Looking for single stream AP

[thiggins]

I'm looking for a small, cheap AP or router that can be switched into single stream, i.e. one antenna, operation.
I suspect there is nothing that does this with factory firmware.

So second question is does anyone know of alternate firmware that enables control of # of antennas/streams used.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Does it have to be switchable between one and more than one stream? In other words, would an AP with a single antenna work?

IIRC there as some Asus routers that have a "power saving" mode in their mobile app that switches to a single stream. I don't know the details though.

 

[thiggins]

It doesn't have to be switchable. But you can't just take one antenna off a two antenna AP. It will still be configured for two streams and the ranging algorithm will get messed up.

 

[Yota]

Routers using Broadcom SoCs can use the wl command to control the antennas.

antdiv    Set antenna diversity for rx
    0 - force use of antenna 0
    1 - force use of antenna 1
    3 - automatic selection of antenna diversity

txant    Set the transmit antenna
    0 - force use of antenna 0
    1 - force use of antenna 1
    3 - use the RX antenna selection that was in force during
        the most recently received good PLCP header

phy_rssi_ant
    Get RSSI per antenna (only gives RSSI of current antenna for SISO PHY)

phy_rxiqest
    Get phy RX IQ noise in dBm:
    -s # of samples (2^n)
    -a antenna select, 0,1 or 3


phy_antsel
    get/set antenna configuration
    set: -1(AUTO), 0xAB(fixed antenna selection)
        where A and B is the antenna numbers used for RF chain 0 and 1 respectively
    query: <utx>[AUTO] <urx>[AUTO] <dtx>[AUTO] <drx>[AUTO]
        where utx = TX unicast antenna configuration
            urx = RX unicast antenna configuration
            dtx = TX default (non-unicast) antenna configuration
            drx = RX default (non-unicast) antenna configuration

I haven't used Qualcomm and other brands, so I don't know about them.


EDIT:
well, the command wl -i eth2 antdiv and wl -i eth2 txant doesn't work.... but phy_antsel seems to work... at least not return unsupported, or driver adapter not found, you can try.




EDIT2:
I read some wl setup manuals where they give how to set up 1 antenna and how to set up 2 antennas, but on my Asus router none of them work, the main problem is that the antdiv and txant commands don't work.

Here are some excerpts:

# 2x2:
wl down
wl txchain 3
wl rxchain 3
wl antdiv 3
wl txant 3
wl up

# 1x1: (antenna 1)

wl down
wl txchain 1
wl rxchain 1
wl antdiv 0
wl txant 0
wl up

# 1x1: (antenna 2)

wl txchain 2
wl rxchain 2
wl antdiv 1
wl txant 1

Might be a limitation of the firmware, I don't know.

References:
https://www.firbug.com/a/202110/1421779.html
https://github.com/kingshaw/howTo126/blob/master/wl.txt
https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wl_command

 

[ColinTaylor]

It doesn't have to be switchable. But you can't just take one antenna off a two antenna AP. It will still be configured for two streams and the ranging algorithm will get messed up.

I wasn't suggesting removing an antenna, just buying a device that only has one antenna. If such a thing exists.

 

[ColinTaylor]

How about this (don't know whether it has an AP mode):

GL-AR750 / Creta

Dual-band travel router that offers fast VPN speed and PoE support. This portable private & secure network device is great for vacation or travelling

www.gl-inet.com

 

[thiggins]

I wasn't suggesting removing an antenna, just buying a device that only has one antenna. If such a thing exists.

Sorry, misunderstood you. I've been looking, but even cheapo travel routers are two stream.

 

[thiggins]

How about this (don't know whether it has an AP mode):

GL-AR750 / Creta

Dual-band travel router that offers fast VPN speed and PoE support. This portable private & secure network device is great for vacation or travelling

www.gl-inet.com

Near as I can tell, it's two stream.

 

[thiggins]

@Yota Thanks for checking. I'm not surprised the commands don't work. I mean, who wants to reduce a multi-antenna AP to a single one?

 

[Yota]

@Yota Thanks for checking. I'm not surprised the commands don't work. I mean, who wants to reduce a multi-antenna AP to a single one?

Maybe you'll want to take a look at this thread, found this SNB forum thread while searching for commands.

Please help with ECO mode

Hello, I recently contacted ASUS support because in my router ECO mode increases the wireless strenght instead of reducing it. In my case, my router has a very low wifi strength, so what I would like to do is to always enable ECO mode. Unfortunately after rebooting the router, ECO mode starts...

www.snbforums.com

 

[Yota]

Maybe you'll want to take a look at this thread, found this SNB forum thread while searching for commands.

Please help with ECO mode

Hello, I recently contacted ASUS support because in my router ECO mode increases the wireless strenght instead of reducing it. In my case, my router has a very low wifi strength, so what I would like to do is to always enable ECO mode. Unfortunately after rebooting the router, ECO mode starts...

www.snbforums.com

The thread's commands are all valid!

The following commands successfully set my RT-AC68U's 5GHz to single stream (Max 433 Mbps).

wl -i `nvram get wl1_ifname` down
wl -i `nvram get wl1_ifname` txchain 1
wl -i `nvram get wl1_ifname` rxchain 1
wl -i `nvram get wl1_ifname` up

But due to the lack of antdiv/txant commands, there are three antennas in there and I don't know which one is emitting the signal.

For 2.4 GHz, you just need to change the interface `nvram get wl0_ifname`, since my 2.4 GHz is full of some IoT devices that are not convenient to go offline, I can't test it, sorry.

So second question is does anyone know of alternate firmware that enables control of # of antennas/streams used.

So my answer is: @RMerlin's firmware


EDIT:
I thought the inability to use the antdiv/txant commands was a limitation introduced by Asus, since they used to limit adjusting wireless power.

So I tested the fresh tomato which is more free in wireless on the R7000, unfortunately antdiv/txant still doesn't work.

Fortunately, txchain/rxchain can already control antennas.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Which bands do you need to cover?

You might be able to find some end of life 150Mbps 2.4GHz APs:

150Mbps Wireless N Nano Router

150Mbps Wireless N Nano Router

www.tp-link.com

 

[thiggins]

Which bands do you need to cover?

You might be able if find some end of life 150Mbps 2.4GHz APs:

150Mbps Wireless N Nano Router

150Mbps Wireless N Nano Router

www.tp-link.com

Thanks. Needs to be 2.4 and 5. And need it to be in current production.

 

[RMerlin]

Just a thought: could maybe a RaPi allow that kind of usage? Running something like RaspAP, just need to find hardware that is single stream.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Just a thought: could maybe a RaPi allow that kind of usage? Running something like RaspAP, just need to find hardware that is single stream.

I was thinking along the same lines. There are plenty of "AC600" USB WiFi dongles.

 

[thiggins]

Just a thought: could maybe a RaPi allow that kind of usage? Running something like RaspAP, just need to find hardware that is single stream.

Good thought. The older Pi's with built in WiFi are single stream b/g/n. I need AC. The Pi 4 is dual-stream.

Does your distro really allow control of # of MIMO streams?

 

[thiggins]

I was thinking along the same lines. There are plenty of "AC600" USB WiFi dongles.

You're right about that. So any of the Pi's with USB and Ethernet port would do it.

Thanks all.

 

[sfx2000]

I think he's looking for 11ax, not 11n/ac

Therein lies the challenge - not a lot of options to be had right now...

 

[sfx2000]

The Pi 4 is dual-stream.

I don't think so... if i recall, it's the same radio as Pi3+ which is 1*1:1 b/g/n/ac

 

[L&LD]

What criteria would require a single stream, two band router? Just curious.