Asus RT-BE88U - missing 160mhz channel bandwidth

[niftyas]

Hi everyone,

I just recently upgrade to the RT-BE88U from the RT-AX86U. I can't seem to see how to enable the 160mhz bandwidth.

From the Asus app, i can see 160mhz / DFS enabled. In the router web ui I only have these options. Can someone please help point me in the right direction?

Thanks a mil!

 

[bbunge]

Hi everyone,

I just recently upgrade to the RT-BE88U from the RT-AX86U. I can't seem to see how to enable the 160mhz bandwidth.

From the Asus app, i can see 160mhz / DFS enabled. In the router web ui I only have these options. Can someone please help point me in the right direction?

View attachment 69016

Thanks a mil!

By chance do you have an AiMesh node such as the AC86U ?

 

[WantageWill]

This doesn't really help you, but in the Merlin firmware i'm running there is a tickbox to enable 160. See screenshot.

 

[niftyas]

By chance do you have an AiMesh node such as the AC86U ?

Oh I have a friends AC68U testing ai mesh could it be disabled because of that?

 

[niftyas]

This doesn't really help you, but in the Merlin firmware i'm running there is a tickbox to enable 160. See screenshot.

Thanks for this! I’ll flash it tonight and see!

 

[bbunge]

Oh I have a friends AC68U testing ai mesh could it be disabled because of that?

Yes, the AC68U can only do 80 MHz so when added as an AiMesh node it will limit the router to 80 MHz. And that is not a bad thing as at 80 MHz the 5 GHz has more range!
@Tech9 , I am right again......

 

[kuchkovsky]

And that is not a bad thing as at 80 MHz the 5 GHz has more range!

And less speed. I always use 160 MHz and don't see any range drop, though I don't live in a mansion where it would be noticeable
But yes, if your internet connection is up to 1 Gbps, 80 MHz is perfectly fine.

 

[Tech9]

@Tech9 , I am right again...

I can’t confirm or deny this claim at the moment. Packing my bags for warmer place, test routers obviously stay behind. You have 3-4 months time to remind me when you were right last time…

@bennor, can you test your RT-AX86U Pro with your spare RT-AC68U as node and check if it limits the main router channel bandwidth, please?

 

[bennor]

@bennor, can you test your RT-AX86U Pro with your spare RT-AC68U as node and check if it limits the main router channel bandwidth, please?

For a quick and dirty AiMesh test the RT-AX86U Pro is using Asus-Merlin 3006.102.5 firmware and the RT-AC68U is using stock Asus 3.0.0.4.386_52062 firmware. For the initial test (including attached images) I did not enable the AiMesh node under the Guest Network Pro IoT profiles (I have two configured). I have Wireless Smart Connect disabled on main router. I did not have any clients connected to the AiMesh node (RT-AC68U). All clients were connected to main router (RT-AX86U Pro).

Not sure exactly what specific info or screen shot you are looking for but here are some screenshots attached (some may not be readable). The RT-AC68U AiMesh node doesn't appear to change or affect the RT-AX86U Pro Wireless General settings. The RT-AC68U AiMesh node appears to connect at 1300 Mbps to the RT-AX86U Pro.

As the attached Wireless Log (if readable) from the RT-AX86 Pro shows, one of the clients is connected to the RT-AX86U Pro with an Rx/Tx rate of 2041/2161 Mbps and a stream of 2 (ax) 160MHz while the RT-AC68U AiMesh node is linked to the RT-AX86U Pro.

 

[jksmurf]

Not sure exactly what specific info or screen shot you are looking for but here are some screenshots attached (some may not be readable). The RT-AC68U AiMesh node doesn't appear to change or affect the RT-AX86U Pro Wireless General settings. The RT-AC68U AiMesh node appears to connect at 1300 Mbps to the RT-AX86U Pro.

I think he was after the middle picture, whether the check box or drop down for 160MHz shows up or does not show up on the Rt-AX86U Pro, when the RT-AC68U is attached as node; i.e. does it affect what is shown on the Main Router.

 

[Tech9]

Not sure exactly what specific info or screen shot you are looking for

This part:

As the attached Wireless Log (if readable) from the RT-AX86 Pro shows, one of the clients is connected to the RT-AX86U Pro with an Rx/Tx rate of 2041/2161 Mbps and a stream of 2 (ax) 160MHz while the RT-AC68U AiMesh node is linked to the RT-AX86U Pro.

It's consistent with my testing of RT-AX86U + RT-AC68U - the node capabilities do not limit the main router. I just wanted more recent data because my experiments were conducted some time ago. @bbunge, comments?

 

[bbunge]

This part:



It's consistent with my testing of RT-AX86U + RT-AC68U - the node capabilities do not limit the main router. I just wanted more recent data because my experiments were conducted some time ago. @bbunge, comments?

I will haul out the old router for a test tomorrow sometime. With Asus firmware...

 

[bennor]

This part:



It's consistent with my testing of RT-AX86U + RT-AC68U - the node capabilities do not limit the main router. I just wanted more recent data because my experiments were conducted some time ago. @bbunge, comments?

Here is a more readable shot of the RT-AX86U Pro Wireless Log 5GHz clients from the image attached in my prior post. Note it indicates channel and channel cleared for radar as 36/160 in addition to the one client connected to the 160MHz.

 

[bbunge]

OK. so I may have to eat half of that crow...
Here is a screen shot of the AX86U Pro Wireless with no AiMesh node:

Here is a screen shot after adding an AC66U_b1

The only difference is that after adding the older router as an AiMesh node the DFS was not available on the AX86U Pro.

