wireless g device access to wireless n

[aircoreboy]

I have decided to setup a wireless G access point for my legacy devices and so have changed the 2.4ghz radio to N-only. This however doesn't seem to have changed anything since wireless G devices, i.e. PS3 can still connect to the network. Tried changing the SSID but the PS3 still connects, does anyone have any idea why this might be so?

Please excuse my bad grammar in thread title!

Firmware 3.0.0.4.372.31 (Merlin build)

Frequency: 2.4GHz
Hide SSID: No
Wireless Mode: N Only
Optimized For Xbox: Ticked
Channel Bandwidth: 40MHz
Control Channel: Auto
Authentication Method: WPA2-Personal
WPA Encryption: AES

 

[thiggins]

First, change mode to 20 MHz. The 2.4 GHz band is too crowded and 40 MHz mode adds to congestion without delivering much in additional throughput.

Clients will not automatically connect to the "proper" (G or N) network. You must manually connect them and then set the network priority in the client so that the desired network is first.

 

[aircoreboy]

Thanks for the reply, point noted and 40MHz changed to 20MHz.

"Clients will not automatically connect to the "proper" (G or N) network. You must manually connect them and then set the network priority in the client so that the desired network is first."

Very good point, but at the moment I only have the 'N' radio setup, and when I do a network scan with the PS3, my 'N only' network appears in the list, which is what I am finding confusing since the PS3 is only capable of wireless b/g, and I am of the understanding that 'n only' networks shouldn't even appear in the list of wireless networks on the PS3, more-over, the PS3 will connect to the 'n only' network, which leads me to the conclusion that the change from 'Auto' mode to 'N-Only' mode isn't being implemented.

 

[thiggins]

I think you are still seeing the "N only" network because beacons (packets that announce the presence of a network) are sent in a form understandable by all 802.11 standards.

I would agree with your point #2. But I don't really know what changes are implemented for "N only" mode.

At any rate, separate SSIDs and manual connection will get you where you need to go.

 

[aircoreboy]

Thanks thiggins, will follow your suggestions.

 

[Dusan]

I have a Brother printer (DCP-7070DW) that only "speaks" B/G. I forgot about this and switched my 2.4GHz radio to N only (RT-N66U). Few days later I spent two hours troubleshooting why the *** is the printer not connecting to my network. So, in my case a B/G device was able to see the N only network, but was unable to connect (it did show the network in the list of networks to connect to, but the connection always failed).

 

[aircoreboy]

That is interesting Dusan, I've just done a Factory Default Reset, to eliminate any settings I may have changed, set the 2.4GHz to N only but the PS3 still connects to it, my PS3 has super powers.

Edit: Have just installed official Asus firmware, tried again, but PS3 still connecting. Either my RT-AC66U is incapable of entering N Only mode, or information I have received on other forums is wrong and the PS3 is Wireless N capable.

 

[Dusan]

I think you can check if the PS3 is really capable of connecting at N speeds by going to System Log > Wireless Log (I think this is only available in Merlin's build)

This is what I see in the 2.4GHz stations list with the B/G only printer and an N capable android phone connected:

Stations List Rx/Tx speed rssi state
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mac_addr_1 ip_1 printer 54/54 Mbps -29 dBm assoc auth
mac_addr_2 ip_2 android 72/65 Mbps -40 dBm assoc auth

You need to refresh the log while the device is communicating. The printer never goes faster than 54/54 (G), while the android phone is able to use faster link speeds.

 

[aircoreboy]

Thanks Dusan, the PS3 does indeed appear in the Wireless Log at 54/54 Mbps, dito your printer, indicating G speeds, and acquires an IP address and passes it's inbuilt internet connection test, but this is all occurring while in N only mode. I can understand why the wireless N only network will appear in a scan on the PS3, but cannot understand how the PS3 can obtain an IP address, since the PS3 and router should be operating in incompatible wireless modes.

 

[HokieAl]

I just noticed the same thing, that's why I'm posting here. This computer is not capable of connecting to N, yet it's connecting despite the RT-AC66U being set to N Only, 20/40MHz, 11u. This is with firmware 3.0.0.4.372.31

 

[aircoreboy]

I've tried various firmware including Merlin builds, all with the same result.

Edit: I have now tried a full 30-30-30 hard reset but am still able to connect a G device to an N only network. Seems like N only mode doesn't actually work, which is just not good, a wireless ac device that cannot have G turned off and therefore cannot operate at peak performance, at least not on the 2.4GHz radio.

 

[silvercloud]

have u try disabling the b/g protection?

 

[Pericynthion]

This seems to be something related to the new Asus Wireless drivers.

I reported it in another post, but right from day 1 of Rmerlin integrating the beta drivers in his early builds, my 'G' devices (iPhone3G, PS3 etc) have been able to connect to the 2.4Ghz , even with it set to 'n-only'.

I can confirm it didn't do this prior to the new wireless drivers , and I can also confirm this oddity exists in the stock Asus firmware as well.