Please suggest what AC router I can get max range with

[Mastiff]

I have a tricky, noisy environment with 10-20 433 mHz signals every minute and power lines 10 meter from the house (250V, not high voltage), and that means that I have lousy range with my Asus RT-AC66. I have actually had to put up a range extender (which of course is a band aid, nothing more) inside the small house to be able to use wifi at all in all the different parts of the house. And the garden? Forget about it... So I am looking for max useable range, not speed range. Which means that if there is a router that lets me stream audio (192 kbps) and surf the web (without downloading or YouTube or other videos) that's what I want. 4G is very spotty there, so I can't really use that for streaming. I have been looking at tests of Linksys EA9500 and Asus RT-AC5300, but maybe there are some that would fit me better? My problem when reading tests is that they don't seem to care about max range, only max range that lets you stream 4K, which I couldn't care less about! Money is an object, so I'm not going for any pro setup for thousands of dollars, but the mentioned routers are well within my price point. Oh, and I don't care about advanced router functions, I am using a full Windows Server setup with a M0n0wall firewall that stops attackers quite well, so the router will only be used as a pure access point. And storage is taken care of by the disks in the server, where I have set up shares for everything I need. So USB or no USB doesn't matter either.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[thiggins]

433 MHz is well outside the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands Wi-Fi uses. 25oV power lines emit 50 or 60 Hz fields, also not a factor in Wi-Fi. Neither would account for "lousy" range.

You will get widest range on 2.4 GHz, not 5 GHz. That will also limit your throughput, but you just want web browsing and low-bandwidth audio, so 2.4 GHz should be fine.

To look for routers with best 2.4 GHz range, go to the Router Charts, select the 2.4 GHz Downlink Profile benchmark, then set the selector next to it to 63dB. Be sure to check one of the test method boxes, so you are comparing using the same test methods.

For best results, your wireless extender should be a dual-band AC class product. This will let you connect back to your router using one band and connect to your device using the other, assuming you have dual-band devices. This eliminates the 50% throughput hit from single radio retransmission.

A better solution may be to try using powerline to connect to a second router converted to access point. Powerline could provide a more stable, higher bandwidth connection back to your main router.

 

[Mastiff]

Thanks for answering! Well, I have been working with radio signals for quite some time, and I've seen stuff that shouldn't affect each other do it anyway. Like a power supply near a Nexa power plug stopping it from being turned on and off. Which is why I never take any chances but consider any environment as dirty if there's much activity there. From the charts the RT-N66U should be the best, with amuch better throughput than the next, but I'm not sure if I'm using the stuff correctly. I would think that with the amount and size of antennas a later model should be better. This thing is after all from 2012! Edit: And I thought my AC-66U should have the same power on N and then added AC.

Oh, and I don't need powerline. I have wired access several places, I just haven't thought about using that method because of problems with handover. But then again I last toyed with that 5-6 years ago, and I'm sure handover takes a lot less time now. So maybe I should keep the Asus router I have now and put up a second router with the same network name and channel in the opposite part of the cabin? Or should I use different names and channels? When I'm at hotels it seems like they're only using one name, but I have never really looked at what channels the access points are using.

 

[thiggins]

"Handover" / roaming is very dependent on the clients. You can start with single SSID and change if it doesn't work out for you. Set the second AP to different channels so you get additional bandwidth.

 

[Mastiff]

OK, thanks! But should I get the old router, or should I go for latest model? It seems like the newer stuff isn't in that list at all, for some reason..

 

[roldogg]

Ubiquiti UniFi LR AP

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[TonyH]

OK, thanks! But should I get the old router, or should I go for latest model? It seems like the newer stuff isn't in that list at all, for some reason..

Many times over, it was mentioned here, for the time being AC1900 class router is best buy for the money. Noise is relevant to signal strength. If s/n ratio is good, it won't be a bother too much on any radio spectrum.

 

[Mastiff]

Roldogg, thanks! That one looks really promising! I'll buy three of that and test them for a week or two (14 days of return here in Norway)!

TonyH, I don't really worry too much about best buy for he money, just the best. I don't care if I pay 100 or 500 dollars as long as I get the best I can get within my budget. Also I already have the Asus RT-68U, which is an AC1900, and it isn't working good enough fr me.

 

[roldogg]

Roldogg, thanks! That one looks really promising! I'll buy three of that and test them for a week or two (14 days of return here in Norway)!

TonyH, I don't really worry too much about best buy for he money, just the best. I don't care if I pay 100 or 500 dollars as long as I get the best I can get within my budget. Also I already have the Asus RT-68U, which is an AC1900, and it isn't working good enough fr me.

