AC68U weak 5 GHz signal

[gogreen1]

I'm using an AC68U, and inssider Home shows a weaker 5 GHz signal compared to its 2.4 GHz signal. No big deal--I suppose that's normal. I measured the signal on my laptop--it's in another room, same floor of the house, about 50 feet away. The router is about 5 feet off the floor atop my desktop computer with no nearby obstructions. There are no overlapping channels nearby.

Would replacing the router's antennas with longer ones bump up the 5 GHz signal? What are my choices for increasing the 5 GHz signal?

 

[sfx2000]

I'm using an AC68U, and inssider Home shows a weaker 5 GHz signal compared to its 2.4 GHz signal. No big deal--I suppose that's normal. I measured the signal on my laptop--it's in another room, same floor of the house, about 50 feet away. The router is about 5 feet off the floor atop my desktop computer with no nearby obstructions. There are no overlapping channels nearby.

Would replacing the router's antennas with longer ones bump up the 5 GHz signal? What are my choices for increasing the 5 GHz signal?

It's physics - and bigger antennas really don't help, as your client still has the same antennas...

Move the AP closer if one must... or move closer to the AP

 

[gogreen1]

Thanks, sfx2000.

Are there any software changes I could make to the router to improve the signal? Any physical adjustments to the antennas that might help?

 

[sfx2000]

Thanks, sfx2000.

Are there any software changes I could make to the router to improve the signal? Any physical adjustments to the antennas that might help?

Not really - some folks might have some magical incantations - but the laws of the universe generally win...

 

[gogreen1]

OK then. Thanks, sfx2000.

 

[dlandiss]

I'm using an AC68U, and inssider Home shows a weaker 5 GHz signal compared to its 2.4 GHz signal. No big deal--I suppose that's normal. I measured the signal on my laptop--it's in another room, same floor of the house, about 50 feet away. The router is about 5 feet off the floor atop my desktop computer with no nearby obstructions. There are no overlapping channels nearby.

Would replacing the router's antennas with longer ones bump up the 5 GHz signal? What are my choices for increasing the 5 GHz signal?

Yes, that is normal. The 5GHz signal is attenuated more rapidly with distance (and through walls) than 2.4GHz.

Yes, antennas with more gain will help. As explained by the reciprocity principle reception is enhanced at the same rate as transmission. That does come as a tradeoff to angle of coverage, so the signal on other floors of the house would suffer. They allowed me to extend coverage to another building on my lot.