Dual band router wireless questions

[bru20]

I just got the Cellspot router from T-Mobile which is a rebranded ASUS TM-AC1900 which I understand is top of the line.

So far my experience has not been good.

I was told to name the 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs the same so the device can choose which to connect to. Is that correct?

Doing it this way my laptop connected to the 5GHz SSID. Good but after a day or two it is now on the 2.4GHz SSID and it will never go back to the 5GHz unless I power cycle the router.

Signal strength for either band is almost identical. And my range is no better than when I was using my Netgear WNR2000. This Asus has three external antennas so I expected better.

Also, using inSSIDer why does a 5GHz channel show a max rate of 54 while a 2.4GHz shows 216? See screenshots.

 

[azazel1024]

That is the correct way of doing it if you want the device to choose the band to connect to. If you want to assign devices to specific bands, then you need to set seperate SSIDs for each band. Depending on your laptop adapter, you might be able to set a preferred band in the adapter advanced settings (I can with my Intel adapter, I can't with a couple of Broadcom adapters I've also used).

As for what InSSIDer shows, InSSIDer is often not accurate. Check to see what it shows in network properties when you double click on the adapter to see the link rate. InSSIDer for my Archer C8 (AC1750) shows a max link rate of something like 534Mbps for 5GHz and 176Mbps or something like that for 2.4GHz, even though max link rate should be 1300Mbps and 450Mbps respectively (and my laptop with its Intel 7260ac will deffinitely link at 867 and 300Mbps respectively given the chance).

 

[azazel1024]

Also for range, it is highly dependent on a lot of things. What kind of home construction do you have? If it is something rather "constrictive" for wifi, like plaster and lathe instead of dry wall, or worse, cinderblock construction, the difference in signal strength between the two routers is likely to be too low to make any significant, noticable difference.

Also with 2.4GHz, if you are in an apartment with a lot of nearby 2.4GHz networks, the interference from them is again going to make it such that any difference in range is going to be minimal due to interference issues.

 

[bru20]

Thanks for the replies.

Like I knew, using the same SSID for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz the device will choose which to connect to.

So why does my laptop, which is capable of using either band, connect to 5GHz just fine but after a day or two it switches to 2.4GHz and will never connect back to 5GHz unless I reboot the router?

As for signal strength and range, I am in a smallish house of newer construction. Apples to apples the strength and range I get from the Asus is no better than with my Netgear. Signal strength and range are supposed to be a benefit of the Asus but no way am I seeing it.

 

[stevech]

Various client devices will choose arbitrarily and not the "best", or will choose one and use it even though, due to movements, there is a much better one.

This is very irregular among products. The IEEE 802.11 standards have no definitions on how/when to do selection and reselection of access device.

Some newer clients have a band-preference option.

So some people resort to having each access device use a unique SSID whose name implies where it is, like "myPatio".
This permits a user to choose easily.

 

[bru20]

Various client devices will choose arbitrarily and not the "best", or will choose one and use it even though, due to movements, there is a much better one.

This is very irregular among products. The IEEE 802.11 standards have no definitions on how/when to do selection and reselection of access device.

Some newer clients have a band-preference option.

So some people resort to having each access device use a unique SSID whose name implies where it is, like "myPatio".
This permits a user to choose easily.

I understand I can have separate SSIDs and "force" my laptop to always connect to the 5GHz band.

You are saying it is my device that is the reason why when it first connects to the router (when first installed or after a reboot) it attaches to the 5GHz and then eventually switches to the 2.4GHz and NEVER goes back to 5GHz.

If that is the case then it seems pointless to tell users of dual band routers to let the device select.

 

[stevech]

Some devices select by your band preference. Some select by best signal at first connect. Most don't re-scan to find a better AP when the signal diminishes due to mobility. And on and on, in consumer WiFi.

Most I've seen select something by whatever strategy and stay with that forever, until that signal goes away, even if quite weak.

 

[bru20]

I don't know why it would have left the 5GHz connection and go to the 2.4GHz. Strength of the 5 did not change significantly nor did the 2.4 change enough to overpower the 5.

I created a separate SSID name for the 5GHz and connected to it instead of letting the device decide.

 

[stevech]

some/most WiFi client devices may choose, while scanning, "first-heard that is stronger than x"
If it begins scanning in 2.4GHz, so be it.
Some may have a preferred-band choice.

 

[azazel1024]

some/most WiFi client devices may choose, while scanning, "first-heard that is stronger than x"
If it begins scanning in 2.4GHz, so be it.
Some may have a preferred-band choice.

And some just to whacky stuff to. My Intel 7260ac, even though I have a band preference of 5GHz, and it normally attaches to that, if I change driver settings, when windows disables and re-enables the adapter it ALWAYS attaches to 2.4Ghz. I have to either toggle wifi on/off or airplane mode on/off, then it'll attach to 5GHz (95% of the time).

My tablet does the exact same thing. Change a driver setting or under network properties disable/re-enable the adpater and it'll always attach to 2.4GHz. If I turn wifi on/off or airplane mode on/off, 80% of the time it'll attach to 5GHz on the one AP where I have 2.4GHz set to 20MHz (on the other AP where 2.4 and 5GHz are set to 40MHz, it is 50/50 what it attaches to).

At any rate, back to the range. What kind of home construction? Multistory? Are the range "issues" up or down a floor? If so, probably because the Asus has higher gain antennas...but that also means they are more directional, so you'll have better coverage on the floor you are on, but worse coverage above/below the router.