New RT N66U

[petes67bird]

Hi Everyone,
I just purchased an Asus RT N66U to replace my RT N56U. I have never really set up a proper wifi network and was hoping someone is kind enough to give me some basics to improve my coverage, range and strength. To start off with my internet is 65/20Mbps. I am looking to hook up a laptop, kindle fires, android phones and Panasonic TV wirelessly. Everything else I own will be wired with ethernet.

What I did with the RT N56U is basically just set up the wireless security in WPA2-PSK, plugged in a secure password and ran with it. My question is I never know what to put the 2.4 and 5 wireless at. They give you 20mhz, 20/40mhz or 40mhz options. I left the old router at 20/40 on both bands. Also should I tinker with the TX power or not. Any other advice you can give me setting up the wireless aspect of this router would be great. I read some place on here where you have to connect to 5 or 2.4 manually from your client but I have no idea how this is done. All I know is I turn my device on and find the signal and connect to it. When using wifi analyzer app, it shows that Channel 1, Channel 11-14 are all great channels. There arent many wifi signals near my home, I am out in the sticks a bit.

2 last questions, is it a bad idea to give your wireless network a name that can be linked directly to your home such as "tomswireless" etc. I never really thought of a security issue but just want to get some input on this. Last question, my ps3 is hooked up via a 100ft 5e cable. Would I see benefit doing something differently, maybe using cat 6 cable or should I be fine the way it is. Unfortunately the game room is on the opposite side of the home from the router.

Thanks so much to all the forum members here. I spend alot of time reading your posts and I cannot thank you guys enough. Pete

 

[petes67bird]

Hoping for some knowledge. Thanks

 

[thetoad30]

Hi Everyone,
I just purchased an Asus RT N66U to replace my RT N56U. I have never really set up a proper wifi network and was hoping someone is kind enough to give me some basics to improve my coverage, range and strength. To start off with my internet is 65/20Mbps. I am looking to hook up a laptop, kindle fires, android phones and Panasonic TV wirelessly. Everything else I own will be wired with ethernet.

There's really nothing to do with wireless to increase range, coverage, and strength with a single AP/router. You'd need to start doing a roaming wireless network, and for most, that's more difficult to manage, as well as being rather expensive (multiple routers/APs).

About the only thing I would recommend would be to make sure you're using channel 1 or 6. Those are the two non-overlapping, strongest channels, that WiFi uses. Channel 1 is best, but if you can, figure out how many wireless networks are in the area (I believe you can find this information via iPhone network settings, as well as some more advanced laptop wireless software).

EDIT: Just saw below, so will comment there.

What I did with the RT N56U is basically just set up the wireless security in WPA2-PSK, plugged in a secure password and ran with it. My question is I never know what to put the 2.4 and 5 wireless at. They give you 20mhz, 20/40mhz or 40mhz options. I left the old router at 20/40 on both bands. Also should I tinker with the TX power or not. Any other advice you can give me setting up the wireless aspect of this router would be great. I read some place on here where you have to connect to 5 or 2.4 manually from your client but I have no idea how this is done. All I know is I turn my device on and find the signal and connect to it. When using wifi analyzer app, it shows that Channel 1, Channel 11-14 are all great channels. There arent many wifi signals near my home, I am out in the sticks a bit.

You're using the right security settings. Do not use anything below WPA2, or Wireless 11n will not work.

For the 2.4GHz channel, I've played with 20, 20/40, and 40. I noticed very little difference in each, even with a crowded wireless space. I would recommend 20/40 in the 2.4GHz band since you don't want to have a lot of collisions.

In 5GHz, I'd go 40. You have individual channels in the 5GHz band, and you are probably safe to do that. I know that's probably not the PC way to do things, but that's what I do since I know a lot of people don't mess with 5GHz since most consumers just plug and play their routers. Plus, many people are using the providers' routers, which do not come with 5GHz.

To determine which wireless you're connecting to, you should name your wireless differently for each band. I add "-24N" and "-5N" to my SSIDs so that I know which band I'm connecting to.

As for transmit power - I'd leave that alone. I find that messing with that only causes more problems. If you have a setting, I'd put it at default or 100% or something like that. I would never boost it past 100%. Doing so introduces noise and clipping, much like over-amping an audio signal can do. Plus, unless you have a high-powered transmitter on your client (the thing connecting to your wireless), you'll only get a one-way boost - your router can connect to the client, but since the client isn't transmitting any "louder", the router can't "hear" it.

Think of it like this: If someone is talking to you in a normal voice (the router), and you are responding in a whisper (the client), you can walk further away and still hear them, but they can't hear you. Now up the "power" of the person speaking in a normal voice (the router) so they are screaming. You can now walk a lot further away, but they still cannot hear you since you are whispering. Hopefully that makes sense.

2 last questions, is it a bad idea to give your wireless network a name that can be linked directly to your home such as "tomswireless" etc. I never really thought of a security issue but just want to get some input on this.

