Upgrade from Airport Extreme?

[seadragon]

@SeenJeen : I had to return the above router to Amazon for compatibility issues I couldn't resolve with smart bulbs. In it's place is the RT-AX86U (Gundam Edition ) that has proven to resolve the issue.

Hi MacinMan... I recently got the same router (ax86u) and am noticing that I rarely get full wi-fi speeds on my Apple devices (MBP, iPad, iPhone etc.). Just wondering if you notice anything similar?

My internet service is 300 down and 20 up. I verified that the router itself is getting the full speed.

Here is the router speed test:

And here are some speed test numbers from my iPad for example:

This is standing about 10 feet in front of the router. I'm just trying to determine if this is a wi-fi issue or an Apple device issue. Just curious if you are able to obtain consistent full speeds on your Apple devices?

 

[MacinMan]

Hi MacinMan... I recently got the same router (ax86u) and am noticing that I rarely get full wi-fi speeds on my Apple devices (MBP, iPad, iPhone etc.). Just wondering if you notice anything similar?

My internet service is 300 down and 20 up. I verified that the router itself is getting the full speed.

Here is the router speed test:

And here are some speed test numbers from my iPad for example:

This is standing about 10 feet in front of the router. I'm just trying to determine if this is a wi-fi issue or an Apple device issue. Just curious if you are able to obtain consistent full speeds on your Apple devices?

I can't speak for AT&T (which it appears that you have.) I have Spectrum, so I only have a modem, I believe AT&T gives a combo unit which has to be adjusted to take a separate router.

What I can say is this make sure you have your WiFi settings correct.

Set the 2.4 band to 20Mhz, and channel 6 works good for me
Set the 5Ghz to 20/40/80Mhz, because Apple devices don't support 160Mhz channels, disable it, so your max is 80Mhz, if you have a non apple device that supports it, leave it enabled, but set the wireless channel to 36 for 5Ghz. I have the best results, and get up to 8xx Mbps down on my iPhone 12 Pro Max and between 5xx and 7xx, sometimes up to 9xx on my Late 2013 13" MBP, the iMac is wired. I have Spectrum 1Gb package.

Beyond that, look up the settings on the online Asus support. You may need to fine tune the router for your setup. I did, but not so much because of speed, but other compatibility issues with smart home devices such as bulbs.

Hope this helps, After making the changes and apply them, give the router a reboot, and also your devices, and try again.

Hopefully these suggestions will get you started.

Let me know if you still have issues, and I'll go into more detail for settings to tweak.

 

[lupinglade]

Have a look at Ubiquiti's Unifi stuff - Unifi Dream Machine or Unifi Dream Router. Those are good replacements.

 

[MacinMan]

@seadragon : I forgot to ask, and you didn't mention what router are you referring to? the RT-AX82U, or the RT-AX86U?

I did posts about both models, but I returned the RT-AX82U because of stability issues with certain devices, I was unable to resolve within a couple weeks of testing. So now, I've only got the 86U, which has performed much better with ALL devices involved.

 

[seadragon]

@seadragon : I forgot to ask, and you didn't mention what router are you referring to? the RT-AX82U, or the RT-AX86U?

I did posts about both models, but I returned the RT-AX82U because of stability issues with certain devices, I was unable to resolve within a couple weeks of testing. So now, I've only got the 86U, which has performed much better with ALL devices involved.

Hi @MacinMan , the router is the RT-AX86U. I've tried changing the channels and and fine tuning various settings. Even did a full reset. Still very inconsistent speeds on all devices. It's quite puzzling. I still have 2 weeks left to return the router if it doesn't work out.

 

[MacinMan]

Hi @MacinMan , the router is the RT-AX86U. I've tried changing the channels and and fine tuning various settings. Even did a full reset. Still very inconsistent speeds on all devices. It's quite puzzling. I still have 2 weeks left to return the router if it doesn't work out.

For a speed package as low as you pay for, there shouldn't be any issues It's possible the router itself is defective, but more than likely it's a software issue. Is this on WiFi, or both wired and wireless that the speed is inconsistent?

With my setup, the router just worked, but I had to fine tune for specific devices to eliminate incompatibilities based on settings and the type of devices on the network.

As I mentioned in my first reply, it looks like from your pictures that you're using AT&T as your provide. I am not familiar with them. I use Spectrum, which is just a cable modem, so I don't have to deal with any kind of combo, or gateway unit between the router, and modem. Maybe call AT&T, or find someone who is familiar with the service that may have knowledge I don't regarding their configuration.

 

[seadragon]

For a speed package as low as you pay for, there shouldn't be any issues It's possible the router itself is defective, but more than likely it's a software issue. Is this on WiFi, or both wired and wireless that the speed is inconsistent?

