Is this normal router signal performance? (Asus AX68U)

Duvan · 14 Dec 2022 at 17:08

Bought a new router (Asus AX68U) in hope for higher & more consistent speeds in the 2nd room of my flat (small, ~500 square feet). I have the router in the living room.

In the room where the router is not, the Windows 10/11 wireless menu drops the signal indicator by one step, sometimes even two, on both 2,4ghz and 5ghz. Normal?
The download/upload speed seems to be good on 5 ghz though (150 mb download is probably max I can attain), so should I be bothered by not having the best signal? I do a lot of Teams calls, so don't want to be on the limit, in case of a slower network day

The 2,4 ghz works poorly from the second room. On bad occasions the 2,4 ghz speed has dropped far below what indicated below (even below 1 mbps). Shouldn't 2,4 ghz signal handle distance better than the 5ghz signal? Currently the 2,4 ghz signal was temporarily 1 line on the indicator or dropped completely!
The distance to the router from the 2nd room is about 50 feet.

Anyway, would be happy to hear your thoughts. If there's something wrong with my router/settings, or it's not good enough, I could also get a AX86U instead, while I can still return this one.

Some test results from Speedtest.net (ping distance below 50 miles) below.
Is it normal for the Ping to go from say 21 to 400 while it is being measured? Sounds inconsistent to me.

The second room (where the router is not):

2,4 ghz:

Idle ping: 5

Download ping: 137

Upload ping: 516

(Speed: D: 38 mbps, U: 26 mbps)

5 ghz:

Idle ping: 10

Download ping: 17

Upload ping: 15

(Speed: D: 145 mbps, U: 49 mpbs)

The living room (where the router is):

2,4 ghz:

Idle ping: 6

Download ping: 171 (some other tests it was down to about 80)

Upload ping: 45

(Speed: D: 79 mbps, U: 39 mbps)

5 ghz:

Idle ping: 5

Download ping: 21 (seems to jump around a lot, från 20 to even 400 - normal?)

Upload ping: 12

(Speed: D: 148 mbps, U: 49 mpbs)

ChrisD. · 14 Dec 2022 at 18:27

Duvan said:
Anyway, would be happy to hear your thoughts. If there's something wrong with my router/settings, or it's not good enough, I could also get a AX86U instead, while I can still return this one.

You can't keep buying new wifi routers and putting them in the same position, none of them will magically give you extra speed no matter what their advertising would have you believe.

If you want decent wireless, get a decent access point, hardwire it centrally and upstairs. Any any critical devices, ie, ones used for work, cable them.

If your place is small you may also benefit from a mesh, but for best results get a system that can use a wired backhaul so they don't waste wireless bandwidth to keep the mesh up.

Caged · 14 Dec 2022 at 18:48

Your 2.4GHz performance is poor because you live in a built-up area and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi is practically unusable in urban areas.

You're going through two walls to get from your router to the green dot in the second room, the performance looks fine.

Orcvader · 14 Dec 2022 at 20:11

As above when you're in a super dense area, forget about trying to improve 2.4GHz, due to the amount of competing networks no matter how strong your access point is interference will always kill it.

Your 5GHz is still very good so I would just try get as many devices on that if possible, easiest way is having it with a separate SSID from the 2.4GHz.

Duvan · 15 Dec 2022 at 08:36

Thanks!
It's a 3-4 storey building, so there's not a huge amount of WiFi networks, but at least a handful near. What bothered me a bit was that in the other room, I pick up a couple of my neighbours' networks (some labelled 2,4ghz) with full signal, while my own network with one signal less, or even less. But perhaps they placed their routers directly above or below (to the nearest side is the building staircase).

Anyway, I assume you think the Ping results are normal/good then?
I know that a better router won't do magic, but as I plan to be stuck with this router for many years, I was thinking whether stepping up a model could be more futureproof (also might be moving to a three room, a bit bigger flat)?

Except for the ASUS RT-AX86U, I was looking at the TP Link AX73 AX 5400 and TP Link AXE75.
I read a review for the AXE75 and seems to be compared to high end routers, so maybe that would be a step up? Not sure how it compares to the RT-AX86U.

Orcvader · 15 Dec 2022 at 11:44

Ping is still very good especially on 5GHz.

I wouldn't bother upgrading the router until you actually move, there will be more options by then and most likely better. Plus you'll have no idea what the layout of the new place is and other possible factors such as wall thickness, neighbour WiFi, etc.

Turn · 16 Dec 2022 at 12:30

You don't need more and more expensive routers, you just need a cable that goes to another router somewhere near where the signal is weak.
You can get 500Mbps~ & consistent latency on a £30 router which'd act as an AP as long as your 5Ghz signal is good.

