Hi Everyone, I just upgraded from an RT-AC56U to a ZenWifi XT8. I am still familiarizing myself with this whole "two 5Ghz bands" concept, so I had some questions.
Background:
My home setup prior to today involved a Verizon Quantum G1100 being used as a wired router in a utility closet downstairs, and an ASUS RT-AC56U on our main floor. The G1100 has it's WiFi radios turned off, and the RT-AC56U was set up in Access Point mode with the last available Merlin firmware. It had served well as the sole wireless access point for our home for several years, but it was EOL a couple of years ago. With newer phones/devices at home, we wanted to upgrade to something newer. Of note, the 2.4Ghz band seemed to be weaker/harder to connect to in recent weeks. For reference, we are on a 300/300 Megabit plan on Verizon FiOS, and we own the G1100 router (i.e. not rented).
Upgrading to the ZenWifi XT8:
I picked up a secondhand ZenWifi XT8 unit that I found locally for a great deal. I was doubly excited seeing that it was on the Merlin GNUton compatibility list. Though it's HW Reviwion 1.0, it has a date code of 2022, so it's not that old. I performed a Factory Reset, flashed the latest GNUton firmware (3004.388.8_4-gnuton1), and then set it up as an Access Point with the same 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSIDs and credentials as the outgoing RT-AC56U. I also created a new, third SSID for the 5Ghz-2 network, as part of the setup wizard. Lastly, I assigned it a static IP, just like the RT-AC56U had.
Observations and Issues
Note that various screenshots have been attached. I have not messed with the Advanced wireless networking settings, nor the "Smart Connect" settings.
Thanks in advance!
Background:
My home setup prior to today involved a Verizon Quantum G1100 being used as a wired router in a utility closet downstairs, and an ASUS RT-AC56U on our main floor. The G1100 has it's WiFi radios turned off, and the RT-AC56U was set up in Access Point mode with the last available Merlin firmware. It had served well as the sole wireless access point for our home for several years, but it was EOL a couple of years ago. With newer phones/devices at home, we wanted to upgrade to something newer. Of note, the 2.4Ghz band seemed to be weaker/harder to connect to in recent weeks. For reference, we are on a 300/300 Megabit plan on Verizon FiOS, and we own the G1100 router (i.e. not rented).
Upgrading to the ZenWifi XT8:
I picked up a secondhand ZenWifi XT8 unit that I found locally for a great deal. I was doubly excited seeing that it was on the Merlin GNUton compatibility list. Though it's HW Reviwion 1.0, it has a date code of 2022, so it's not that old. I performed a Factory Reset, flashed the latest GNUton firmware (3004.388.8_4-gnuton1), and then set it up as an Access Point with the same 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSIDs and credentials as the outgoing RT-AC56U. I also created a new, third SSID for the 5Ghz-2 network, as part of the setup wizard. Lastly, I assigned it a static IP, just like the RT-AC56U had.
Observations and Issues
Note that various screenshots have been attached. I have not messed with the Advanced wireless networking settings, nor the "Smart Connect" settings.
- Preliminary testing indicates the speeds have increased by 25-50% in a few key spots in the home, and even higher in some instances.
- The Range remains to be tested. The RT-AC56U had very good range even outside of our home.
- I had some trouble getting my devices to connect to the 2.4Ghz SSID, despite using the same SSID and password.
- I had to fiddle around with the Wifi Setup screen, by changing and reverting the authentication method, re-entering the password, and rebooting multiple times. I really hope this doesn't become a recurring thing.
- It's hard to tell when the updated settings are actually "sticking". Clicking "Apply" at the bottom does not seem to do anything without subsequently clicking "Reboot", at the top.
- The 5GHz-2 band is running way hotter than any of the other radios and the CPU. It hovers around 75F, and spikes up to over 100F
- Screenshot attached
- The 5Ghz-2 band SSID is not visible to any devices.
- SSID is marked as visible in Network Info. Screenshot attached.
- I tested multiple devices, including a late-model iPad Pro that supports 5Ghz and 6Ghz Wifi 6E
- Is it possible to enable the 5Ghz-2 band, and ideally have it share the SSID with the 5Ghz-1 band? If not, it'd be good to know how to disable it. This would reduce the heat generated.
Thanks in advance!