I usually use my initials and then the device model, or just the device model. So, WNDR3700v2-24N and WNDR3700-5N is my current wireless SSIDs. This probably isn't the best idea security-wise, since now I've basically given any kind of a "hacker" more knowledge to crack anything. But I figure if someone really wants to crack my wireless, have at it. I really don't have that much that would be valuable to a hacker, unless they just wanted to steal my identity. But then, I'm sure there are many other people on the block who's wireless is probably easier to hack.

As for my new house (I'm moving in the next few months) I'll be setting up a roaming network, so I'll have to have a more generic SSID since multiple devices will be broadcasting the same wireless. I haven't really figured that out yet, but will probably use initials or my last name. Even then, not sure that's security smart, but I don't have any other options at this point.

Last question, my ps3 is hooked up via a 100ft 5e cable. Would I see benefit doing something differently, maybe using cat 6 cable or should I be fine the way it is. Unfortunately the game room is on the opposite side of the home from the router.

If memory serves me right, the PS3 is 100mbit, and not gigabit, correct? At least, my original, "fat" PS3 is only 100mbit I think. If that's the case, Cat5e is plenty.

Now, that said, if you're running this parallel to power lines (using the same in-wall paths as the power in your home) then you might want to consider moving up to shielded cabling if you experience slow speeds. But otherwise 5e is fine.

Thanks so much to all the forum members here. I spend alot of time reading your posts and I cannot thank you guys enough. Pete

Welcome, and hopefully this post helped out. I have to confess, most of this information regarding your wireless settings I learned through this very site. Take a look through the wireless articles - you will find a plethora of information from Tim and company. They do a great job of trying to show you how wireless works in theory and then in real life, and let you decide the best way to go!

 

[petes67bird]

Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I do have a follow up question. On my previous RT N56U, I only saw one network available ever from my router, lets say "TomsWireless". I never saw two "Tomswireless" so does that mean I was either only getting 2.4 or 5, not both. I am confused with the whole different signals regarding 2.4 vs 5 and how the wireless device determines which to connect to or which is better when. When I connect via laptop or Ipad, all I see is a generic wireless nothing telling me which band I am on. Am I ok with just setting up the generic wireless like I have, or am I missing out on the 5 setting and only getting 2.4. Maybe that is why I am having poor distance on my router? Thanks Pete

 

[thetoad30]

Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I do have a follow up question. On my previous RT N56U, I only saw one network available ever from my router, lets say "TomsWireless". I never saw two "Tomswireless" so does that mean I was either only getting 2.4 or 5, not both. I am confused with the whole different signals regarding 2.4 vs 5 and how the wireless device determines which to connect to or which is better when. When I connect via laptop or Ipad, all I see is a generic wireless nothing telling me which band I am on. Am I ok with just setting up the generic wireless like I have, or am I missing out on the 5 setting and only getting 2.4. Maybe that is why I am having poor distance on my router? Thanks Pete

Sort of. Here's why:

Apple devices are set up to pick the 5GHz network first, and then the 2.4GHz network when the 5GHz is "out of range". How other devices connect I cannot comment on because I don't own them.

I don't believe that you are "missing out" on the connection, except that you won't be sure which band you are using. Really, the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band are two separate wireless networks; think of it like a CB radio vs a HAM radio. Different frequencies.

The 5GHz band, by laws of physics, is able to pump more data through it. But, by those same laws of physics, doesn't penetrate as far through obstacles like walls and floors.

The 2.4GHz band is able to penetrate through these obstacles with a lower signal loss, but there is less room to play with (which is why there are only three channels that don't overlap - 1, 6, and 11, but 11 could be transmitting with less power).

Leaving your setup the way you have it doesn't change anything, but you cannot determine which network you are on, so you can't tell if you're having distance problems on the 5GHz network or 2.4GHz network. Sometimes just switching from 5GHz to 2.4GHz results in a much more stable connection due to 2.4GHz going further.

But you can't determine this without renaming the different networks so that you know for certain which network you're on.

iPad will definitely tell you which band you're on - but you have to kind of know that by which channel you connect to. 2.4GHz, in the US, is channels 1-11. 5GHz is 36 and higher, with gaps. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

TL;DR - without setting different SSIDs so you know which band you are connecting to, you'd have to do a little bit of sleuthing with channels to determine which band you were on. Even then, there's no way to then force a device to switch to the different band to see if a different band will be stronger in signal.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[petes67bird]

Thanks so much for the help. You clearly explained everything and I now completely understand. Thanks again, Pete

 

[thetoad30]

Thanks so much for the help. You clearly explained everything and I now completely understand. Thanks again, Pete

Sure. Please let me know if there is anything else.

And just to update - I was wrong on the PS3 ethernet. It is gigabit, which does require 5 at the least, and 5e as a strong recommendation. Cat6 is probably overkill unless you're having serious issues with speed, but at that point I'd buy Cat6 shielded and be done with it.

 

[petes67bird]

Thank you very much. I didnt know if the 100ft cable would degrade the connection at all, but there is really nothing in my walls other than the ethernet and directv cabling. I ran the ethernet cord from the router, into the crawlspace, into the attached garage, into the floor above the garage, to the PS3. No issues really with it so I will leave it. Thanks again, Pete