RT-AC5300 Antenna Position

[GrinningShark]

Here is the official stupid question of the day...

The manual really doesn't say, but what is the recommended position for the antennas on the AC5300? Straight up and down (90 degrees) or at a 45 degree angle (like they recommend for the two outer antennas on the 68U). Does it matter? I currently have them straight up an down at 90 degrees.

 

[thiggins]

Here is the official stupid question of the day...

The manual really doesn't say, but what is the recommended position for the antennas on the AC5300? Straight up and down (90 degrees) or at a 45 degree angle (like they recommend for the two outer antennas on the 68U). Does it matter? I currently have them straight up an down at 90 degrees.

You can experiment. For our testing, I used straight up.

Half of them were loose and would flop over if the router was moved or if the antennas were set at an angle.

 

[GrinningShark]

Thanks Tim.

 

[Puppa]

You can experiment. For our testing, I used straight up.

Half of them were loose and would flop over if the router was moved or if the antennas were set at an angle.

Loose? Mine isn't like that (but my 3200 was). If any thing, mine are quite stiff, in fact. Production variations?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[GrinningShark]

Loose? Mine isn't like that (but my 3200 was). If any thing, mine are quite stiff, in fact. Production variations?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Mine are stiff also and I also tightened them up easily. Have not had them flop over at either 90 or 45 degrees.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mike Swenson]

The wireless signal transmits at a 90 degree angle from the antenna. Thus is straight up, the signal would be transmitted sideways. This is preferred if device is at eye level. If you need the signal to transmit up to a second floor, then lay the antenna down level with the table.

 

[dlandiss]

Half of them were loose and would flop over if the router was moved or if the antennas were set at an angle.

I experienced that if I rotated the antenna shell CCW to adjust the angle at which the antenna hinge would bend. It turned out that the threaded shell was also rotating, thus loosening the antenna. The fix? Always rotate the antenna clockwise if you need to adjust the hinge angle. Don't worry, on the antennas I have seen that does not twist the internal cable.

 

[joe012594]

Best position I've found is 90 degrees. I tried 45 degrees, but it transmitted weaker signal on the same level of my home as the router. In my experience, the difference between 45 and 90 degrees over both 5GHz bands was about 5dBm.

 

[Puppa]

The wireless signal transmits at a 90 degree angle from the antenna. Thus is straight up, the signal would be transmitted sideways. This is preferred if device is at eye level. If you need the signal to transmit up to a second floor, then lay the antenna down level with the table.

Normally this is true, but this assumes the antenna itself, inside the rather wide plastic casing sits vertically within the casing. I haven't pulled one apart to see whether this is the case. The casings are a bit shorter in the vertical direction than the very tall antennas of the 3200, but significantly wider.

I have my router on the 2nd floor, where most of my streaming and gaming is done. I do know that I am seeing a stronger signal throughout my 1st floor with the antennas straight up on this 5300 than I did on my 3200 with its antennas in a carefully-arranged 45 degree half moon arrangement.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[jonstatt]

In the user guide, it looks to me like it suggests they should be at 45 degrees...there is a diagram with an arrow showing the antenna's moving outwards.....but I haven't done the needed testing to validate which is better for my set-up yet.

 

[wolla]

In the user guide, it looks to me like it suggests they should be at 45 degrees...there is a diagram with an arrow showing the antenna's moving outwards.....but I haven't done the needed testing to validate which is better for my set-up yet.

Which page is that on? I can't find such diagram. Anyone else with experience on this?

 

[dlandiss]

In the user guide, it looks to me like it suggests they should be at 45 degrees...there is a diagram with an arrow showing the antenna's moving outwards.....but I haven't done the needed testing to validate which is better for my set-up yet.

There are so many reflections in the typical house that the angle may not matter.

That said, I would start with the idea that the strongest radiation pattern is at right angles to the antennas. For example if all of the clients are on one floor of the house set the antennas vertically.

If there will be clients at other levels above or below the router, consider tipping a few of the antennas so that line drawn at a right angle through the antenna would intercept the client.

 

[raphaelogy]

i think there's also a certain degree of physics behind the antennas' position. the ideal placement should be 45 degrees for all 8 antennas. reason being if you place them 90 degrees straight up, the signals from the 8 antennas will cancel out each other circumferentially. this results in a lower coverage and slower speed at long distance.

if you position them 45 degrees, the signal will have much less interference from each other as all are dipolar in nature.

its the design of the router which forces the consumers to place at 45 degrees, while other designs such as netgear r8500 and maybe asus ac3200 do not compel users to do that..

 

[pete y testing]

i think the new beam forming over rides the specifics of antenna orientation due to how beam forming works as you can put the antennas in any position and then the beam forming takes over and figures out where the clients are after that

you move the antennas again and beam forming then re calculates , its actually quite noticeable if you turn off beam forming as then the antenna orientation is far more noticeable by the client , with beam forming enabled its far less noticeable

 

[dlandiss]

if you place them 90 degrees straight up, the signals from the 8 antennas will cancel out each other circumferentially

That makes the assumption that

1) All of the antennas are fed identical signals, and
2) They are an odd number of half-wavelengths apart.

You will find that neither is true.

 

[RMerlin]

The phase of the signal will also make a difference. Two in-phase signals will add, not cancel each other, regardless of the antennas positions.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

 

[dlandiss]

The phase of the signal will also make a difference.

Indeed it does--which is why two antennas fed the same RF signal, but a half-wave (180°) apart, would cancel in one direction but add at right angles to that.

 

[L&LD]

I am quite sure that Asus has addressed all possible advantages and disadvantages of antennae orientation and has implemented the design that will give the best performance possible (and as much as possible).

Theoretical discussions into how things work often ignore the fact that the manufacturer also has the same info and has adjusted their design for any 'theoretical shortcomings' depending on the actual delivered product.

Even apple with antennae gate fixed their error soon afterwards (though not soon enough for me). The point being that if there was something wrong with the currently offered routers because of their antennae design and execution, it would have been apparent long before now.

 

[Adam Siemiginowski]

The phase of the signal will also make a difference. Two in-phase signals will add, not cancel each other, regardless of the antennas positions.

I am mounting my RT-AC5300 on the wall (horizontally) with this mount: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1479112

Regarding signal / antenna orientation... I assume a ceiling mount is very similar to routine RT-AC5300 usage, where it would rest on a flat surface. (However, the signal is about 4-8ft higher than it would be on a table.)

Regarding wall mount... what is the impact on the signal with respect to antenna orientation? Should 4 point straight up, and 4 straight down, or should all 4 be in plane with the base of the unit (as in this photo: https://cdn.thingiverse.com/renders...361d7c11ffdab3f122e204_preview_featured.jpg)?

Ceiling Mount Image:

 

[sfx2000]

Ceiling Mount Image:

As per Ender's Game - the gate is down...

With devices like this - keeping the antennae aligned is actually important...