LONGEST COVERAGE ASUS AX router working as AP

[tiomiguel]

I have an RT-AX82U working as main geteway. Wireless is for an RT-AX55 in central house point working in AP mode

RT-AX55 does a good job, but I need here the best AP for longest coverage

I understand a expensive router working in AP mode could be wasting CPU, memory, MONEY etc. I have read I need a 4x4 Ap here. I nedd laongest coverage in 2,4 Ghz. I live in EUROPE

So, questions:

1) What could be the best AX ASUS device I can put instead of RT-AX55 improving COVERAGE without wasting money. RT-AX57 perhaps???? XT8 perhaps? Compact ZEN devices perform well????

2) In AP mode I can use LAN OR WAN ethernet. What is better?

3) A cheap 4x4 AP???????

 

[TheLostSwede]

Asus used to offer HP routers, where HP stood for High Power or something like that.
I don't think they make any 4x4 ones, but there's these ones for 802.11ax

RT-AX1800HP｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS has a range of wireless routers suitable for every purpose. Whether it's for your home, for business trips, or for any other need or environment, there's an ASUS router for you.

www.asus.com

RT-AX54HP｜WiFi Routers｜ASUS Global

ASUS has a range of wireless routers suitable for every purpose. Whether it's for your home, for business trips, or for any other need or environment, there's an ASUS router for you.

www.asus.com

That said, in Europe you're kind of screwed, as I don't think the HP devices are allowed.

4x4 doesn't mean longer range, it simply means you have four transmitters and receivers, which can be useful in MU-MIMO when more than one 2x2 device is connected to a router and is actively using it at the same time.

As for the AP mode, neither is "better" it usually depends on the configuration, but normally on Asus routers you'd use the WAN port.

Since transmit power is regulated quite strictly in Europe, you're never going to get as good range as in the US on most WiFi bands/channels. As such "best" doesn't really exist in Europe, as the best is going to be fairly equally mediocre due to you not being allowed to transmit over a certain threshold with a license.

 

[tiomiguel]

These AP are not sold here. But TX power is not the most important if client device does not has the same power. he can hear you but can not answer. It´s answer does not recah the gateway. I have read 4x4 improve coverage

 

[TheLostSwede]

These AP are not sold here. But TX power is not the most important if client device does not has the same power. he can hear you but can not answer. It´s answer does not recah the gateway. I have read 4x4 improve coverage

You have heard... Right, well, it doesn't.
And as far as the Router not being able to pick up the signal from your devices, well, then the router either doesn't have (unlikely) or possibly (also unlikely) the LNAs are damaged, but it's more likely that your devices are simply too far away and that's not the routers fault.
WiFi has a lot of limitations and you found one of them. Your devices don't have enough transmit power (as you're in Europe, it applies to devices as well), so you blame the router.

 

[tiomiguel]

4×4 MIMO - increases signal quality, reliability, and range for all 2×2 MIMO client devices. Do not buy a 2×2 or 3×3 MIMO router. You really do want a 4×4 router.

Taken from here

Understanding Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7 (802.11 n/ac/ax/be)

They say this sometimes across the page

 

[TheLostSwede]

No, that's not how WiFi works.
Yes, you might get some extra coverage, as you have more antennas that are pointing in more directions, which in turn ends up being taken as better signal quality and range as the user, but you can't magically increase the transmission range by adding more antennas, as long as the specs are all the same.

The only way to get more range is by increasing the transmit power or by adding a different antenna with higher gain. Note higher gain can put you outside of the legal transmit power as well and the maximum gain for the 2.4 GHz band in the EU is 20 dBm EIRP. For the 5 GHz band it depends on the channel you're using and it gets really complicated.

In your case, what you most likely want is a router that has separate 2.4 and 5 GHz antennas and then you can swap out the 2.4 GHz ones to some with higher gain, as that would increase the range, somewhat.

You can find calculators online to work out what gain you would be allowed to change the antennas to.

Some of Asus' TUF routers have separate 2.4 and 5 GHz antennas.

 

[jerry6]

Best use case: The first wave of Wi-Fi 6E devices are operating in only'low-power' mode (as no AFC is required and the entire 1200 MHz can be used; but restricted to indooruse only), but range will be reduced. When combined with effective range decreasing withchannel width, the best use case for Wi-Fi 6E 160 MHz channels is between two devicesin the same room. ""
TAKEN FROM UNDERSTANDING WIFI ABOVE
Range distance and speed are 2 dif animals

 

[coxhaus]

You may want to look at a small business model where you can add as many wired APs as you want to cover completely.

 

[tiomiguel]

small business model'??? what model??

 

[Tech9]

I live in EUROPE

There is a chance no single AP will be able to provide good coverage. I have 2x properties in Europe, one has 4x APs on low power (Cisco) and for the other I'm planning 3x APs also perhaps on low power (Ubiquiti) installed this summer. Single high power AP may work well in North America, but not in Europe. There are differences in Wi-Fi planning.