[SOLVED] ASUS RT-AX82U router, no improvement on wifi range etc

[celticguardian]

I apologise in advance if I am asking super simple and silly questions.

I have connected this router to my Technicolor DWA0120 (Shell Broadband). I am in a three bedroom flat (UK), and I have had little to no improvement in my wifi range, and speed doesn't seem to be massively improved either. I have a Technicolor DWA0120 router from Shell Broadband which requires a DSL connection to the modem. To connect my ASUS router, I used the R45 cable placing it into the WAN port.

1) I know this router does not have DSL port in it. However, if I got DSl to Ethernet adapters, and connected the DSL /modem directly to the ASUS router, would this improve things? Would replacing my ISP router with this router improve my speed?

2) I know that 2.4 GHz has better range (roughly by scale of 3?) than 5 GHz. Even with the usage of the 2.4 GHz band, I am getting really minimal rates of quality it seems. The range seems fairly minimally better than the ISP router, the Technicolor one. Is this just the dampening effect of the geography and walls etc, or is it configured wrong?

3) I appreciate that I am in a L shape, so not the optimal location for the router, which is based in my sitting room, and I am on the other end of the house. Would it better for me to get a second phone installed?

 

[Lutfij]

Do you think you can provide a floor plan(even if it's a crude drawing) and showing us where the router is placed with regards to your devices within your household? As for your router, can you check and see if it's got any firmware updates pending?

 

[celticguardian]

Hi, when you say, "your router", would that be the ASUS router, or the ISP router?

 

[celticguardian]

https://jspaint.app/#local:c7c2f2a31d3a1 (crude floorplan).

No, both routers have been upgraded as to firmware.

 

[bill001g]

What happened with your results is not unexpected. In general most modern ISP routers use exactly the same wifi chipsets as every other router. There are only 2 or 3 manufactures that everyone uses. In addition there is no longer any cost saving to say buy lower power radio.
Almost every devices you find,except for some hotspot or mobile routers, put out the legal maximum signal levels. This signal level is what determines how far a signal goes and how well it penetrates walls. 2.4 does not actually go farther than 5 but 5 is more easily absorbed by the walls and the water vapor in the air.

Next most people are wasting money on wifi6 routers. First you must have a wifi6 device or it will drop back to 802.11ac (wifi5) which is what you ISP router is using. Now the router you purchased has the 160mhz support which is what makes wifi6 faster but most end devices only support 80mhz. This means you can't actually use the feature that makes wifi6 faster than wifi5. Generally most people have seen little to no improvement over 802.11ac(wifi5) unless they really know what they are doing any buy high end nics for their pc and use it fairly close to the router.

BUT this is all speed we are talking the signal does not go more distance. In some ways the more complex signals go less distance. Using QAM1024 encoding on a wifi6 router pretty much only work in the same room. It gets very very messy when you try to combine the concept of signal level which is regulated by the government and the data encoding you place in the signal. Unlike signal level there is no clear rules on how you test so all the manufactures pick the data that makes them look the best.

If you had not already purchased equipment I would have recommended wifi6e. Not that it would likely make a difference in your problem but wifi6e has a much better chance of actually using all the feature of wifi6 because it runs on the 6g radio band where there is lots more bandwidth and none of the silly weather radar avoidance rules which is why you see some devices only run 80mhz support.

So....

The first try a ethernet cable directly first to the ISP router and then to your router. They should be the same speed and this will tell you want the maximum speed you should expect.

It depends on the type of DSL but DSL is still pretty slow. Many time it will be the DSL connection speed that is limiting a wifi connection before the wifi causes a bottleneck. If you could get 1gbit DSL then it would more of a concern.

Testing wifi is hard there are a massive number of variables. Most times poor results are because of the end device and not the router.

There likely is no direct fix for wifi. Sounds like you have tried the standard try 2.4 or 5 and change the radio channels.

Getting another phone line is not really a option....you technically can but you pay for a second account.

So you could I guess pay to have ethernet run in the attic or basement or do it yourself if it is easy to get to. In you case since you only have a DSL connection I would look at powerline networks. If you buy the units that have 1000 or 2000 numbers you should be able to get more than your dsl speed. Most people get say 150mbps or so when the have a faster internet connection. The actual speed is limited by the powerwires in your house. The other option which I normally recommend first is MoCA. You need coax cable in both rooms but this technology can get full gigabit speed. Although not hard to setup powerline are a bit easier and you likely don't need the extra speed anyway.

 

[celticguardian]

I have tried several permeations of the router, and I cannot say I am hugely impressed. I am getting better results using a wifi extender at a fraction of the cost. I think I will return the ASUS router, stick with my current one, get a cheap wifi extender to give myself a boost. I know is not the optimal speed, but, Im fed up with the money and hours Ive spent on my new router. Waste of time.

Thank you for your comprehensive and thorough response The sheer detail and thoroughness youve given me is astounding, humbling and gratefuly recieved, truly. I feel like I've been given a crash course in home networking, and Im very very grateful

I might get ethernet throughout my house, but most likely, for now, I will make do with an extender.