ASUS AC-68U - transmit power and alternative firmwares - a question.

[Aleph Heideger]

Hi all.
After reading a lot I'm still with doubts about this router. I've read that, due to FCC rules, ASUS "blocked" the option to change output power from this router and although this rules only applied to the US they are applied also in different countries.
I've read that Merlin firmware (top rated around here) is incapable of changing these limits but with some forks, forbidden in this forum, we can still chenge TX power (hggomes).
I've also read that, however, by changing countries we can still change that setting to more power than the one permitted in the US, and it conflicts with the information I've posted above.

And what about DD-WRT and similar firmwares? Are they also limited in the max output power? I think so since that particular aspecto of the firmware belongs to proprietary blobs but I still haven't read anything on that matter.

Can someone tell me what's the "state-of-the-art" on this matter?

 

[dlandiss]

Can someone tell me what's the "state-of-the-art" on this matter?

My opinion: the "state of the art" is better antennas.

Raising the router's transmitter power does nothing to help it receive the weaker signals back from clients. Antennas have reciprocal characteristics: everything they do for sending, they also do for receiving.

 

[maxbraketorque]

My opinion: the "state of the art" is better antennas.

Raising the router's transmitter power does nothing to help it receive the weaker signals back from clients. Antennas have reciprocal characteristics: everything they do for sending, they also do for receiving.

I agree with that in concept, but so far, I haven't had much luck with higher gain antennas.

 

[dlandiss]

I agree with that in concept, but so far, I haven't had much luck with higher gain antennas.

I have. Tilted appropriately for the target client, they raised the signal from intermittently usable up to 20Mbps transfers.

 

[maxbraketorque]

What antenna? So many on Amazon, ebay, etc. Hard to know which is good or not.

 

[FTC]

Hi, I have also played extensively in the past with different antennas. In general you can notice improvements when playing with directional antennas from fixed places with units such as the Alfa APA-M25 or similar (not trying to sell anything.. just the first one I found w/google) .. It also helps a lot to play with the router location / antenna orientation or for instance making sure there is reflection to the intended client's locations. (for intsnce by placing an aluminium foil combed behind the router antennas).

 

[dlandiss]

The choice depends a lot on whether you need super gain traded off for narrower beamwidth (ie, all remote clients would be in the same direction); or the more familiar donut-shaped pattern (omni-directional around the antenna's axis).

I have not needed any of the first (multi-element or parabolic designs), for the second case I have had good results from the monopole style from this company. The 9dBi and 12dBi models made a difference, the extra gain of the 15dBi model was not so apparent.

 

[maxbraketorque]

Thanks. I'm going to try a set of 7 dBi antennas out at my cabin. Looking to get improved reception on a relatively flat piece of property.

 

[Grisu]

change only 1 antenna, 2.4G clients wont use MuMimo at all and it wont work with non-standard antennas. No benefit to change all 3 antennas, even bader as you will loose their 360° coverage.
I did not see any difference with 12dbi antennas for 5G, at best it will stay same as before.

Best what you can do to spot radio to a special place are directional antennas.

 

[Aleph Heideger]

Well, my problem is that with my ISP router I can get a whole lot coverage than with AC68U. And my devices work very well in that extended range. However, with ASUS router I can only get more or less 50% area covered with wifi. So I have a problem: I need to increase coverage from this router and I don't believe that my ISP router antennas are way better than the ones on Asus.

 

[Grisu]

you could change region to get back more radio power: http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...+&cd=2&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=at&client=firefox-b-d

 

[RMerlin]

you could change region to get back more radio power: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cJSb60kY4NsJ:whatsyourrouter.com/mybb/showthread.php?tid=387+&cd=2&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=at&client=firefox-b-d

Don't. You should never use a different region than the one you are in, for both legal and technical reasons.

 

[Aleph Heideger]

Don't. You should never use a different region than the one you are in, for both legal and technical reasons.

Well, I believe my ISP settings are legal...

 

[sol1109]

Have you used a WiFi app to map your signal strength around your property?

 

[Aleph Heideger]

Have you used a WiFi app to map your signal strength around your property?

Yes, I have.

The thing is that, even when both routers are turned on, I can get a whole lot more coverage inside with ISP router. It's not a bad router but at the same time it's very limited.

 

[Smokindog]

Are both your routers in the same physical location? You might find that simply changing the orientation/location a little will help a lot. Try swapping location of the ISP router and the AC68. Try raising the height. All too often the ISP router/modem and/or the end use equipment is crammed into a corner or on a shelf against a wall OR the modem is sitting right next to the antennas for the router or ....

Best to have a little distance from the wall and other equipment. Not always doable but if you can't then you're likely not going to get any improvement with different antennas. The orientation of the antennas can have a huge impact as well.

Just for grins, what make/model is the ISP router?

Yes, I have.

The thing is that, even when both routers are turned on, I can get a whole lot more coverage inside with ISP router. It's not a bad router but at the same time it's very limited.

 

[Aleph Heideger]

Are both your routers in the same physical location? You might find that simply changing the orientation/location a little will help a lot. Try swapping location of the ISP router and the AC68. Try raising the height. All too often the ISP router/modem and/or the end use equipment is crammed into a corner or on a shelf against a wall OR the modem is sitting right next to the antennas for the router or ....

Best to have a little distance from the wall and other equipment. Not always doable but if you can't then you're likely not going to get any improvement with different antennas. The orientation of the antennas can have a huge impact as well.

Just for grins, what make/model is the ISP router?

They are in the same location. I've tried already with ASUS different placements, including antennas but still can't get the same coverage than with the one from my ISP. They use a house built solution - they made their own routers: It has a Broadcom chipset and supports 802.11ac wave2. And a lot more range. I have some esp8266 connected sensors and in some places they can only see/communicate with my ISP router.

So... I really need to get the same performance from my ASUS: make it's output power the same as the one from my ISP.

 

[Grisu]

So... I really need to get the same performance from my ASUS: make it's output power the same as the one from my ISP.

and 100 more postings wont solve your problem, take what I gave you in my previous link or stay with what you got, there are no other solutions as all firmwares since 4 years from Asus and Merlin will use limitations from cfe values.
It is not allowed in this forum to speak about how to overcome power restrictions!
Over and out ...

 

[Aleph Heideger]

and 100 more postings wont solve your problem, take what I gave you in my previous link or stay with what you got, there are no other solutions as all firmwares since 4 years from Asus and Merlin will use limitations from cfe values.
It is not allowed in this forum to speak about how to overcome power restrictions!
Over and out ...

Oh. I understand now. Thanks.

Possible but not allowed.

 

[Grisu]

would be nice to report back if you managed to get similar coverage now with both routers.