Newbie question - how do I change channels

[Duemarch]

I have read owners manual for RT-N66U wireless router, read this board and looked everywhere in GUI and still can not find out how to change the channel for my networks uses. I downloaded inSSIDer and know which channels I want to test...but where in GUI do I actually change the channels?

 

[Pierino]

Click on wireless on the left.

 

[Duemarch]

gotcha...its under control channel drop down. Mine was set to auto. thank you

Real quick - is there a way to pinpoint what can be causing fluctuations in wireless strength? For example during my test on channel 1 two days ago, I was receiving link score of 78-80 and getting about 19 mbps on wireless. Today my link score is around 90 and getting 25 mbps on wireless. I understand wireless handsets (which we dont have), microwave, refrigerator can cause fluctuations but is there program that I can use that picks up all frequencies in our area for 2.5 band?

 

[RMerlin]

is there program that I can use that picks up all frequencies in our area for 2.5 band?

No, as that would require specialized equipment, beyond what a wifi network adapter can accomplish.

 

[jlake]

gotcha...its under control channel drop down. Mine was set to auto. thank you

Real quick - is there a way to pinpoint what can be causing fluctuations in wireless strength? For example during my test on channel 1 two days ago, I was receiving link score of 78-80 and getting about 19 mbps on wireless. Today my link score is around 90 and getting 25 mbps on wireless. I understand wireless handsets (which we dont have), microwave, refrigerator can cause fluctuations but is there program that I can use that picks up all frequencies in our area for 2.5 band?

You should try Merlin's EM version. It's in his experimental folder.

 

[wouterv]

Wireless signal strenght and throughput is affected by many variables, such like but not limited to:

• transmit power (both ends, the router and your computer).
• distance.
• antenna location and orientation (both ends, the router and your computer).
• obstacles (some materials reflect signals, others absorb signals), think of flower vases, steel book shelfs, human bodies, walls, floors.
• weather conditions (e.g. humidity).
• disturbance (equipment using or generating similar radio frequencies, neighbors using the same or overlapping channels).

The strongest neighbor accesspoint here, does change its channel now and then for some reason. One day my router is set at a "safe" channel, the other day that strongest other device can be at the same channel. Frequent use of InSSIDer is a must in a crowded area.

The range of 5 GHz by nature is much less than 2.4 GHz. 5 GHz is usually good to use in one room, 2.4 GHz is usually good to use in an average few stories home.

Ideally both ends of the wireless connection shall have a free line of sight, antennas shall be at least 1 feet / 30 cm free of obstacles. The ideal location of a router or accesspoint is in the middle of a room or in the middle of your home, which is usually unpractical.
Routers shall ideally not be placed against the wall or inside a case or cupboard.
Every variation against the ideal situation affects the quality of the wireless connection.

Despite all efforts you will find that the signal will vary, which is natural for radio signals with the low power as used in home routers and access points (which on the other hand is better for your health).

 

[Duemarch]

thanks everyone who has replied. I plan on upgrading my laptop in spring. I don't know if this sounds silly but should I be getting wireless card that has IpV6 capability or will that be solely handled at router and I assume I would want wireless card n standard that can receive 5 ghz?

 

[wouterv]

IPv6 is handeled by the router, the network adapter and the operating system of your computer.
Network adapters and operationg systems of today all support IPv6, so no worry on that end.
Asus routers with stock firmware do NOT have IPv6 Firewall settings through the GUI. We all keep our fingers crossed for they day they will. The good news here is that Merlin firmware builds do support IPv6 firewall in the GUI.

Upgrading your laptop means you will buy a new one?
If it is a new one carefully look for the following wireless specs, don't let the seller in the shop fool you:

• 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz support.
• 802.11n + 802.11ac support.
• number of antennas *
• support for DFS **

* Carefully check for the number of antenna's in the new laptop, cheaper ones do only have one antenna, most do have two antennas, very seldom you find laptops with 3 or more antennas, look into the vendor datasheets. Sometimes the adapter description gives a clue with indications like 2x2, which means 2 receive antennas and 2 transmit antennas, hence maximum 2 spatial data streams.
More antennas means more spatial data streams which sum up for the maximum data throughput.
802.11ac in theory supports 8 spatial streams, not much (none?) clients do support that today, meaning the maximum specified throughput of a router is hardly ever reached.

** DFS - Dynamic Frequency Selection: you need this to allow use of all available 5 GHz channels and to make full use of the 802.11ac standard @ 160 MHz bandwidth without disturbance of your neighbors. Many wireless adaptors do NOT support DFS. The bad news is that Asus routers do not support DFS as well, leaving users in Europe with only 4 channels at 5 GHz (making it useless for fullblown 802.11ac in crowded areas). Again we hope that future firmware releases will support DFS.

 

[Duemarch]

wouterv thanks for wealth of information. What happens when router does support DSF? do those signals interfer with doppler and military? I am surprised the US government hasn't made that law in that routers must support DSF.

 

[wouterv]

If the router does support DFS, it is able to use all 5 GHz channels, and pick one based on a scan of those channels and finding one which is not in use by radar or other professional services.
Routers with no DFS are at least in Europe (by ETSI regulations) limited to the lower 4 channels in the 5 GHz band only, which quickly interfers with your neigbors and makes the 5 GHz band quite useless for higher data rates.

 

[RMerlin]

Asus mentionned a few months ago (it was printed in a magazine article if I remember) that DFS support was under development. Since then nobody heard any news about it.

 

[wouterv]

Merlin, wasn't there a hidden selection for 802.11h (and 802.11d) which you brough to the GUI?
I believe to know that basically Broadcom allready supports DFS (802.11h) in their more recent chips, and it is a matter of the router manufacturers to implement it in their software.
I think that despite the software switches are there, Asus still has to figure out some stuff and sets priorities (e.g. first solve range and stability issues). And Asus for sure looks at their competitors, not many do support DFS yet, so why would Asus do.
It is anyway a must to take full advantage of the 802.11ac capabilities.

 

[RMerlin]

Merlin, wasn't there a hidden selection for 802.11h (and 802.11d) which you brough to the GUI?
I believe to know that basically Broadcom allready supports DFS (802.11h) in their more recent chips, and it is a matter of the router manufacturers to implement it in their software.
I think that despite the software switches are there, Asus still has to figure out some stuff and sets priorities (e.g. first solve range and stability issues). And Asus for sure looks at their competitors, not many do support DFS yet, so why would Asus do.
It is anyway a must to take full advantage of the 802.11ac capabilities.

I suspect that most of the DFS support work would need to come from Broadcom, since that would be at the driver level (with some form of enabling/configuration code at the firmware level by the router manufacturer).

I suspect that enabling 802.11h is only one part of the whole equation.