WiFi TEST 2017 ============== WiFi BEST/FASTEST Settings [RT-AC66U/Merlin-v380.58] 2.4GHz: "N Only"; "40 MHz"; Ch "3" [most neighbors @ Ch 6] [Nirsoft > WirelessNetView] 5GHz : "N/AC mixed"; "20/40/80"; "Auto" [Ch 149] + "...including band1 ..." "N/AC mixed"; "80" ; "Auto" [Ch 149] # Results @ Edimax-AC1200 [Auto@USB3] @ 7LOL [2.4GHz]; "N-Only"; "40"; Ch 3 "300 Mbps" @ Windows > WiFi [Adapter] Status ~ 100/150 Mbps up/down @ LAN_SpeedTest.exe @ 7LOH [5GHz]; "N/AC mixed"; "80"; "Auto" [Ch 149] "876 Mbps" @ Windows > WiFi [Adapter] Status ~ 200/200 Mbps up/down @ LAN_SpeedTest.exe @ GbE [Gb Ethernet] [REFERENCE] "1.0 Gbps" @ Windows > Eth0 [Adapter] Status ~ 360/770 Mbps up/down @ LAN_SpeedTest.exe # Available 5 GHz Channels @ AC66U Merlin 380.58 [2016-03-20] 36/40/44/48/149/153/157/161 ALL "control channel" are 20MHz !!! per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels#United_States # The router offers no 40/80/160 MHz "control channel" @ 5 GHz !!! WLAN [Wireless LAN] =================== - 802.11n 2.4 GHz (and 5 GHz, optionally); 54-600 Mbps @ 4 MIMO streams; 40 MHz bands; 64-QAM - 802.11ac 5 GHz; 433 Mbps per spatial stream, 1300 Mbps @ 8 MIMO streams; 80/160 MHz bands; 256-QAM. Control Channels @ .11 a/h/j/n/ac 160MHz BW @ Control Channels: 50* 114* 80MHz BW @ Control Channels: 42 58* 106* 122* 138* 155 40MHz BW @ Control Channels: 38 46 54* 62* 102* 110* 118* 126* 134* 142* 151 159 * only by DFS [Dynamic Frequency Selection] - Config @ Advanced/Wireless Setup Menu - Always assign static IPs to network infrastructure nodes -- repeaters, bridges, etc --and set it to and address OUTSIDE THE RANGE served by the DHCP server, but having same Network ID [same subnet mask]. ROUTER MODES ============ AP mode ------- Router used as Access Point [AP] only. - Connect the WAN port at [W]AP router to any LAN port at Gateway [main] router - ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings - Select/Enable [Wireless] AP mode This should turn off DHCP & DNS functions. - IP Address setting; Get dynamically from Gateway [main] router WiFi Bridge/Repeater modes -------------------------- Wireless Access Point (WAP) modes; Vendor/chipset specific parameters/config. - Wireless bridging WAPs communicate only with each other; don't allow client access. - Wireless repeating WAPs communicate with each other and with wireless clients. Wireless throughput is reduced by at least 50%. Either may be referred to as 'WiFi Distribution System' [WDS] by router vendors; router manuals may use either term [bridge/repeater/WDS] to describe their implementation of some mix of such functionality. May NOT provide seamless roaming to wireless clients. Also, wireless clients of WDS [bridge] have only half its original wireless speed due to the required two wireless hops; WiFi is inherently half-duplex; TX or RX, but NOT both simultaneously. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_distribution_system WiFi Bridge Mode ---------------- Router used as wireless bridge to the Gateway router's LAN; physically extends LAN to another area, wirelessly. Most effective for wired clients at [remote] bridge, else the double-WiFi-hop to base-station halves the effective speed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridging_(networking) @ Gateway [main] router ... - Get WiFi info of Gateway [main] Router - SSID - Security info - mode (WEP/WPA2/WPA2-PSK) - password - Operating frequency info (2.4 and 5 GHz) @ Bridge router ... - ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings - Enable Bridge Mode - Get IP Address Dynamically - Get DNS Server Address Dynamically - Select same security mode as at Gateway Router - Set Wireless Security to WPA2-PSK - Set same wireless info/settings used by the Gateway [main] router. WiFi Distribution System [WDS] [WiFi Base + Repeater Stations] --------------------------------------------------------------- Router acts as a TX/RX repeater station [only]. Extends WiFi range of Base Station [a.k.a. Gateway, a.k.a. main] router. The double-WiFi-hop, client-to-repeater and repeater-to-base-station, halves the effective speed. http://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-wds-bridge,review-253-2.html - Get Info - Wireless MAC[s] of Base Station & Repeater[s] For 'active' WDS, which is detailed here, each router [base and repeater] must know the other's MAC; this is vendor/chipset specific. Some vendors/chipsets can be configured for 'passive' WDS, where only the repeater is configured, leaving the base-station config untouched. - Base Station Setup [BEFORE repeater-station setup] - Disable Wireless Security for the band used as repeater [use 5 GHz band]. - ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Repeating - Enable Wireless Repeating; 'Wireless Base Station' function (5GHz a/n/ac) - Disable Wireless Client Association; provides security; prevents WiFi clients from associating with the repeater; allowing LAN client associations only. - Enter Repeater MAC Address - Repeater Station Setup [AFTER base-station setup] - Disable Wireless Security for the band used as repeater [use 5 GHz band]. - ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Repeating - Enable Wireless Repeating; 'Wireless Repeater' Function (5GHz a/n/ac) - Enter [set] this Repeater router's IP Address; must be same subnet, but different address, of Base Station router. E.g., if Base Station IP is 192.168.1.1, set this repeater's IP to 192.168.1.99 - Disable Wireless Client Association; provides security; prevents WiFi clients from associating with the repeater; allowing LAN client associations only. WiFi TEST 2014 ============== Edimax AC1200 <==> AC66U @ 7LOH [5 GHz] @ AC1200 setting: "Wireless Mode" > IEEE 802.11ac Config/Setup OS Reports LANSpeedTest Results ------------------------ ---------- -------------------- 7LOH @ N only 144 Mbps 7LOH @ Auto 867 Mbps 90/ 90 Mbps [11/11 MB/s] 7LOH @ Auto 80MHz[ch-BW] 867 Mbps 150/200 Mbps [19/26 MB/s] [~20% of GiB Eth speed]