Orcvader · 16 Dec 2022 at 14:04

Turn said:
You don't need more and more expensive routers, you just need a cable that goes to another router somewhere near where the signal is weak.
You can get 500Mbps~ & consistent latency on a £30 router which'd act as an AP as long as your 5Ghz signal is good.

They don't even need to do that seeing there's currently no difference in terms of performance in both rooms for 5GHz. Current setup is enough.

Turn · 16 Dec 2022 at 14:14

Orcvader said:
They don't even need to do that seeing there's currently no difference in terms of performance in both rooms for 5GHz. Current setup is enough.

OP said loaded latency is inconsistent on 5Ghz, so that must be their concern rather than download where you are right it seems to be the same based on the two tests.
Edit: I've just re-read their post and weirdly their latency is worse when close on 5Ghz? Have you done multiple tests? @Duvan

dougie06n · 16 Dec 2022 at 14:20

I have rt ac86u router with 600mbs d and was only getting about 100 d upstairs so I got another router the same and used mesh put the new one upstairs no hardwire just mesh and now getting in excess of 500mbs d was a vast improvement, as wife was losing signal no and again when working, obviously it does not have WiFi 6 like yours.

Orcvader · 16 Dec 2022 at 16:21

Turn said:
OP said loaded latency is inconsistent on 5Ghz, so that must be their concern rather than download where you are right it seems to be the same based on the two tests.
Edit: I've just re-read their post and weirdly their latency is worse when close on 5Ghz? Have you done multiple tests? @Duvan

They mentioned speed issues for 2.4GHz, nothing about latency on 5GHz:

The 2,4 ghz works poorly from the second room. On bad occasions the 2,4 ghz speed has dropped far below what indicated below (even below 1 mbps). Shouldn't 2,4 ghz signal handle distance better than the 5ghz signal? Currently the 2,4 ghz signal was temporarily 1 line on the indicator or dropped completely!

And second comment showing strong interference from the neighbours:

What bothered me a bit was that in the other room, I pick up a couple of my neighbours' networks (some labelled 2,4ghz) with full signal, while my own network with one signal less, or even less. But perhaps they placed their routers directly above or below (to the nearest side is the building staircase).

Bare in mind they're doing a speed test to a server on the internet, not pinging the router itself, so latency will definitely vary.

EDIT: If OP can do this in command prompt/powershell then it'll give a better idea on actual latency to the router:

Code:

ping -t 192.168.x.x

With 192.168.x.x being replaced with the router IP.

Turn · 16 Dec 2022 at 17:39

Orcvader said:
They mentioned speed issues for 2.4GHz, nothing about latency on 5GHz:

Here:

Duvan said:
5 ghz:
Download ping: 21 (seems to jump around a lot, från 20 to even 400 - normal?)

& Yep CMD defo better way to measure latency than going off what I assume is speedtest.net results.

Duvan · 18 Dec 2022 at 19:24

Thanks for the input and tips!
I Pinged the router's IP. In the living room: Average 12 ms. Max 19.

In the second room where the green ring is in the picture I got Average 19 Ms, max 2431 ms. The 2431 one was just pinged once and came in the middle of the test.

I then placed the laptop close to the far corner of the other room (right/bottom corner in the picture) with 54 ms average and 1893 ms maximum and 2% lost pings, but it was ran for just some 20 seconds. The pings in the thousands were just the 2-3 first ones.
Ran the test same spot again and got 11 ms average and 101 Ms maximum. Ran it a third time for some minutes, and got 13 ms average and 85 ms max. The 80 ms ones came in the middle of the test and were a few and followed by a few 50-70 ms ones.

Also ran it in the upper right corner of the other room and got 13 ms average and 103 ms max. This time I ran it for some minutes.

So it seems like the ping can temporarily show some high numbers, even if the averages are good. I think the lost pings were maybe cos the laptop hadn't picked up the signal yet while moving the laptop around?

Is 80 ms bad enough to make Teams stutter? And what happens when you get temporary one in the thousands?
Is this normal?

WJA96 · 19 Dec 2022 at 05:34

Just run a cable. From the picture you posted it’s along the skirting board, up and over the door frame of the room between thre two rooms and then along the skirting board again. Buy a 20m flat cable and stick it down with mastic or double sided tape. if you have the kind of flooring joins that you can unscrew or uncoil then you can probably just tuck a flat cable into the edge of the carpet and Then under the carpet/floor joiners which is even easier.

Pings are indicative of high retry rates so it’s likely you’re in a highly contested area. You may actually be in a situation where moving to WiFi6E could yield decent benefits.

