Foscam FR305 N300 High Power Router / Repeater

[sm00thpapa]

Foscam first attempt at a router. They are known for their IP security cams. Anyone looking for a N300 high power router and it also is a repeater. I got it for $24.99 as a best offer accepted. It is $26.99 on Amazon and the Foscam site. eBay best offer is the cheapest price. Just thought I would throw this out there.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161367942036?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[sm00thpapa]

Received this router today and I must say I am very impressed with the performance. The Wifi range is amazing. Surpassing my RT-N66U and WRT1900AC 2.4GHz band. Everywhere I go in my home or anywhere on my property I get 5 bars and my 70Mbps download speed. Amazing what broadcom did with this routers range. This is a router, repeater, WISP and WDS Bridge. This is made by Tenda for Foscam. The Tenda version is the FH305. Only downside is it only has 3 LAN ports instead of the more common 4. Guess that's how they kept the cost down. This is an outstanding router for $24.99. Highly recommended if you need an extra AP. I'm about to pick up a 2nd unit.

 

[stevech]

Received this router today and I must say I am very impressed with the performance. The Wifi range is amazing. .

You speak about received signal strength throughout the home.
That's only half the need.
Imagine a 1,000 watt WiFi router that could be detected miles away.
Would the 30mW (0.03 watt) be heard by the router?

Such power mismatches are call "unbalanced links". They're infamous in police radio systems with handheld radios that have, say, 5Watts and the repeater is 200W.

 

[sm00thpapa]

Not sure what they mean but is says B and G transmits at 200mW while N transmits at 500mW. Anyway this $25.00 router is killing a $300.00.

 

[Pierino]

I just did some looking around. Where do you find firmware downloads? Will this be like other small name router that never gets a firmware update?

 

[sm00thpapa]

I just did some looking around. Where do you find firmware downloads? Will this be like other small name router that never gets a firmware update?

Foscam website for this router. Latest FW is V1.0 dated May 2014. This router is made for Foscam by Tenda. I always thought of Tenda as junk but after this purchase they are on the top on my list. Go to Foscam or Tenda website for info on this router. Foscam FR305 and Tenda FH305 are the same router.

 

[sm00thpapa]

I went to wikidev to find the chip set by Broadcom for this router and there is no info yet on this router. Couldn't find info on the Tenda version either.

 

[stevech]

Not sure what they mean but is says B and G transmits at 200mW while N transmits at 500mW. Anyway this $25.00 router is killing a $300.00.

That makes no sense. '11n would by its nature (peak to average power ratio) have lower power. But in 11n / OFDM, there is about a 6dB difference in peak power to RMS power. So that gives marketing lots of liberties - on whether the spec'd power is peak or RMS. The latter is what matters.

And the difference between 200 and 500mW is tiny, in the log scale of decibels (dB). Log scale is used because the attenuation of an RF signal follows the inverse square law for distance and frequency, from physics. So 200 vs 500mW is a bit more than 3dB. Compare a 3dB increase to the typical path loss for indoors- about 60dB or more. The benefit is nil.

 

[azazel1024]

That makes no sense. '11n would by its nature (peak to average power ratio) have lower power. But in 11n / OFDM, there is about a 6dB difference in peak power to RMS power. So that gives marketing lots of liberties - on whether the spec'd power is peak or RMS. The latter is what matters.

And the difference between 200 and 500mW is tiny, in the log scale of decibels (dB). Log scale is used because the attenuation of an RF signal follows the inverse square law for distance and frequency, from physics. So 200 vs 500mW is a bit more than 3dB. Compare a 3dB increase to the typical path loss for indoors- about 60dB or more. The benefit is nil.

You keep using that phrase, but I do not think it means what you think it means

I say that only because, yes, path loss can be great. It varies so wildly though. The path loss across an office building could >>>100dB. The path loss across a 2,000sq-ft loft could be 25dB from a centrally located access point.

It just varies sooooo much. Typical 2x4 walls are going to introduce in the area of 5-8dB of attenuation per wall, plus actual distance. Stucco, tile, steel beams, concrete, plaster and lathe, plaster and chicken wire, etc will all make it significantly worse.

Compared to what you possibly/probably might experience indoors, 3dB isn't a lot, but it's a lot better than the signal being 3dB less...

I will agree that peak versus RMS makes a big difference in the numbers.

