Help with Router Settings

davidrosen

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Aug 17, 2013
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OK so I recently upgraded from an ASUS RT-66U to an ASUS RT-3200 to try to fix these issues but no luck...

I'm basically completely on default settings. aside from setting a name and wifi password for my router. I did try turning off Airtime Fairness at one point on the recommendation of a forum but it hasn't helped.

Here's the problem...

Mostly everything works... The desktop that's ethernet wired to the router... Our two smartphones, one tablet, one Roku, two Chromecasts, 2 laptops, 6 or 7 video game systems, 3 security cameras, desktop with wifi upstairs... And anything else I'm not thinking of.

And sometimes some stuff just doesn't. Here are some examples of "not working"

- Downstairs Chromecast (about 10 feet away from router but in the next room over) completely disconnects from the Wifi network for 5 minutes or so then starts working perfectly. The whole time the upstairs Chromecast still shows up and works fine!
- Videogame systems (next to Chromecast) can't find Wifi at all on one day, are automatically connected the next day.
- Android phone (anywhere in the house) can get email, but can't load Facebook comments (like SOME internet works some doesn't)
- Smartphones all work perfectly but videogames/chromecast/roku can't get internet.

As you can see it's all intermittent, and it's never NO Wifi at all... It's some devices can get wifi and some can't OR some devices get limited internet Wifi.

Any ideas what's going on here? Any specific options I can try changing in all those millions of options in the router control panel?
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Start by minimizing variables. Set a static channel for 2.4 and 5Ghz. Pic 1, 6 or 11 for the 2.4Ghz and 36-48 or149-165 for the 5Ghz. These are the most standard channels and will ensure you won't have any WIFI incompatibilities. Next set UNIQUE static IP addresses on all the stationary devices, chromecast, game consoles, desktops, cameras etc. Start your statics at some value (say 200) and then make sure your DHCP range on the router doesn't overlap.

If you still have any wireless "G" devices, consider buying a cheap router to create a separate WIFI source for those devices. You don't want to share 2.4 between slow devices and fast devices. Everybody gets slowed down.
 

davidrosen

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Aug 17, 2013
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I've always dreaded assigning Static IPs, seems like too much responsibility haha. So I tried it (and also set channels like you said). So far so good, we'll see what happens. Thank you. I'll report back if it starts acting up again.

BTW is there any easy way to tell if I have any Wireless G devices?

 

davidrosen

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Aug 17, 2013
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I've read about installing alternate firmwares... i think I even did on one of my old routers years ago. So if i did that would I need to be messing with all the new settings or is that automatic? Just again set channels like you suggested, assign IPs and the rest of the improvements would be kind of automatic?
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator


None of the recommendations I had before change with alternate firmware. Everything I said before is independent of network hardware. Those are all just basic network engineering.
 

davidrosen

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Aug 17, 2013
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Right but I mean are there more settings I'll need to mess with too on top of that once I install the alternate firmware or will the alternate firmware provide improvements on its own?
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator


Merlin firmware goal is stability rather than features.