Orcvader · 19 Dec 2022 at 12:56

Duvan said:
Thanks for the input and tips!
I Pinged the router's IP. In the living room: Average 12 ms. Max 19.

In the second room where the green ring is in the picture I got Average 19 Ms, max 2431 ms. The 2431 one was just pinged once and came in the middle of the test.

I then placed the laptop close to the far corner of the other room (right/bottom corner in the picture) with 54 ms average and 1893 ms maximum and 2% lost pings, but it was ran for just some 20 seconds. The pings in the thousands were just the 2-3 first ones.
Ran the test same spot again and got 11 ms average and 101 Ms maximum. Ran it a third time for some minutes, and got 13 ms average and 85 ms max. The 80 ms ones came in the middle of the test and were a few and followed by a few 50-70 ms ones.

Also ran it in the upper right corner of the other room and got 13 ms average and 103 ms max. This time I ran it for some minutes.

So it seems like the ping can temporarily show some high numbers, even if the averages are good. I think the lost pings were maybe cos the laptop hadn't picked up the signal yet while moving the laptop around?

Is 80 ms bad enough to make Teams stutter? And what happens when you get temporary one in the thousands?
Is this normal?

Is that on 2.4GHz, 5GHz or both?

Duvan · 19 Dec 2022 at 19:14

Orcvader said:
Is that on 2.4GHz, 5GHz or both?

It's on 5ghz only. Didn't even try 2,4 ghz as it's been so sluggish

Judging from your reactions the occasional high pings are worse than what to expect?

I could try moving the router to the upper corner of the living room if I get a longer cable. There is a TV not that many feet away now. Although it's not even turned on during the tests.
I'd prefer to solve things without cables going to the other room though even if I appreciate the hints

I noticed the T-link Archer Axe75 isn't too expensive for a wifi6e router. Though maybe a bit excessive for a small apartment like this one. But you think that would be worth it more than a more expensive wifi6 router like the Asus rc AU86U? Asus ones take less space bring vertical so I like them for that

Orcvader · 19 Dec 2022 at 19:33

Pings seems to be fine and shouldn't affect Teams, I would be more tempted to try a clearer 5GHz channel if possible. 6E is a good idea however it uses 6GHz, and will struggle more to penetrate the wall in the middle.

WJA96 · 20 Dec 2022 at 06:43

Orcvader said:
Pings seems to be fine and shouldn't affect Teams, I would be more tempted to try a clearer 5GHz channel if possible. 6E is a good idea however it uses 6GHz, and will struggle more to penetrate the wall in the middle.

Yes. If the is congestion then overall it should still be better even if the signal is poor.

WJA96 · 20 Dec 2022 at 06:59

Duvan said:
It's on 5ghz only. Didn't even try 2,4 ghz as it's been so sluggish
Judging from your reactions the occasional high pings are worse than what to expect?

I could try moving the router to the upper corner of the living room if I get a longer cable. There is a TV not that many feet away now. Although it's not even turned on during the tests.
I'd prefer to solve things without cables going to the other room because I’d rather throw money at a problem than just fix it properly.
I noticed the T-link Archer Axe75 isn't too expensive for a wifi6e router. Though maybe a bit excessive for a small apartment like this one. But you think that would be worth it more than a more expensive wifi6 router like the Asus rc AU86U? Asus ones take less space bring vertical so I like them for that

Where is the TV? It’s an electromagnetic shield so you definitely don’t want it between you and the access point.

The No. 1 issue reported by support people when they investigate poor Wireless LAN performance is that the customer placed the access point behind the TV or an insulated cabinet or even in a drawer.

The signal penetration on 6GHz (WiFi6E) is very poor but you might just get away with it if the walls are thin and the rooms are really small.

If your issue is signal congestion (as suggested by the high pings/retries) then moving from WiFi5/6 (5GHz) to WiFi6E (6GHz) will largely eliminate that problem.

But really, that cable is under £20 and an hour of your time.

Duvan · 22 Dec 2022 at 21:53

I ran the test again this evening in the other room, after placing the router a bit farther from the TV (as far as it gets with current LAN cable length):
I marked the TV now.

Windows still displays one signal less in the green circle area, and the 2,4 ghz didn't even display at all when I ran the test (on 5 ghz):
Maximum: 135 ms
Average: 5 ms
So a bit better average than before, but I think it's usually better in the evening than in the day hmm.

The higher ones come for one or a few pings at a time. Like this:

I also ran it again in the upper right corner of the other room and got 4 ms average and 117 ms max.
Last time with the router closer to the TV I got "13 ms average and 103 ms max."
So about the same but lover averages.