

As you have said yourself "in The Netherlands (my country) I get 100 mW e.i.r.p" and you are setting the EnGenius to 630 mW (28 dBm). IIRC the ASUS was only ever rated at 100mW @ 2.4GHz even before the FCC changes.

 

[jeff288]

Question: Why does Asus lower the signal output when other manufacturer's get by with having

Yes, unsurprising results.

As you have said yourself "in The Netherlands (my country) I get 100 mW e.i.r.p" and you are setting the EnGenius to 630 mW (28 dBm). IIRC the ASUS was only ever rated at 100mW @ 2.4GHz even before the FCC changes.

I thought it was 500mW. If our routers were supposedly in spec years ago, why do they keep gimping the tx power? http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...s/32431-is-your-routers-transmit-power-juiced

 

[ColinTaylor]

I thought it was 500mW.

All I know is that when I got my (UK) router a couple of years ago, the GUI said the maximum transmission power for 2.4GHz was 100mW and 5GHz was 200mW. Which was consistent with ETSI regulations. Maybe the US was different.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

It would be interesting if you swapped the hardware the two firmwares were running on to eliminate hardware quality variations.

No, I have one spare 68U (not the one I use as router) and reflashed the firmware, did a factory reset and build the SSID and WiFi settings from ground. So in both situations the 68U was behaving as normal users would face it would work.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

All I know is that when I got my (UK) router a couple of years ago, the GUI said the maximum transmission power for 2.4GHz was 100mW and 5GHz was 200mW. Which was consistent with ETSI regulations. Maybe the US was different.

See here for how EnGenius thinks about RF-power ...
With the 28 dBm (this is what the the webinterface is telling me, I can't check the real RF-power) I am outside the law here in NL-country. I am not using any cable between device and antennas. But with no neighbours close around me I don't care. Using several AP's in the house and garden is not a good solution as clients are never switching in a way you, as user, don't notice it: it always interrups the stream or keeps hanging on a weak AP. Me being a consumer, who hates technical imperfection, only wants a smiling wife because WiFi is working everywhere she is. That makes me being the hero .

 

[ColinTaylor]

With the 28 dBm (...) I am outside the law here in NL-country.

That's fair enough, it's your choice.

But the following statement is slightly misleading (to the casual reader) because it implies you are operating the device within ETSI requirements when you are not.

But an EnGenius, straight from the box, untouched firmware, ETSI approved, is so much better than the "official" Asus and Merlin firmware (FCC-approved) when it comes to range

 

[Skoven]

Did you test throughput with these higher tx powers?
I assume that extra power, and thereby range (and noise), had a negative effect on bandwidth...