What's new

Unstable wifi on one access point

  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

Firepig

Occasional Visitor
I have three Asus access points of different types around the house, all with the same SSID on both 2.4 and 5Ghz bands. The main router/AP is a DSL-AC88U. Running a speed test website when connected wirelessly to this AP wirelessly shows a speed of about 45Mbs, but it's noticeable that when attempting video calls (in Zoom or WhatsApp) on different client devices, there are frequent interruptions and "unstable connection" messages, which go away instantly if I move close to a different access point and reconnect to wifi using a different AP. Is there something in the settings of the DSL-AC88U that could be causing an unstable wifi connection? I'm not clever enough to be able to understand log files, or what all the various advanced settings do. I previously turned off Roaming Assistant because it was causing serious connection problems. Asus have failed to update the firmware of DSL-AC88U for two years. I have tried changing the 2.4GHz channel.
Thanks for any help. Chris
 
I have three Asus access points of different types around the house, all with the same SSID on both 2.4 and 5Ghz bands. The main router/AP is a DSL-AC88U. Running a speed test website when connected wirelessly to this AP wirelessly shows a speed of about 45Mbs, but it's noticeable that when attempting video calls (in Zoom or WhatsApp) on different client devices, there are frequent interruptions and "unstable connection" messages, which go away instantly if I move close to a different access point and reconnect to wifi using a different AP. Is there something in the settings of the DSL-AC88U that could be causing an unstable wifi connection? I'm not clever enough to be able to understand log files, or what all the various advanced settings do. I previously turned off Roaming Assistant because it was causing serious connection problems. Asus have failed to update the firmware of DSL-AC88U for two years. I have tried changing the 2.4GHz channel.
Thanks for any help. Chris

So, you have a DSL-AC88U with two wired APs (3 APs total) covering how many sq ft? How far apart are they? Are the APs using different channels from each other?

Have you tried using different SSIDs per band?

What are the models of the two APs?

OE
 
Last edited:
So, you have a DSL-AC88U with two wired APs (3 APs total) covering how many sq ft? How far apart are they? Are the APs using different channels from each other?

Have tried using different SSIDs per band?

What are the models of the two APs?

OE
The AP's are about 40 feet apart through several walls, and all on different 2.4Ghz bands well spread on channels 3, 8 and 13. The problem is not signal strength as it occurs when sat right next to the router, and most likely when connected using 5GHz. It is probably not interference as changing band made no difference. I haven't tried different SSIDs per band as I want a single seamless network. The other APs are a RT-AC87U and a RT-AC1200G+.
 
The AP's are about 40 feet apart through several walls, and all on different 2.4Ghz bands well spread on channels 3, 8 and 13. The problem is not signal strength as it occurs when sat right next to the router, and most likely when connected using 5GHz. It is probably not interference as changing band made no difference. I haven't tried different SSIDs per band as I want a single seamless network. The other APs are a RT-AC87U and a RT-AC1200G+.

1) Three APs 40' apart... should not be a weak signal but could be multiple strong/equal signals for a client to choose from. Node steering issue.

Are the 5.0 WLANs on different channels?

2) Do the AC87 and AC1200 support Smart Connect band steering? If not, then some clients may not stay on the one band connection... maybe changing to the node's other band during a call. Perhaps the AC1200?

If 1), try raising (less negative) the band Roaming Assistant RSSI threshold. (I'm not sure if that Wireless\Professional setting presents in AP Mode.)

For 2), use different SSIDs per band and only connect your clients to the preferred band, SSID-24 or SSID-50.

OE
 
1) Three APs 40' apart... should not be a weak signal but could be multiple strong/equal signals for a client to choose from. Node steering issue.

Are the 5.0 WLANs on different channels?

2) Do the AC87 and AC1200 support Smart Connect band steering? If not, then some clients may not stay on the one band connection... maybe changing to the node's other band during a call. Perhaps the AC1200?

If 1), try raising (less negative) the band Roaming Assistant RSSI threshold. (I'm not sure if that Wireless\Professional setting presents in AP Mode.)

For 2), use different SSIDs per band and only connect your clients to the preferred band, SSID-24 or SSID-50.

OE
Thanks. The 5Ghz bands are all set to Auto. Using an analyser on my phone I can see two of them on the same channel, 106, with the other on 58. I don't know what Smart Connect band steering is, or how to check for it. But I am fairly convinced this is not a problem with switching between APs - it occurs when I am sitting right next to the DSL-AC88U where the other signals would be much weaker, and even if I switch on the client device in that location so there is no roaming. Unless the DSL-AC88U is somehow kicking them off and they are looking for a connection elsewhere? As I said, I have Roaming Assistant turned off because it kept causing loss of connection throughout the network and crashing the wifi adapters of our phones. I don't want to create separate networks and force devices onto one or the other - I foresee chaos that way.
 
Thanks. The 5Ghz bands are all set to Auto. Using an analyser on my phone I can see two of them on the same channel, 106, with the other on 58. I don't know what Smart Connect band steering is, or how to check for it. But I am fairly convinced this is not a problem with switching between APs - it occurs when I am sitting right next to the DSL-AC88U where the other signals would be much weaker, and even if I switch on the client device in that location so there is no roaming. Unless the DSL-AC88U is somehow kicking them off and they are looking for a connection elsewhere? As I said, I have Roaming Assistant turned off because it kept causing loss of connection throughout the network and crashing the wifi adapters of our phones. I don't want to create separate networks and force devices onto one or the other - I foresee chaos that way.

I believe the practice for wired APs is to use different, fixed, least congested, non-DFS channels.

Smart Connect is a router feature that encourages a client to connect to the better band/SSID when given two bands/SSIDs of the same name. If you don't see Smart Connect in the router webUI, then it doesn't have this band steering feature.

OE
 

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Top