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

[dlandiss]

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?

Might it be that the 3 routers on Ch11 are cooperating by different amounts in reducing power to reduce co-channel interference?

If your mobile is closer to the router, the router will reduce power since no more is needed to maintain communications. I believe that is a feature of the 802.11 protocol. To make your test more relevant you would have to have no clients whatsoever logged in to any of the three routers.

See also SNB's lab tests comparing 5 competitive routers here.

 

[Phil Outram]

Might it be that the 3 routers on Ch11 are cooperating by different amounts in reducing power to reduce co-channel interference?

If your mobile is closer to the router, the router will reduce power since no more is needed to maintain communications. I believe that is a feature of the 802.11 protocol. To make your test more relevant you would have to have no clients whatsoever logged in to any of the three routers.

Except that if I place my RT-AX56U next to my RT-AX88U it has a far higher signal strength. The only reason I have the RT-AX56U is because my outside cameras no longer connect to the 2.4ghz band on the RT-AX88U after firmware 384.13 due to poor signal strength. If there was some magic signal power management going on then why is the signal so poor outside when previously it wasn't?

 

[L&LD]

@Phil Outram no doubts that is your situation and I'm sorry to see you're still suffering through this.

Not the case here though. With 76 WiFi AP's 'visible' around me currently, The RT-AX88U is showing -36 dBm for the 2.4GHz band and -51 dBm for the 5GHz band from a distance of a little over 40 feet, multiple walls, 14 (16?) devices currently streaming audio and video and a 'mere' AC class client device using WinFi Lite for the measurements quoted here from a 1Gbps symmetrical ISP Fibre connection.

The channel bandwidth is 20MHz for 2.4GHz and 80MHz for the 5GHz band on this client, but the router is set for 20/40 MHz and 20/40/80/160 MHz bandwidth respectively with fixed control channels of 11 and 153 too.

Your case is rested. But it doesn't extrapolate to all RT-AX88U's.

 

[dlandiss]

why is the signal so poor outside when previously it wasn't?

Both Tim's lab tests and L&LD's experience make it very unlikely that the AX88 is deficient. The remaining conclusion is that your example is defective.

 

[Phil Outram]

Both Tim's lab tests and L&LD's experience make it very unlikely that the AX88 is deficient. The remaining conclusion is that your example is defective.

Perhaps but there are multiple complaints on here about it. The other thing as well is flashing back to 384.13 resolves it. If it was defective then surely it wouldn't matter what firmware version it was on.

I still think it's to do with just a single antenna now transmitting the 2.4ghz band on the RT-AX88U, but let's not reopen that argument. I use mesh now to get around the shortcomings and I'm happy with that as a solution so it's not really an issue for me anymore.

 

[L&LD]

Yes, your 'situation' is your mangling the RF single in ways it wasn't meant to be used in. Of course, that's part of the issue (and maybe it also resulted in partial hardware failure too).

 

[Phil Outram]

Yes, your 'situation' is your mangling the RF single in ways it wasn't meant to be used in. Of course, that's part of the issue (and maybe it also resulted in partial hardware failure too).

There is no hardware failure, as I said earlier, flashing back to older firmware makes the problem go away. I just don't want to be left stuck on outdated firmware.

The exact same behaviour occurred when you removed your own antenna. Before 384.13 removing this antenna did not result in total loss of signal.

Asus admitted to me they did something with mu-mimo and the way the antennas work on that band in the release that broke it. This is the likely cause in my opinion.

Attaching an external wifi cable to relocate the antenna isn't something that is going to break anything. I've been doing it for years with this router and previous ones.

Even if you are correct and it somehow damaged my router, this doesn't explain why the exact same issue occurred with another brand new out of the box RT-AX88U that I borrowed from work stock that has never had a WiFi extension cable attached to it.

 

[New2This]

Running 384.16 here, one thing I have noticed running Aimesh with another AX88U, Im having bit of slow downs coming from the node

https://prnt.sc/s5us79

Running on firmware .15 that RSSI was alot higher( 2200-2450)

 

[Ninko]

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.View attachment 23034

I can confirm very similar results as @Phil Outram.
I really can't understand how some are being affected by this problem and others don't seem to be.

I'm currently in talks with ASUS too, although I doubt anything will come of it.

 

[Frankflash]

I can confirm very similar results as @Phil Outram.
I really can't understand how some are being affected by this problem and others don't seem to be.

I'm currently in talks with ASUS too, although I doubt anything will come of it.

good luck with that Asus does not really care if its a problem or not and nore does broadcom

 

[Kees17760]

@Phil Outram This is excactly what's happening in my case.
Much stronger signal from other routers, including neighbour ones passing through several brick walls and being on different channels.

But here's another question to the people facing these 2,4 Ghz problems, as i'm wondering if there's another relation, besides a driver issue.

I myself have these problems with a Chinese A1.1 HW revision type.

What hardware revision do you have?

 

[sturmstar]

[USER]@Phil Outram[/USER], this is excactly waht's happening in my case.

But here's another question to the people facing 2,4 Ghz problems, to see if there's a correlation.
I myself have these problems with Chinese A1.1 HW revision.

What hardware revision do you have?

I'm also having A1.1 HW...

 

[Phil Outram]

Both Tim's lab tests and L&LD's experience make it very unlikely that the AX88 is deficient. The remaining conclusion is that your example is defective.

Those lab tests were conducted before the firmware that broke things was released, so they're not relevant.

 

[Kees17760]

Those lab tests were conducted before the firmware that broke things was released, so they're not relevant.

What HW rev. are you running?

 

[Phil Outram]

What HW rev. are you running?

Version A1.

 

[Kees17760]

Version A1.

OK, i'm on A1.1. So there's no relevancy in that. Thanks

 

[Ninko]

Hardware version A1.1 here

 

[Intrepid2007]

I have two AX88U units (hardware revision A1) and I am experiencing the same (weak 2.4GHz signals).

In my garden I often cannot connect to the 2.4 Ghz signal with my Samsung s10 (too weak).. I placed an Engenius Ecb1750 AP (TX power configured at 28 dbm) next to my unit at the 2nd floor to have signal in my garden.

The Engenius (4 antenas) is about 16 db stronger than the AX88U (average measured with Winfi)

 

[GarrHaal]

I too have AX88U A1.1 and bad 2.4 range. Even my Google Wifi single puck has better range on 2.4

 

[New2This]

I too have AX88U A1.1 and bad 2.4 range. Even my Google Wifi single puck has better range on 2.4

If you went back and ran Merlin firmware 384.14, fully reset everyting , whats your range then?
Can you try it?