This is different behavior from doing this test with older firmware. I suspect that older firmware on the AiMesh node could make different settings, as in changing the router Channel Bandwidth, on the router. Would be interesting to ask the OP of this thread what firmware was on the borrowed AC68U he had as an AiMesh node. My AC66U_b1 is on 3.0.0.4.386_52062.

But, I was right that the OP had added an older router as an AiMesh node.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the AC66U_b1 grabbed 14 of my WIFI clients from the AX86U Pro router in the short time it was set as an AiMesh node. Guess I will keep it as a shelf backup just in case the more modern units fail...

 

[niftyas]

Thank you all so much for helping me out with testing! Ill do some digging around this weekend - have to arrange some outages with the fam!!

Edit: something weird I noticed is that I don’t have any channels besides the high 140+ available to me in the channel dropdown box. When I check wireless logs I can see all channels available.

 

[Tech9]

My AC66U_b1 is on 3.0.0.4.386_52062

@bbunge, let me break down the testing equation:

RT-AC66U B1 is RT-AC68U variant, but limited in functionality. It doesn't support DFS channels at all. This model is not exactly equivalent to RT-AC68U. When it is used as AiMesh node DFS control channel options on the main router disappear. Otherwise if allowed and selected - it will break AiMesh. The main router can have control channel in 36-48 range with different channel bandwidth than the old node. Clients connected to the main router are not limited by the node in this case. Your specific model router is special case.

Ill do some digging around this weekend

Most likely your issue is somewhere else.

 

[bbunge]

@bbunge, let me break down the testing equation:

RT-AC66U B1 is RT-AC68U variant, but limited in functionality. It doesn't support DFS channels at all. This model is not exactly equivalent to RT-AC68U. When it is used as AiMesh node DFS control channel options on the main router disappear. Otherwise if allowed and selected - it will break AiMesh. The main router can have control channel in 36-48 range with different channel bandwidth than the old node. Clients connected to the main router are not limited by the node in this case. Your specific model router is special case.



Most likely your issue is somewhere else.

You are not telling me anything I did not know already. I just proved a node that does not support DFS will turn off DFS on the router. Does not matter if Ethernet backhaul or WIFI backhaul. And, I suspect on some hardware it will still set the 5 GHz bandwidth to 80 MHz max (that is what happened to the original poster of this thread).
I rest my case...

 

[Tech9]

Don't jump into conclusions too fast. A lot of WebUI browser related issues lately to begin with. You usually warn new users about old nodes including RT-AC86U limiting the main router channels and/or bandwidth. As you see above this is not the case with even older RT-AC68U. The fact @niftyas has a node doesn't mean anything yet. What we see is just part of a screen with control channel hidden behind the drop down menu. Not enough information to diagnose the issue properly*.

About RT-AC66U B1 in particular - even if you unlock it (possible), but don't change the model in bootloader (also possible), AiMesh will still restrict DFS control channels on the main router. Ask me how do I know. You test with stock router and firmware, I test beyond.

* - If the control channel is in 149-161 range - 160MHz channel bandwidth is not available. The only two available 160MHz wide channels on 5GHz band are 50 and 114.

 

[niftyas]

Hi All,

I've tried removing the old RT-AC68U and it looks like a few more channels were available (100+). however, 160mhz still not available in the dropdown:

Wireless Logs:

SSID: "xxxx"
noise: -95 dBm    Channel: 149/80
BSSID: xxx    Capability: ESS ShortPre RRM
Beacon Interval: 100 msecs   
Supported Rates: [ 6(b) 9 12(b) 18 24(b) 36 48 54 ]
HE Capable:
    Chanspec: 5GHz channel 155 80MHz (0xe09b)
    Primary channel: 149
    HT Capabilities: 40Mhz SGI20 SGI40
    Supported HT MCS : 0-31
    Supported VHT MCS:
        NSS1 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11     
        NSS2 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11     
        NSS3 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11     
        NSS4 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11     
    Supported HE MCS:
        20/40/80 MHz:
        NSS1 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        NSS2 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        NSS3 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        NSS4 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        160 MHz:
        NSS1 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        NSS2 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        NSS3 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
        NSS4 Tx: 0-11        Rx: 0-11
    BSS Color: 0x0        Partial BSS Color: false
    BSS Color Disabled: false
QBSS Channel Utilization: 0x24 (14 %)

Interference Level: Acceptable
Mode    : AP Only

DFS status: state IDLE time elapsed 0ms radar channel cleared by DFS none

Channel Information                     
----------------------------------------
Channel 36    A Band
Channel 40    A Band
Channel 44    A Band
Channel 48    A Band
Channel 52    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 56    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 60    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 64    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 100    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 104    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 108    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 112    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 116    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 132    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 136    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 140    A Band, RADAR Sensitive, Passive
Channel 149    A Band
Channel 153    A Band
Channel 157    A Band
Channel 161    A Band
Channel 165    A Band

 

[niftyas]

Hi all,

Quick update and completed some testing. A friend of mine had some Zenwifi XT8 HW Ver 1.0 he bought over these should support 160mhz.

I flashed the latest merlin beta2 on the RT-BE88U. No change.

Scenario: RT-AC68U
Adding it to AiMesh:
The RT-BE88U goes back down to 20/40/80 with channels limited.
Remove from AiMesh:
20/40/80/160 Mhz band options as well as all the channels available listed in my wifi log.

Scenario: Zenwifi XT8's
Adding it to AiMesh: (No RT-AC68U)
RT-BE88U limited to 20/40/80 Mhz with channels limited.
Remove from AiMesh:
160 Mhz available along with all channels.

Given the XT8's specifically support the 160 Mhz channel in the tech specs, I was surprised everything was still limited when it was only the RT-BE88U + XT8 combo.