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Forum Discussion
EX8000 - stability issues
Hi all, I've got the EX8000 running firmware 1.0.1.232 connected to an Asus GTAX-11000 on ASUS WRT Merlin 386.2_6. I've got both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz range extension networks turned on. The ...
The majority of neighboring networks here are 2.4Ghz, so I'm assuming that interference is the main reason for the slower link speed. Even sitting in the same room as the router, I wasn't getting faster than 300Mbps link on the 2.4Ghz band and usually slower than that. I hadn't worried much about it since the 5Ghz works fine.
The distance between router and extender is around 20 to 25 feet. I'm living in a Victorian house with brick walls and heavy plaster. I've attached a simple diagram so you can see how things are positioned. The scale is only an approximation, but this is roughly how it's all laid out.
I tried a bunch of different channels + setting on the router yesterday, both on the 2.4Ghz and the two 5Ghz bands but I couldn't get faster link speeds than what was already there. In the end I set everthing on the router to automatic, which I never usually do but in this case it's working fairly well.
I only bought this extender last year, but I had an older Asus router at the time. Now that I have this one which supports Wifi 6 I might replace this extender with an AiMesh satelite that handles Wifi 6 on the backhaul and just walk away. I'm hoping some configuration setting will fix this, but I've never had a piece of wireless hardware that required as much tinkering as the EX8000.
brick and plaster are close to 2 of the worst materials for blocking wifi.
Usually when I find people with those types of homes, I advise them to find a way to hard wire in access points/extenders.
The plaster/brick makes the wireless connection unstable and unreliable. Some can get it working but most struggle.
To hardwire it you can investigate moca adapters (ethernet over coax), powerline, or even running a few runs of ethernet (if you own the home). Sometimes the cost is offset with much better stability. Plus if its hardwired, the cheaper mesh systems (dual band mesh) can be hardwired in and function as well or better than the triband mesh systems.
But if you've got it working, great. If it stuggles with stability, I'd look into hardwired connections for your access points.
Yeah, these houses are tough for wifi. What's crazy is that my neighbors upstairs network comes through really well because there are only wooden floors and beams + a bit of ceiling plaster between us. But down the hall in my own apartment its a struggle.
Unfortunately I don't own this place, but I may try some ethernet cable run along the edges of the room and then at least get a wired backbone to the extender.
All of this (while helpful) doesn't explain the wonky state that the extender gets in though. I'm convinced that beyond whatever signal struggles there may be, the extender also gets to some point where it is not behaving. Signal interruptions are likely to be sporadic. When the extender gets to it's "unstable" state, even it's own UI barely works.
Are you aware of any way to turn on logging or other diagnotic functions in the firmware? The controls are so basic that I can't get anything beyond a status from the admin UI.
there's not. But you can try other firmwares. I've used the .202 for quite a while and it was pretty stable for me.