Wi-Fi Signal Strength RT-AC86U v RT-AX88U

[Frankflash]

Ans that's just what i will do.

The AX88U doesn't do what i expect from it, which is to be at least as "performative" as the router it will be replacing and presumably be even better in terms of performance.

That is simply not the case in my case, in fact it proves to be a setback.

yeap asus and broadcom drinking the kool- aid

 

[GHammer]

here are no 'hours' tweaking things. Just a few key tests and going with what works best overall.

Um, this is from your post outlining what should be done.

Getting an 'objective' suggestion such as what a WiFi utility will provide will almost always come in a poor second to simply test a device for a few days or hours with your client devices and your actual network loads

 

[dlandiss]

In my home I have limited discretion on the location of the router. It's going to be near the cable modem which is where the coax has been run. I'm not going to have coax dropped across the floor or tacked to the ceiling. Without knowing another location is going to make a significant improvement, I'm not going to pay an installer to run more coax.

Note that at 2.4GHz a wavelength is 12.5cm, and at 5GHz it is 6cm. Since microwave reflections change every quarter-wavelength, the phrase "same place" takes on a new meaning.

 

[GHammer]

Note that at 2.4GHz a wavelength is 12.5cm, and at 5GHz it is 6cm. Since microwave reflections change every quarter-wavelength, the phrase "same place" takes on a new meaning.

And those wavelengths would remain the same regardless of the device used. So, I fail to see the point.

 

[L&LD]

Um, this is from your post outlining what should be done.

It doesn't take long to apply the tweaks. It can take up to days for some users to verify that the tweaks indeed worked.

 

[L&LD]

And those wavelengths would remain the same regardless of the device used. So, I fail to see the point.

But depending on the antennae design and RF theory used, they would not 'start' at the same place. Effectively, the same place is not the same place.

 

[Ninko]

Plus to my understanding, 2.4ghz should travel further then 5ghz?
Well on my AX88U, I have observed the opposite!
No other router I've had has behaved in this way.

Again, I'm sure many will disagree with my findings, but I'm just reporting MY findings.

 

[RMerlin]

It seems not the walls are the problem - maybe its simply the distance over air. I don't know how big is your appartment.

It's just physics. Radio signals attenuate over distance and obstacles, with obstacles attenuating them even further than just pure distance.

 

[dlandiss]

And those wavelengths would remain the same regardless of the device used. So, I fail to see the point.

Yes, the point is that the difference of as little as an inch in antenna placement can change the results. Thank goodness it is rarely quite THAT critical, but I have clearly seen differences in results when antennas are moved just 2 or 3 inches. The angle of aiming matters too -- purely vertical vs. 10 degrees off makes a big difference for remote clients.

 

[Kees17760]

It's just physics. Radio signals attenuate over distance and obstacles, with obstacles attenuating them even further than just pure distance.

But then again, there's also sheer power....
I know about government regulations, but they vary worldwide. Why not beef it up a little to give it some extra juice?

btw. tried various "wl0_txpower" settings up to 500, alas to no effect.

 

[dlandiss]

But then again, there's also sheer power....
I know about government regulations, but they vary worldwide. Why not beef it up a little to give it some extra juice?

That only helps in one direction, router-to-client. Antennas with gain help in both directions.

 

[Kees17760]

That only helps in one direction, router-to-client. Antennas with gain help in both directions.

True, but my AX seems to be a "soft speaker" too. At least when compared to my other router.

 

[dlandiss]

Ah, well. If you are unhappy with it I will swap you for an excellent RT-AC68U.

 

[Kees17760]

Ah, well. If you are unhappy with it I will swap you for an excellent RT-AC68U.

Excellent No, Better Yes.
Netgear does a nice job with the R7800 too ;-)

 

[RMerlin]

But then again, there's also sheer power....

That doesn't change the fact that distance or obstacles both have the same kind of impact, except that obstacles cause a higher attenuation than distance, based on thickness, material type, the angle at which you go through it, and so on. There is no such thing as "range", it's all about the signal strength vs attenuation. That's one of the reasons why I find it useless when people quote wifi coverage based on square feet surface. Everyone's house has walls, furniture and what not.

btw. tried various "wl0_txpower" settings up to 500, alas to no effect.

Output levels are controlled by the radio's own software, you cannot override it through nvram settings.

 

[GHammer]

Yes, the point is that the difference of as little as an inch in antenna placement can change the results. Thank goodness it is rarely quite THAT critical, but I have clearly seen differences in results when antennas are moved just 2 or 3 inches. The angle of aiming matters too -- purely vertical vs. 10 degrees off makes a big difference for remote clients.

Which all points to the "Hours of time tweaking this and that".
So, again, I fail to see the point here.

I'm not willing to spend hours and hours moving things a tiny bit then testing just to have a particular router. So far, I haven't had to.

I'll stand by my statement. If a new router doesn't perform for me when in the same place as the old router, it'll go back for a refund. Simple, easy, efficient.

 

[GHammer]

It doesn't take long to apply the tweaks. It can take up to days for some users to verify that the tweaks indeed worked.

Splitting hairs doesn't add to your position.

 

[L&LD]

This isn't splitting hairs. Setting fixed control channels, for example, is a twenty-second process. Waiting for all the routers around you to finally give up using the same channel may take longer.

And for issues where they show up hours and days afterward, changing a setting to fix it is just as important as having the patience to wait and see that it was actually effective too.

You can continue to split hairs on my use of language, but I hope I made it clear enough now that it isn't just what we do. It's what we don't do too, in some cases.

(i.e. Don't change all the settings and then change 10 more again in a few minutes of 'testing').

As a few on the forums just in the last few days have noticed and reported, just using time instead of constant tweaking gave them a stable network again (with seemingly no other explanation).

 

[Kees17760]

I'd like to believe in the 80/20 rule, meaning that at least 80% should work as expected out of the box. The other 20% is fine tuning.
So, when the first part is not satisfactory right away, the rest will never make up.

 

[Phil Outram]

Attached is an example of everything that is wrong with the signal strength on my RT-AX88U.

The screen shot was taken sat on the sofa at 3 metres distance from the RT-AX88U, with zero obstacles in the way, i.e. a direct line of sight.

The blue 'Outram 2.4G' is the RT-AX88U. Total distance from the sofa about 3 meters.

The red 'Outram 2.4G' is the RT-AX56U located outside in the garden shed, brick wall between it and myself, plus the plastic wall of the shed itself. Total distance from my sofa probably 8 meters.

The green 'PLUSNET-97J7' is actually my neighbours crappy isp supplied router, passing through two brick walls and numerous other obstacles. Total distance from my sofa likely around 10-12 meters.

So quite simply, if there is nothing wrong with the RT-AX88U 2.4Ghz band, how can it be the case that the RT-AX56U, with half the number of antennas, has almost the same signal strength as the RT-AX88U despite having to pass through an outside brick wall? How can it be the case that even my neighbour's crappy isp supplied router has a stronger signal despite having to pass through two brick walls?

I rest my case.