40mhz issues?

[Chuck_IV]

So I had reset my wireless settings about a week ago and thought I had set everything back to the way it was. However, I was having horrid 2.4ghz speed issues. I mean horrid.

Doing a speed test(speedtest.net) using my laptop and my phone(both had similar results), I was getting 500-900K download speeds(the graph looked extremely erratic too) standing right next to the router, while on the 5ghz I was getting 30+mbps download speed(aka. no issue). I could not figure out what it was that was causing the 2.4ghz issues. I tried a bunch of different channels and wasn't seeing any change.

I had been trying the 20/40mhz or the 40mhz setting only. However, I decided to try the 20ghz only setting and my 2.4ghz speeds took off to about 15-20mbps download speeds.

Now, when I first got the router(RT-AC66U literally when they first hit) and played around with the settings, I originally had it set on channel 6u and 40ghz and it was great up until recently(you can search my posts and see where I listed my settings). However now, when I set those settings, I get DIAL UP dowload type speeds(the 500-900k speeds). As I mentioned, I tried just about every channel on the 40ghz setting to no avail.

Any ideas what is causing this? Is there something in the more recent firmwares(ASUS) that may be to blame? I have been running Merlin's builds but even tried some earlier builds, back to .48 Merlin builds and even ASUS builds but nothing changed.

I'm wondering if a hard reset and reload of the firmware will help(not sure even how to do a hard reset with these).

 

[xaviercharles]

Have you tried enabling Enhanced Interference Management?

 

[RMerlin]

So I had reset my wireless settings about a week ago and thought I had set everything back to the way it was. However, I was having horrid 2.4ghz speed issues. I mean horrid.

Doing a speed test(speedtest.net) using my laptop and my phone(both had similar results), I was getting 500-900K download speeds(the graph looked extremely erratic too) standing right next to the router, while on the 5ghz I was getting 30+mbps download speed(aka. no issue). I could not figure out what it was that was causing the 2.4ghz issues. I tried a bunch of different channels and wasn't seeing any change.

I had been trying the 20/40mhz or the 40mhz setting only. However, I decided to try the 20ghz only setting and my 2.4ghz speeds took off to about 15-20mbps download speeds.

Now, when I first got the router(RT-AC66U literally when they first hit) and played around with the settings, I originally had it set on channel 6u and 40ghz and it was great up until recently(you can search my posts and see where I listed my settings). However now, when I set those settings, I get DIAL UP dowload type speeds(the 500-900k speeds). As I mentioned, I tried just about every channel on the 40ghz setting to no avail.

Any ideas what is causing this? Is there something in the more recent firmwares(ASUS) that may be to blame? I have been running Merlin's builds but even tried some earlier builds, back to .48 Merlin builds and even ASUS builds but nothing changed.

I'm wondering if a hard reset and reload of the firmware will help(not sure even how to do a hard reset with these).

40 MHz is rarely reliable on the crowded 2.4 GHz band. It means your router will overlap over no less than five channels, so unless you are in an area with next to no interference in the 2.4 GHz band, 40 MHz is not recommended.

I've found that cordless phones also have a bad impact on routers using the 40 MHz band.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

I have best fastest most stable on all channels by having 2.4ghz set to 20/40 and 5 ghz set to 40.

I'd also suggest getting any of the available free wireless channel scanners and see what channels are open, congested, etc., in your area.

For my application 2.4ghz I have set to channel 7 and 5 ghz to 36. Not many 5 ghz users around but were plenty of 2.4ghz and channel 7 was free. For some reason channels 1 and 11 were PACKED.

Your area of course will be different. Is worthwhile to check it and see for your application.

 

[RogerSC]

Personally, I would just set the channel width on 2.4GHz. to 20MHz. only.

 

[nubyOz]

I have best fastest most stable on all channels by having 2.4ghz set to 20/40 and 5 ghz set to 40.

I'd also suggest getting any of the available free wireless channel scanners and see what channels are open, congested, etc., in your area.

For my application 2.4ghz I have set to channel 7 and 5 ghz to 36. Not many 5 ghz users around but were plenty of 2.4ghz and channel 7 was free. For some reason channels 1 and 11 were PACKED.

Your area of course will be different. Is worthwhile to check it and see for your application.

Suggest to get inSSIDer, search for it.
Great tool to find out which channels are used in the neighbourhood.
Also keep in mind unless you use 802.11B (or A) G, N uses about 5 channels for 20 MHZ. Meaning when you use channel 7 you also use 5,6, 8, 9.
Also read : http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-features/31743-bye-bye-40-mhz-mode-in-24-ghz-part-1.

Cheers

 

[Chuck_IV]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm guessing someone in the neighborhood may have upgraded their router or any other combination of things that has made it so my prior setting no longer give me good speed(using 40mhz only on 6u).

I have left it 20mhz and it seems fine now, so I will leave it there.

 

[jsmiddleton4]

I changed my 2.4ghz channel to just 20mhz as well.

 

[Chrysalis]

I also reccomend 20mhz on 2.4ghz, I ran on 40mhz for so long but when I actually did tests it turns out I get maybe an extra 5-10% throughput at the most but its more erratic and some devices dont play well with it at 40mhz such as my phone. consistent performance is king over peak performance.