substitue or addition to the AC68u

[luiseche]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here. Due to the lockdown in my country we are now forced to Work for Home. As a result of that I noticed that the range in my desk is not that good and while working I get micro-cuts while I'm on a video call, which is 70% of my job.

I was very happy with my AC68u that I got in 2013 and never noticed it as normally I only WFH once a week if I don't have calls and I need to do document work. My setup is the following, an AC68u in a 1280 square feet flat (a lot of other WiFi networks around), the router is placed in one side and my desk is in the completely opposite side of the house. Unfortunately I cannot relocate the router to a more center place. I have the following device (not always connected but just in case):
- 2x video-games
- 2x Laptops
- 3x tablets
- 4x other home devices (Netatmo boiler, netatmo weather, xiaomi vacuum, Alexa speaker)
- 2x mobile phones

During the Lockdown we have 2 laptops doing video-calls and one tablet connected almost all time.

As I noticed this cuts on the video calls I was wondering if adding a new router will solve my issues or adding the new one as the main router and using the AC68u as a node of the mesh network. I was deciding between the AX58u (I don't have any WiFi 6 device but...) or the AC86u (I looked at the AC88u but the AC86u seems better with more flash memory, RAM...) so something that is below 200€

What do you think will be the right choice? Will the AX58u or the AC86u have a better range than my current one or should I create a Mesh network?

Thank you in advance!

 

[bbunge]

I bought an AC86U two months ago. Did not need an AX. Have tested AiMesh with my old AC66U_B1, which is the same as your AC68U, and that works well. Also, the 86U was recommended by one of the SNB Forum wizards over the lower end AX.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here. Due to the lockdown in my country we are now forced to Work for Home. As a result of that I noticed that the range in my desk is not that good and while working I get micro-cuts while I'm on a video call, which is 70% of my job.

I was very happy with my AC68u that I got in 2013 and never noticed it as normally I only WFH once a week if I don't have calls and I need to do document work. My setup is the following, an AC68u in a 1280 square feet flat (a lot of other WiFi networks around), the router is placed in one side and my desk is in the completely opposite side of the house. Unfortunately I cannot relocate the router to a more center place. I have the following device (not always connected but just in case):
- 2x video-games
- 2x Laptops
- 3x tablets
- 4x other home devices (Netatmo boiler, netatmo weather, xiaomi vacuum, Alexa speaker)
- 2x mobile phones

During the Lockdown we have 2 laptops doing video-calls and one tablet connected almost all time.

As I noticed this cuts on the video calls I was wondering if adding a new router will solve my issues or adding the new one as the main router and using the AC68u as a node of the mesh network. I was deciding between the AX58u (I don't have any WiFi 6 device but...) or the AC86u (I looked at the AC88u but the AC86u seems better with more flash memory, RAM...) so something that is below 200€

What do you think will be the right choice? Will the AX58u or the AC86u have a better range than my current one or should I create a Mesh network?

Thank you in advance!

The 68U should cover your area. The 86U has about 20% more range. Other WiFi may be interfering with your WiFi, especially at distance. Before you spend money, you need to discover the problem... not the symptoms.

Wire a PC to the router and perform a speed test down/up. How do those speeds compare to your ISP nominal speeds down/up?

Use a WiFi Analyzer app on a mobile device to see your WiFi and other WiFi as you walk around your space. Is you WiFi strong (less negative dBm) and stable and avoiding the same channels used by your neighbors?

The 86U would probably blast too much WiFi to your neighbors.

OE

 

[luiseche]

I bought an AC86U two months ago. Did not need an AX. Have tested AiMesh with my old AC66U_B1, which is the same as your AC68U, and that works well. Also, the 86U was recommended by one of the SNB Forum wizards over the lower end AX.

Thank you for your answer. The AC86U definitely looks like a great product.

The 68U should cover your area. The 86U has about 20% more range. Other WiFi may be interfering with your WiFi, especially at distance. Before you spend money, you need to discover the problem... not the symptoms.

Wire a PC to the router and perform a speed test down/up. How do those speeds compare to your ISP nominal speeds down/up?

Use a WiFi Analyzer app on a mobile device to see your WiFi and other WiFi as you walk around your space. Is you WiFi strong (less negative dBm) and stable and avoiding the same channels used by your neighbors?

The 86U would probably blast too much WiFi to your neighbors.

OE

Thank you OzarkEdge,

That's pretty smart, thank you. I don't know why I didn't checked the channels before...

Regarding the Wired connection, is pretty good, basically what is contracted 600 Mbps Up/600 Mbps Down.