I've switched over to Ubiquiti UniFi AC AP Pros from owning every consumer grade router (Netgear, Linksys, Asus, etc) with stock firmware, custom firmware, you name it, but ever since changing to the Unifi products, I've never had one issue. I've mounted multiple AP Pros around the house so every room has connectivity, and if you're roaming around the house, you'll automatically switch to the AP with the best connection with no interruption in service. If you want to perfect the coverage even more, you can upload your floorplans (to scale), position where each AP is located, and it'll show you the coverage of each AP along with where you might have overlap. You can do this before installing them so you know where to put them or you can adjust the power of each AP from Auto, Low, Med, and High to reduce the coverage and overlap. You can set roaming on each one so when your RSVP gets too high, you'll be switched from one to another. It does this for both the 2.4 & the 5Ghz bands. I use one SSID for each AP and each band and turn on 5Ghz band steering. Each AP supports 4 different SSDs (8 different SSIDs for each AP Pro) plus a guest network, if you need it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed. I was so impressed, I swapped out my switches for UniFi switches and have 2 UniFi cameras on order. You can change the settings on any UniFi device through their controller software or their mobile app.

Many times over, it was mentioned here, for the time being AC1900 class router is best buy for the money. Noise is relevant to signal strength. If s/n ratio is good, it won't be a bother too much on any radio spectrum.

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[System Error Message]

a newer router like one that supports a recent wifi AP does better even for older protocols, this is because of better chips, better design, etc.

Good RF design improves range and bandwidth. Just upping tx power is not the answer as it doesnt improve client to AP signals.

 

[sfx2000]

I have a tricky, noisy environment with 10-20 433 mHz signals every minute and power lines 10 meter from the house (250V, not high voltage), and that means that I have lousy range with my Asus RT-AC66.

Interesting - next to a train track?

 

[Mastiff]

Roldogg, thanks! Hopefully I'm buying them tomorrow. I'll go for the LR (Long Range) version, since it's range I'm after.

System Error Message, that's what I really thought, that newer usually is better.

Sfx2000, nope, in the middle of a small group of cabins. It's the power to those that is around 10 meters from the house and the 433 mHz noise is all my temperature and other sensors that I use to control everything.

 

[System Error Message]

Just know that RF design is important as well. However if your requirements arent much than theres no reason to get an AC wifi AP.

 

[sfx2000]

Sfx2000, nope, in the middle of a small group of cabins. It's the power to those that is around 10 meters from the house and the 433 mHz noise is all my temperature and other sensors that I use to control everything

Makes sense - nascent Internet of Things type of application... good stuff..

 

[Mastiff]

Color me surprised! I figured I could make a private test of it, so I ordered both the Ubiquiti UniFi AC AP Pro and the LR. Didn't expect that the range would be identical within two meters in the garden (put them in exactly the same spot), and that the Pro would have around 30 % more speed on the extreme range. So far it looks like UniFi Pro. But I stil haven't tested the other kit that I have ordered, Airties. The shop didn't have those in, so I am waiting for them to arrive this week or next. And then I either send back four Ubiquiti or two Ubiquiti LR and the Airties. Stay tuned for more interesting info!

 

[thiggins]

I'm not surprised. Products of a similar class tend to disconnect as the same attenuation test level, indicating similar reach. But throughput in strong to medium signal levels can differ significantly. That results in what you saw, i.e. higher throughput at the same spot.

 

[Mastiff]

Well, I'm satisfied. Especially since the Pro can be put outside, so I can have one on the patio. The Arities has to really provide some power to Donald that...sorry, trump that. (Yeah, bad joke, but I had too! )

 

[Mastiff]

Oh, btw, the reason that I was surprised was that in the datasheets the LR is said to have a significant longer range than the Pro, but I didn't see that at all.

 

[roldogg]

I went with the Pros from the beginning. I also bought a controller key so I can don't have to keep the the software running on my PC. My next job, which I've been wanting to learn for a long time, is to make my own patch cables. I bought a small rack for some network equipment, and I'm tired of buying patch cables. I got some cable in and some connectors, but I didn't realize that the cat 6a connectors are different from the cat 6 connectors. I keep telling myself at least I'm learning.

Making patch cables have always seemed very difficult to make, but I'm going to learn how to make them no matter how long it takes. I'm sure there's a thread around here somewhere that should help me out.

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[Mastiff]

Luckily I don't need a controller key. I just use the simplest AP functions. As for patch cable I did a few 15 years ago, but the tolerance levels have changed a lot since then! Oh, and I didn't like it much, it was too much of a puzzle for small hands, and I have rather big hands!