Max number of 2.4ghz clients

[spartanunitato]

What is the highest number of clients you have connected to the 2.4ghz band, and that it was still usable?

 

[Nebulaz]

I have 31 active clients on my home network.

I have 3 routers: 1 x AC86U main router, 1 x AC86U mesh, 1 x AC68U mesh.

On those three routers, I have 20 active 2.4Ghz clients. However, each mesh router usually has 7 or 8 connected devices on 2.4Ghz, so the main router is only typically has 4 or 5 connected to it.

I don't have any connection issues or headaches from low bandwidth or disconnection. I would hear about it if there was, as the kids are all on 2.4, while the adults are on 5Ghz.

 

[L&LD]

For consumer routers, the maximum is around 32 per radio. But that is variable depending on the environment too.

 

[thiggins]

What matters more is the number of active connections and the bandwidth load they present.

20 users on 2.4 web browsing and doing email is likely ok. 20 users video streaming, not so much.

This really applies to both bands. It's just that 2.4 GHz has less bandwidth available.

 

[leerees]

I have around 80 2.4ghz and between 100 - 150 on 5ghz. The AX92u has 2 5ghz radios and load balancing so it does shift some devices onto the slower 5ghz AC band when things get busy.

load balancing seems to be working as clients will get diverted to the next closest node in extremely busy periods.

You might want to consider a mesh solution as this is exactly the kind of scenario where it would benefit. If you are covering a small space you could lower the transmit power of the nodes.

I've seen lots of reports of people having devices randomly disconnecting. We don't have this problem and I'm convinced it's because we have 8 nodes.

 

[thiggins]

I have around 80 2.4ghz and between 100 - 150 on 5ghz. The AX92u has 2 5ghz radios and load balancing so it does shift some devices onto the slower 5ghz AC band when things get busy.

That's an awful lot of STAs per radio. Are they all simultaneously active? What kind of traffic are they running?

 

[Tech9]

I have around 80 2.4ghz and between 100 - 150 on 5ghz. The AX92u

I believe you invested in wrong equipment.

 

[leerees]

That's an awful lot of STAs per radio. Are they all simultaneously active? What kind of traffic are they running?

Very high traffic usage. We are on a business 1gbps symmetrical link.

The 8 x AX92u's serve a block of Airbnb apartments. They are mostly booked by creatives who upload a lot of videos to the cloud during the day. With our old system, they used to plug in ethernet cables but that never happens these days as the Wi-Fi is fast.

Daytime loads can easily be the full 1gbps up and around 300mb/s down.

In the evening, it's mostly normal traffic with a lot of video streaming. Average load is around 500mb/s down. Upload is 100mb/s.

We use OFDMA on upload and download, it helps keep regular browsing snappy amongst all the high bandwidth use. QoS is disabled.

 

[leerees]

I believe you invested in wrong equipment.

Bar the early 386 firmware fiasco, everything has been working great.

We looked at other mesh solutions and the AX92u was the only device that had a strong enough wireless backhaul for our needs.

 

[thiggins]

To confirm, the 80 2.4 and 100-150 5 GHz STAs are spread among 8 APs?

 

[leerees]

To confirm, the 80 2.4 and 100-150 5 GHz STAs are spread among 8 APs?

Yes, the most I've seen on one AP's radio is 27.

 

[torstein]

How many devices can the Ax86U maximum serve for normal everyday-use? Web surfing, youtube, email and the like? I can't find any information on this.

 

[BreakingDad]

What are you guys doing, running data centres?

 

[torstein]

What are you guys doing, running data centres?

Considering the amount of devices that connect to a router these days, friends and family coming over and eventually kids, I don't think it'll be too crazy to expect arouns 30 devices connected at the same time at some point. So, how many can the Ax86U take?

 

[Tech9]

arouns 30 devices connected at the same time at some point

Many idle devices connected is fine. Devices somewhat active 15-20 per radio is also fine. This is a home router. These days you shouldn't be inviting many people anyway. Why do you worry so much about every single detail? Leave this router alone, let it do its thing.

 

[torstein]

Many idle devices connected is fine. Devices somewhat active 15-20 per radio is also fine. This is a home router. These days you shouldn't be inviting many people anyway. Why do you worry so much about every single detail? Leave this router alone, let it do its thing.

I don't worry, I'm just curious about so many things, and this forum is so friendly and knowledgable that asking and discussing here feels safe and mentally stimulating

 

[Tech9]

In theory up to 32 devices per radio is what home routers support, if it makes you feel better.
In practice - it depends on how many and how active the users are. A single AX client may steal the entire bandwidth.

 

[leerees]

What are you guys doing, running data centres?

How many devices can the Ax86U maximum serve for normal everyday-use? Web surfing, youtube, email and the like? I can't find any information on this.

It can handle much more than 20 so don't worry about it, you'll be fine. We have hundreds of devices on our network.

Using AX and OFDMA makes a huge difference when you have lots of devices connected and will eliminate that "sluggish" feel you often notice on public WiFi networks.

 

[Morris]

Till your IPs run out or your bandwidth runs out. Which ever comes first.

 

[coxhaus]

With 80 devices on 2.4GHz are you using same channel APs or separate channel APs?

Even my small business Cisco AP only supports 50 active clients per radio and 200 connections per radio and each AP has 2 radios. And yes the Cisco AP has a 2.5g Ethernet port plus an extra one 1g port so 2 per AP.