With my setup, the router just worked, but I had to fine tune for specific devices to eliminate incompatibilities based on settings and the type of devices on the network.

As I mentioned in my first reply, it looks like from your pictures that you're using AT&T as your provide. I am not familiar with them. I use Spectrum, which is just a cable modem, so I don't have to deal with any kind of combo, or gateway unit between the router, and modem. Maybe call AT&T, or find someone who is familiar with the service that may have knowledge I don't regarding their configuration.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm in Canada and my provider is Start Communications. I have a datacolor cable modem that is about a month old. It's only on wireless that I see the issue. If I connect the same devices to the router via ethernet, I get full speeds every time.

I may end up just returning the router as I have a feeling its just not working right. I've tried toggling various settings based on online articles I've read but nothing seems to make a difference.

 

[MacinMan]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm in Canada and my provider is Start Communications. I have a datacolor cable modem that is about a month old. It's only on wireless that I see the issue. If I connect the same devices to the router via ethernet, I get full speeds every time.

I may end up just returning the router as I have a feeling its just not working right. I've tried toggling various settings based on online articles I've read but nothing seems to make a difference.

Well, and Canada has different wireless standards than the US as well, so might not be much help there. Yeah return it before it's too later, or ask Amazon for an exchange to try a second one (if you got it from Amazon)

I assume you have a Mac, so download a free trial of WiFi explorer, if you don't own a licensed copy and look at the network around you to see if it shows any kind of interference or performance problems. Also, if you haven't already, try disabling WiFi 6 on both 2.4, and 5 G bands just in case it's causing issues and see if it functions as a WiFi 5 router without issues. If that fixes it, then you have an incompatibility with WiFi 6.

 

[seadragon]

Well, and Canada has different wireless standards than the US as well, so might not be much help there. Yeah return it before it's too later, or ask Amazon for an exchange to try a second one (if you got it from Amazon)

I assume you have a Mac, so download a free trial of WiFi explorer, if you don't own a licensed copy and look at the network around you to see if it shows any kind of interference or performance problems. Also, if you haven't already, try disabling WiFi 6 on both 2.4, and 5 G bands just in case it's causing issues and see if it functions as a WiFi 5 router without issues. If that fixes it, then you have an incompatibility with WiFi 6.

Thanks, I'll give those suggestions a try. I've got a fairly clear 5Ghz band as shown in WiFi Explorer on my MacBook. My network is in orange:

 

[MacinMan]

Thanks, I'll give those suggestions a try. I've got a fairly clear 5Ghz band as shown in WiFi Explorer on my MacBook. My network is in orange:

OK, looks like you're ready to start troubleshooting with the tools and suggestions I've given you. I'll wait to hear back from you either way, if you're able to resolve the issues, or not.

 

[seadragon]

OK, looks like you're ready to start troubleshooting with the tools and suggestions I've given you. I'll wait to hear back from you either way, if you're able to resolve the issues, or not.

Thank you again @MacinMan I seem to have resolved the issue with a simple channel change. I switched to channel 149 and I'm now getting full speeds. I'll see if it lasts but so far so good!

 

[MacinMan]

Thank you again @MacinMan I seem to have resolved the issue with a simple channel change. I switched to channel 149 and I'm now getting full speeds. I'll see if it lasts but so far so good!

I figured it was something that simple. It was nice to see you on snbforums as well.

 

[MacinMan]

Hey @seadragon, have you found a solution to what's causing the noise? When I replied to you the other day, I was under the impression it was both wired, and wireless clients, and not just wireless.

 

[seadragon]

Hey @seadragon, have you found a solution to what's causing the noise? When I replied to you the other day, I was under the impression it was both wired, and wireless clients, and not just wireless.

No, I never got to the bottom of it. I just changed my ISP package to a 1 Gig plan and I now see speeds consistently between 400-800 Mbps. So the router seems to be working okay.

However, I now notice that Speedtest app reports packet loss between 5-18% on the wireless only AND only if the AiProtection feature is turned on. If I turn off AiProtection, the packet loss is 0.00 on the Speedtest app. It’s very bizarre.

 

[MacinMan]

No, I never got to the bottom of it. I just changed my ISP package to a 1 Gig plan and I now see speeds consistently between 400-800 Mbps. So the router seems to be working okay.

However, I now notice that Speedtest app reports packet loss between 5-18% on the wireless only AND only if the AiProtection feature is turned on. If I turn off AiProtection, the packet loss is 0.00 on the Speedtest app. It’s very bizarre.

Maybe you should contact Asus, maybe it's a bug with the Trend Micro software / integration.