The WiFi Analyzer app does not work properly in Android 9 so I used inSSIDer and found that the signal on 5GHz is -75 dB and on 2,4GHz is around -65dB. I played around changing the channels but unfortunately this is the best I got... Will keep trying but I have more than 20 different SSIDs around.

Thank you again!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Regarding the Wired connection, is pretty good, basically what is contracted 600 Mbps Up/600 Mbps Down.

The WiFi Analyzer app does not work properly in Android 9 so I used inSSIDer and found that the signal on 5GHz is -75 dB and on 2,4GHz is around -65dB. I played around changing the channels but unfortunately this is the best I got... Will keep trying but I have more than 20 different SSIDs around.

Thank you again!

Those are great speeds!

Disable Airtime Fairness per band on the router. And Universal Beamforming per band, to troubleshoot specific older wireless clients.

Confirm the band and connection link rate speed the troubled client is connecting at. And can you perform a speed test from that client? Be sure to perform 3 or 4 speed tests in succession.

If your troubled client has a capable WiFi connection, then something else may be messing with the video calls. But if it is WiFi interference, you try a temp wired connection to the router for a short term fix.

OE

 

[luiseche]

Those are great speeds!

Disable Airtime Fairness per band on the router. And Universal Beamforming per band, to troubleshoot specific older wireless clients.

Confirm the band and connection link rate speed the troubled client is connecting at. And can you perform a speed test from that client? Be sure to perform 3 or 4 speed tests in succession.

If your troubled client has a capable WiFi connection, then something else may be messing with the video calls. But if it is WiFi interference, you try a temp wired connection to the router for a short term fix.

OE

irtime Fairness was disabled already, I'm playing now with Universal Beamforming.

I did some speed tests with the Macbook Pro 2017, which is the one I use during job hours... with the following results: 122 Mbps/ 22,6 Mbps.

I've been monitoring the signal and is going between -72 to -78 dB. Unfortunately using a temp wired connection is not an option by now (need more than 82 feets of wire and my 3 daughters are also at home so probably the wire will be at risk as I cannot use the tubes for other wires, already tried that in the past)

 

[luiseche]

Hello again,

I was able to test the settings without any success. Anyhow I did some tests with the following results:
- In my desk the signal is between -72 to -78 dB.
- If I move my laptop to another place in the room that is in straight line to the corridor (I mean there are no walls) the signal gos from -55dB to -59dB. the connection is pretty good and there are no cuts during the calls.

I guess that is the signal is worse due to having to go through a kitchen and two rooms, all of them with brick walls.

I found an opportunity for a AC86u at 154€, will the signal be better with that model compared to the current AC68u? moving my desk to the side in front of the corridor is not possible now.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I guess that is the signal is worse due to having to go through a kitchen and two rooms, all of them with brick walls.

I found an opportunity for a AC86u at 154€, will the signal be better with that model compared to the current AC68u?

The 86U has about 20% more signal coverage than the 68U, but it that does not mean it will penetrate multiple brick walls better. It may be an improvement, but I would also plan to use both 86U and 68U in an AiMesh to extend coverage... by placing them strategically to defeat distance and obstacles in the signal path.

The 68U does not support Smart Connect, so you must setup the 86U router with Smart Connect disabled, separate SSIDs per band, and fixed channels.

If you go this route, my install notes can help with a basic install.

OE

 

[luiseche]

The 86U has about 20% more signal coverage than the 68U, but it that does not mean it will penetrate multiple brick walls better. It may be an improvement, but I would also plan to use both 86U and 68U in an AiMesh to extend coverage... by placing them strategically to defeat distance and obstacles in the signal path.

The 68U does not support Smart Connect, so you must setup the 86U router with Smart Connect disabled, separate SSIDs per band, and fixed channels.

If you go this route, my install notes can help with a basic install.

OE

Thank you for your reply OzarkEdge, really appreciated.

I'm thinking on it as 154 seems like a good price... but not really sure the signal will be any better at the end...

 

[OzarkEdge]

Thank you for your reply OzarkEdge, really appreciated.

I'm thinking on it as 154 seems like a good price... but not really sure the signal will be any better at the end...

It is certain that the 86U will outperform the 68U by about 20%.

It is certain that spreading the radios (two nodes vs one node) will spread the WiFi coverage.

It remains to be proven that you can place nodes to cover your areas, subject to physical barriers to signal propagation, and any ambient radio interference. You can move your existing 68U around to observe signal strength at various locations to anticipate adequate signal for both the wireless backhaul and for wireless clients in those areas to be covered.

It remains to be proven that the wireless mesh will accommodate your node traffic... probably fine for moderate usage.

Radio can be hard!

OE