Combined or separated network bands?

[droidkid]

Picked up an GT-AX6000 over the holidays. Going to redo my network. For over a decade I've owned Asus routers and separated my 2.5 and 5ghz bands. Is this still recommended?

I have about 45 devices, lots of iot etc

 

[OzarkEdge]

Picked up an GT-AX6000 over the holidays. Going to redo my network. For over a decade I've owned Asus routers and separated my 2.5 and 5ghz bands. Is this still recommended?

I have about 45 devices, lots of iot etc

The 2.4/5.0 bands/WLANs are always separate, not combined, even when named the same.

You can try it both ways. Your clients may lead you to using one or the other, same or different SSIDs. I would stick with your different SSIDs until after your new network is running well with existing client. Then you can trial using same SSIDs and Smart Connect band steering, and know better if clients behave differently on your new network. Using 2.4/5.0 SSIDs like ssid/ssid or ssid/ssid-50 can save you from changing a lot of 2.4 IoT client connections... you only change the 5.0 SSID to try using same or different SSIDs.

OE

 

[droidkid]

Thanks. That's what I was thinking. I setup the new network using the same ssids as before. So far so good. I noticed the 5ghz range isn't that good. I currently have 1 GT AX600 and a rt ax58u. I have them in a mesh with a wired back haul. I'm in a 1900 sqft townhouse it's only about 25ish feet wide but about 60 feet long. I have one router in my office on the second floor close to the front porch and the other one in the laundry room on the first floor in about the middle of the house.

I'll be sitting on my porch which is pretty much below the office and I have no 5ghz signal which I find very odd.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Thanks. That's what I was thinking. I setup the new network using the same ssids as before. So far so good. I noticed the 5ghz range isn't that good. I currently have 1 GT AX600 and a rt ax58u. I have them in a mesh with a wired back haul. I'm in a 1900 sqft townhouse it's only about 25ish feet wide but about 60 feet long. I have one router in my office on the second floor close to the front porch and the other one in the laundry room on the first floor in about the middle of the house.

I'll be sitting on my porch which is pretty much below the office and I have no 5ghz signal which I find very odd.

I use a WiFi analyzer app to get a rough idea what signals look like in various locations. It only shows no signal when there is no signal.

OE

 

[glens]

I'll be sitting on my porch which is pretty much below the office and I have no 5ghz signal which I find very odd.

The antennas have relatively little effect looking through their length, most effect sideways to their length. If you have the antennas all upright and you'e directly above or below them you're in the shadow. Merely splay them out about half way and see if that doesn't help.