Extending the wireless range of ASUS AC66U

[goldilocks]

Just replaced my Linksys 4200 with a ASUS AC66U hoping to get more speed and better coverage. Unfortunately my gargage that is 60 ft away is still a dead zone for phones and tablets. I have messed with the power output and that helped a little but looking for any other suggestions. Unfortunately I can't move the router. I was also wondering if I could use my 4200 to extend the network? Thanks!

 

[RealBeast]

Can you access the 5GHz AC signal out there with an AC capable device or are you simply using it for its N wireless?

 

[goldilocks]

Thanks for responding. Assuming my iPhone 5 or my iPad Mini are AC capable devices? the answer is no. The 5GHz is available in the house but disappears once to get to the garage door. The 2.4 shows a couple of bars but drops as you move around. My laptop will pick up both in the garage but the 5GHz signal is generally weaker on all devices.

 

[bill001g]

You are likely running 802.11n on 5g band. Even the very new 5s does not support 802.11ac.

Still the range is not related to if you are running 802.11ac or 802.11n or even 802.11a. Range is strictly a function of how much power the radio can legal transmit and how much signal is absorbed between you and the router. The part that is different is the amount of data you can cram into the available signal. So IF you get a usable signal you would get more data through using 802.11ac than using 802.11n but it does not increase your ability to get a usable signal in the first place.

On your main question

The 4200 does not have that feature but you might be able to accomplish it using dd-wrt firmware.

Now since the 4200 does not do 802.11ac that too is impossible.

What you "should?" be able to do (dd-wrt requires much research into restrictions certain platforms have) is put your 4200 someplace 1/2 way between the garage and the main router. You can then use the 2.4g radio to talk to the main router in client bridge mode and then set the 5g radio to AP mode. This make your device a true repeater. I think it can be run in the more common mode where it both connects back to the main router on 5g and just retransmits but that design causes a minimum of 1/2 bandwidth loss and it much more in real life.

 

[RealBeast]

If you get another AC66 you can setup a media bridge mode like THIS with the 5GHz AC 80MHz wide channel and it will do 60 feet easily. I used a pair it this mode before delivery to a client and was able to extend my wireless to a guest house over 100 feet away with great results. I used the Merlin firmware on the client end from HERE but I don't think that it was needed to also run a 2.4GHz radio at the media bridge end, although that feature does not seem to be documented. So in other words you can use the AC to make a bridge and also run a 2.4GHz AP at the bridge mode device.

 

[Blackbriar]

Have you been having any issues with lag spikes or latency? I have the same router (AC66R is the retail version) and am having lots of issues. I posted a new thread about this today. Your feedback as a AC66U/R owner would really be helpful.

 

[RealBeast]

I had no issues, but only used them for about a month before installing them for a client, and they haven't called me with any issues, but as I said I did use custom firmware as soon as I got them as I had seen some folks having some issues. Don't know if it was the difference, but since it worked well I didn't really follow up.

Is your problem with the AC 5GHz or N5GHz/2.4GHz connections? I've frequently had intermittent issues with latency on N and G networks, especially at 2.4GHz due to a variety of interference issues.

 

[goldilocks]

To answer Blackbriar's question, I have not seen lag or spikes at this point but I have only had it set up for couple of days and haven't had a chance to run it through it's paces yet.

So I tried the bridge idea using my E4200 (I know just enough to get in trouble). As I have a ethernet drop in my garage running to a switch then onto the AC, I hooked the 4200 up out there. I didn't use the bridge mode available on the 4200 (maybe I should) but set it up this way:

AC66U:
IP 192.168.1.1
Starting IP 192.168.1.3

E4200
IP 192.168.1.2
DHCP disabled

The wifi setting are the same on both routers except the channels are different.

So in the house I see both 5 and 2.4 networks and can connect to them. In the garage I see both networks, full bars but both my iphone and ipad just spin when trying to connect.

Any thoughts on where I went wrong?

Thanks!

 

[RealBeast]

No, setting it up as an AP like you are doing is the right way to go.

Did you also enter the E4200 IP address in the AC66U as a static address along with the E4200 MAC address? And did you attach the Ethernet cable LAN to LAN port?

 

[goldilocks]

So on the 66U, I see the 4200 in the list of clients. I went into the DHCP Server tab I saw "Manually Assigned IP around the DHCP List" so I chose the 4200 from the drop down and added it.

LAN to LAN probably not. So the 4200 is in the garage with the ethernet drop connected to the LAN port. That ethernet comes back to a switch and that which then connects to a WAN port on the 66U. My comcast modem is connected to the LAN port on the 66U.

Sounds like that is an issue. Not sure how I could do it differently.

BTW, I really appreciate your help!

 

[RealBeast]

Double check those connections please, the Comcast modem would connect to the WAN port of the primary router (the AC66) and then an Ethernet cable would go from there to the AP (the 4200) and attach to an LAN port, switches in the path would not matter.

This assumes that you want a single network, and not a separate isolated subnet in the garage that could have Internet access but would not see any devices in the main house (and I don't think you want that).

 

[goldilocks]

Ok, Comcast modem to AC66 WAN 1, 66 LAN to switch, switch to 4200 LAN.

Unfortunately that kills everything including my devices that are hard wired.

Yes, I was hoping for a single network.

So before I changed my connections, I was able to connect to the network in the garage where before it was spinning but it still wouldn't connect me to the internet.

 

[goldilocks]

Actually I was messed up and all is good now! I had the 4200 hooked up to the WAN not the LAN. No more data overage from the kids streaming video on 4G in the garage. You have been a huge help. Thank you!

 

[RealBeast]

The spinning was just that they could see a wireless radio signal -- not that there was Internet access available.

I think that we have a miscommunication. What do you mean WAN 1? There is only one WAN (Internet) port on the AC66 and that has a blue label, there are 4 LAN ports (yellow).

Your Comcast modem should connect to the blue WAN (Internet) port of the AC66, and then the Ethernet cable should go from one of the 4 yellow LAN ports to the switch, which then will then have another Ethernet cable from a different switch port to the LAN port of the 4200 (there are 4 and they have blue labels). Do not connect to the yellow WAN port of the 4200.

And I am assuming that your switch is not a managed switch, but an unmanaged switch, correct?

 

[RealBeast]

Actually I was messed up and all is good now! I had the 4200 hooked up to the WAN not the LAN. No more data overage from the kids streaming video on 4G in the garage. You have been a huge help. Thank you!

Oh good, I knew that had to be the case.