Which router has the most output power?

[stevech]

In urban areas, more antenna gain also means more interference from nearby sources.

If your WiFi coverage issue is for handhelds, and since they don't demand a lot of speed by their nature....
the best way to improve coverage for handhelds is to configure your AP/Router to limit it to using only the lower speeds (modulation modes) of WiFi. The extreme: Use only 802.11b/g modes.
Doing this increases range because the lower rates can tolerate more noise and interference.

 

[AcostaJA]

An easy way to get an happy visit from FCC officers in the US is to use a high powered router on channels beyond 11, radar interference it's easy to pinpoint, if you need less congestion, switch to 5ghz band and add multiple AP to your facility as the deadspot are covered, much cheaper than an FCC fine.

 

[AcostaJA]

In urban areas, more antenna gain also means more interference from nearby sources.

If your WiFi coverage issue is for handhelds, and since they don't demand a lot of speed by their nature....
the best way to improve coverage for handhelds is to configure your AP/Router to limit it to using only the lower speeds (modulation modes) of WiFi. The extreme: Use only 802.11b/g modes.
Doing this increases range because the lower rates can tolerate more noise and interference.

Not accurate, actually 11n std means 11g with Mimo and or wider channels, so 11g handles much better the noise and the total through put is much better on weak areas than 11b/g, same for 11ac also much better total through put at edge areas than legacy 11bgn, what count is the total kbps, not which protocol lost more packets due noise, If an 11bg terminal receives only half the packages an 11n terminal receives same half packets but multiply for n streams or 2x 4x wider channel.

 

[stevech]

The point was not throughput, but improving the SINR and thus coverage. So dismissing it as inaccurate misses the point - of modest data rates to handheld devices via less aggressive modulation modes.

MIMO, if the client end had antennas spaced at several wavelengths apart, which they don't, might provide 5dB or so at best... for spatial diversity.
It can help in temporal diversity (coding with bit-spreading across frames), can be more effective. These all combat multipath to some degree. But for indoor WiFi, not much benefit.

 

[Razor512]

Will a radar system even be sensitive enough to even pickup a wifi router. Given the horribly low transmit power limits, it seems like they would have to practically be at your front door to spot your router on the radar system. It seems like for the use of those other channels to be an issue, they would have to up the transmit power limit to like 500+ watts.

 

[azazel1024]

11n and 11ac will step down the modulation rate though if needed. At edge cases, 11n and 11ac seem to be significantly faster than 11a/b/g from everything I have seen. At extreme ranges I see no difference between setting something to a/b/g versus 11n/ac as to actually eeking the last little distance out of them. Well, other than the newer protocols still seem to be faster until you completely lose the connection.

For antenna gain, it depends on where the interference is coming from. If there are interferers vertically from you, it can cut down on interference. This is why, depending on where you are living, it might be a good idea to experiment with higher gain antennas. In an apartment building, you might well pick-up fewer networks, especially people who might be directly above or below your router, which otherwise, with itty bitty antennas on there, their networks might be stronger than your neighbors to the sides of your apartment. Bigger antennas will make the side neighbors stronger, but it might make the neighbors right above and below you massively weaker.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
Simple solution.
Factory reset your ac68 router, use inSSIDider to look at what channels are not over populated. Placement of your router is key. Select a good location, set the antennae's. Set simple SSID's and separate 2.4 and 5 names, use encryption WPA2 and password.

Use main stream 2.4 channels (1, 6, 11) and 20Mhz wide

this is a good baseline starting point

Mac-mini = call apple and get them to fix it. Hardwire it if its just sitting there.

 

[AcostaJA]

Will a radar system even be sensitive enough to even pickup a wifi router. Given the horribly low transmit power limits, it seems like they would have to practically be at your front door to spot your router on the radar system. It seems like for the use of those other channels to be an issue, they would have to up the transmit power limit to like 500+ watts.

Yes, absolutely radar system are hyper sensitive, account that an emitter spreads an 2.x ghz pulse and then waits for its echoe 200 miles or upto more away from the source.

Not only hyper sensitive also can precisely locate the source of any radio signal analyze it and recognize plane type and some system also can account if have any external load, all based on an miserably weak radio signal, you can realize now if some radar operator will be capable to pinpoint you.

And I didn't mention anti radar systems, used by wild weasel squadron to detect and attack Sam bases, they can categorize and pinpoint a wild wireless router just in few seconds.

 

[AcostaJA]

The point was not throughput, but improving the SINR and thus coverage. So dismissing it as inaccurate misses the point - of modest data rates to handheld devices via less aggressive modulation modes.

