Getting the RT-N66U to operate on both bands at once?

[Melissa2008B]

I switched everything in the house to 5GHz a few years ago, except for an Asus 1001P laptop that I haven't used in years. I have use for it now, and need to update Windows 7, but just realized that it doesn't have dual band capabilities.

In the past when I tried to get our RT-N66U wireless router to work with both radios on at the same time, it wouldn't. So I had to just set the 5GHz radio on, and the 2.4GHz radio off.

I'm not a network tech - just a home user who does all this by the skin of my teeth.

Is there some setting that I'm not aware of, that can get the RT-N66U to work right with both radios on at the same time?

 

[Karadjgne]

Make sure you update the firmware and do a manual reboot. My RT-N66U has no issues at all with running both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands simultaneously. My TV is set to the 5 and the household phones etc are 2.4. It's all a stock, default setup too, never bothered to do any of the QoS stuff etc.

 

[Melissa2008B]

Make sure you update the firmware and do a manual reboot. My RT-N66U has no issues at all with running both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands simultaneously. My TV is set to the 5 and the household phones etc are 2.4. It's all a stock, default setup too, never bothered to do any of the QoS stuff etc.

Well that's another little issue that I have in another thread. It had original firmware ( Merlin actually, for some reason, if I recall ) until about a month ago, and wouldn't work with both radios on at the same time. Then I updated to Asus firmware and it dropped the power way down ( reading went from -60db to -70db on this PC, using InSSIDer ) and got flaky. People telling me that I needed to do the update using the recovery mode. But also, the new Asus firmware apparently won't allow use of the full 200mw and displays an "idiot" bar instead of power settings in mw. I need to revert to the original Merlin to get back to full power, which I BOUGHT it for, so it works better at the far ends of the house, as it used to.

I haven't tried turning on both radios with this newer firmware though, being it won't be around long anyway.

 

[Karadjgne]

Hmm, 2.4 is running -56dbm, 5 is running -63dbm.
2.4 is channel 8,5 is channel 11. It could be because you are getting interference or heavy usage locally on the same channels that you are getting bunk readings. Have you changed up the channels? Odd, 11 is listed as a 2.4GHz band on the graph.

Right now I'm using the recently released firmware upgrade, version 3.0.0.4.380_7378.

Also, my router is downstairs, in a coat closet, the door being closed, and I get both signals without issue out by the road, good 100ft away from the router. I'm guessing it must be a setup issue, not so much as a power out issue. This may or may not be firmware related, but I will admit I've had less issues with this router I've had for 3 yrs now than both the d-link and net gear prior,which lasted less than a year apiece. Since the firmware upgrade I've yet to loose service or have any issue with low power needs, and my wife would tell me as she uses it for the Netflix.

 

[Melissa2008B]

Hmm, 2.4 is running -56dbm, 5 is running -63dbm.
2.4 is channel 8,5 is channel 11. It could be because you are getting interference or heavy usage locally on the same channels that you are getting bunk readings. Have you changed up the channels? Odd, 11 is listed as a 2.4GHz band on the graph.

Right now I'm using the recently released firmware upgrade, version 3.0.0.4.380_7378.

Also, my router is downstairs, in a coat closet, the door being closed, and I get both signals without issue out by the road, good 100ft away from the router. I'm guessing it must be a setup issue, not so much as a power out issue. This may or may not be firmware related, but I will admit I've had less issues with this router I've had for 3 yrs now than both the d-link and net gear prior,which lasted less than a year apiece. Since the firmware upgrade I've yet to loose service or have any issue with low power needs, and my wife would tell me as she uses it for the Netflix.

Interesting. Well we only have a single floor ranch, with no basement even, so that simplifies the antenna pattern thing. But I resent idiot slider settings on the updated Asus firmware, over the original that had mw settings. The new firmware dropped my db readings by about 10db, which is like going from 200mw to 15mw, even though the slider is maxed out.

Can anyone answer me, on whether the latest Asus firmware will allow 200mw to be used. If so, then I may just have a problem of the way I installed it.