 

[sfx2000]

You keep using that phrase, but I do not think it means what you think it means

I say that only because, yes, path loss can be great. It varies so wildly though. The path loss across an office building could >>>100dB. The path loss across a 2,000sq-ft loft could be 25dB from a centrally located access point.

It just varies sooooo much. Typical 2x4 walls are going to introduce in the area of 5-8dB of attenuation per wall, plus actual distance. Stucco, tile, steel beams, concrete, plaster and lathe, plaster and chicken wire, etc will all make it significantly worse.

Compared to what you possibly/probably might experience indoors, 3dB isn't a lot, but it's a lot better than the signal being 3dB less...

I will agree that peak versus RMS makes a big difference in the numbers.

Steve knows what he's talking about - the link budget for WiFi is basically fixed... -60 to -65 dB RSSI, and Wifi is basically gone...

I've always gone with 3dB loss for sheetrock/wood studs, and 6 dB for Plaster/Lath/ChickenWire...

10LogR loss in free-space based on dipole antennas... counter in gain from coding/modulation, MIMO, STBC, LDPC and you've got a practical radius of about 40 feet from an Omni Access point in a typical environment.

Higher gain antennas - not much benefit as while they increase the signal transmitted, they also increase the noise on the receive side...

Stevech is spot-on with his observations and advice...

sfx

 

[azazel1024]

I understand what he is talking about, but my point is that because indoor environments vary so much, it isn't as simple as saying there will be huge path loss.

At least in my experience, 1/2" sheet rock 2x4" walls are closer to 5dBm loss for 2.4GHz and closer to 8dBm loss for 5GHz. It depends heavily on the angle the signal is penetrating the wall. At an oblique, it attenuates much more heavily than at an acute or straight through.

I do understand there is a certain limit to how much the signal can be attenuated, though this depends heavily on the interference there is.

Higher gain antennas only increase interference if there is a source of interference to begin with. Or if the source of interference is within the antennas radiation pattern.

Often times higher gain antennas reduce interference, because the interferer is outside of the radiation pattern (especially with high gain antennas, omnis not so much).

One thing that high gain omnis are really good at is vertically seperating networks as the narrower radiation pattern reduces reception and transmission significantly on different floors, while also increasing range/signal on the existing floor.

In most cases a dB or two will make little to no pratical difference, especially on range indoors. However, it CAN increase the performance still. A little 3dBi gain increase might make no practical difference on getting a signal in a room where you couldn't get a signal before. However, a room over where you get a weak signal, it might be the difference between linking at 11Mbps and linking at 24Mbps.

Personally, I'll take any gains I can get, so long as they aren't going to cost me much. I'd rather an extra couple of dBm than not having it.

 

[sm00thpapa]

I just don't understand how a $25.00 ROUTER kills a much more expensive router on range and throughput. The Foscam FR305 is a sleeper. Glad I got one and enjoying the benefits.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

I just don't understand how a $25.00 ROUTER kills a much more expensive router on range and throughput. The Foscam FR305 is a sleeper. Glad I got one and enjoying the benefits.

Ok care to explain this ? Never heard of Foscam and at $25.00. Seen there are only 2 reviews on Amazon and your one of them. Also only 2.4 Ghz.

 

[sm00thpapa]

Ok care to explain this ? Never heard of Foscam and at $25.00.

It's a high power router of 500mW on the 2.4GHz band. I got it brand new sealed from Foscam on eBay for $24.99. I have a thread on it so not to high Jack this thread. Head on over there for info.

 

[thiggins]

posts moved

from RT-AC87 thread. Keep the discussion here please.

 

[Mboat27]

Foscam first attempt at a router. They are known for their IP security cams. Anyone looking for a N300 high power router and it also is a repeater. I got it for $24.99 as a best offer accepted. It is $26.99 on Amazon and the Foscam site. eBay best offer is the cheapest price. Just thought I would throw this out there.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161367942036?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I have this router and I am unable to log in. The user name is admin. Can you tell me what the password could be? I have sent them and email, since they no longer have a working phone #... Thanks for your help.

 

[sfx2000]

I have this router and I am unable to log in. The user name is admin. Can you tell me what the password could be? I have sent them and email, since they no longer have a working phone #... Thanks for your help.

Reset it to default - empty userid, and the default password is "admin" - without the quotes

 

[Mboat27]

Thanks...