MIMO, if the client end had antennas spaced at several wavelengths apart, which they don't, might provide 5dB or so at best... for spatial diversity.
It can help in temporal diversity (coding with bit-spreading across frames), can be more effective. These all combat multipath to some degree. But for indoor WiFi, not much benefit.

At the end of day, data throughput is what matters, no matter if someone better Snr gives you an cleaner channel if the total data moved is lower.

 

[remixedcat]

Consumer solution: Dirty one>Amped R20G or RTA15 and have in 20Mhz mode on a non congested channel
Clean one>PFsense box with two APs from either netgear or amped. decrease coverage on both and run in 20mhz and have the same SSID and use the same channel for better roaming or use different for stability and isolation. extra points if you can get vlans working in pf sense for this.

Enterprise solution: Clean> Cisco Meraki router or other firewall with good VLAN/FW+ two Aruba or Xirrus access points. Use the roaming feature on the APs. configure VLANs on the firewall/router and have guest policies, then configure SSIDs on APs to be on different VLANs. Confgure 2.4 to 20Mhz and 5 can be 40 or 80Mhz depending.

BTW Aruba and Xirrus have awesome RF management!!

Best solution=nice wired router and access points. Upgrade APs when new standards.

 

[philmiami]

I already have high gain antennas on my RT-AC68U
and they are big, like 15" tall.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HMRJ8WK/?tag=snbforums-20

when I am on the road working my Macbook Pro wifi is weak. I have to use a Bear Mac USB antenna with a +9dbi antenna on it (and I pick up a lot of wifi spots), when the hotel's wifi signal sucks.

I think the Mac Mini wifi chip maybe not as good as buying a NEW $700 Mac Mini with AC but that's not going to happen.

I will probably get another USB antenna setup for it. On my kids 2006 17" iMac OS X 10.6.8 and being 10 feet away from the router, it doesn't want to connect but when I stick a 150 Mbps Amped Wireless UAC150 USB wifi plug on there with a 3" antenna, connects up just fine. The cost of fixing a 8 year old iMac is way too much. The Mac Mini is a late 2010 model (Aluminum w/CD) so the wifi card may be going out.

I mean I wish routers could output more and be better but I'll just take it like it is.
That's the problem with trying to put so much in such a small space (the internals) and making it cheap to manufacture.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
I would suggest getting back to basics. Put the stock antennae's back, factory reset it, and set the router back up from scratch.

Leave the power settings alone. Stay very basic. Make sure your devices themselves are up to date with their drivers and such.

Don't get so stuck on what the connection state says, the variable connection is always changing.

I really doubt those antennae's do much anyway.

 

[azazel1024]

Those issues sound like an issue with the router itself not working well with the adapters in your Macs, not an issue with signal strength. Unless you left the door off your microwave and turned it on, there should be no issues with connecting at 10ft distance from client to router.

 

[philmiami]

the Authentication method is
WPA2-Personnal/AES
both 2.4Ghz/5Ghz
preshared key is same
I think it has something to do with the encryption
I had these problems with the Linksys WRT1900AC (the kid's iMac and a few other things) with loggin into the router to connect to net
Sometimes yes, sometimes no
That and other things is why I gave it a 1 star and a long detailed review (with youtube video) and returned it and got this Asus
So if I can't get it working near 100% so when I am away I don't have to think any problems will come up, I got another week still left to return it to Amazon
If I do that, I will go with commercial Ubiquiti Edge lite router and AP Pro (which is great but I don't want to climb in attic....major factor in decision process).

 

[RMerlin]

I had these problems with the Linksys WRT1900AC (the kid's iMac and a few other things) with loggin into the router to connect to net
Sometimes yes, sometimes no

Out of curiosity, did you use the WRT1900AC with the same aftermarket antennas you are currently using on the Asus? If yes, then maybe that's the source of your problems rather than the router itself.

 

[philmiami]

no.
used the ones that came with the router

 

[azazel1024]

You mention, "with login to the router to connect to the net", does this mean you had it spawning a landing page for some kind of ToS or something?

 

[htismaqe]

Pretty sure he's talking about entering the PSK.

 

[philmiami]

It was like logging into the router for the first time a new WiFi network to input the password it was not Terms of Service screen or anything like that

 

[philmiami]

Also tried from my Mac Mini to do time machine to USB3 Drive plugged in and it would not connect wirelessly to the Time Machine either
all settings on the router screen are on and I have samba/etc set for no password to access drive
but it didn't
even tried to create a sparsebundle and rsync it to the server/router/drive and that failed also
but that isn't as important as logging in