Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

JohnUU
Tutor

Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

I'm finding there is an issue with the chosen higher wi-fi channels in European 2.4GHz band.

Due to neighbours 'broadcasts' I opted to set my preferred Channel to 13, and rebooted the router.   I was therefore somewhat surprised  when although the (Advanced) 'Wireless Setup' page corectly identified the chosen channel as 13, but that when looking at the router's Advanced Home page setup (showing the  2.4GHz Wireless panel) it shows that the router is actually using Channel 9 - and indeed I can (through my tablet) confirm that the channel in use is Ch. 9.

I therefore checked that if I set the router to use Ch 1, 2, 3, 4,  5, 6 , 7 &8   then that's what it does, and it indicates it correctly as well.

But then selecting Ch 9 shows the Channel in use  as Ch 5! Ch 10 uses Ch 6,  Ch 11 uses Ch 7 , and Ch 12 uses  Ch 8 . I can also confirm that the router does  not use the selected channels above Ch 8. 

It therefore seems as though this router can only really use Channels 1 - 9, despite the fact that you can select Chs 1 - 13.  

I've since updated the firmware to the latest version 1.0.0.88, but that version of firmware hasn't rectified this issue.
is Netgear aware of this issue?  Does anyone know if there is a fix for this? Are we actually limited to only using these 9 Channels?

Model: D6400|AC1600 WiFi VDSL/ADSL Modem Router?802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
Message 1 of 12

Accepted Solutions
JohnUU
Tutor

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

Schumaku - Congratulations! I believe you have found the solution!

Deselecting that '20/40MHz Co-existence' checkbox has returned the information -    Channel 13(P)+9(S)   and the router is now correctly using Channel 13.

 

Many, many   thanks.

View solution in original post

Message 9 of 12

All Replies
IrvSp
Master

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

We have 2 things to consider here.

 

First, on the wirless page is a REGION. What is that set for? Depending where the modem/router (D6400) was bought that could limit you. Look at the manual (http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/D6400/D6400_UM_EN.pdf) starting on page 94.  Look at page 95 as well, has this, "In some regions, not all channels are available."?

 

Secondly, this is a MODEM as well. In the US at least, and possibly everywhere, the firmware is under the control of the ISP. You can't change the f/w. Changes you can make may be limited as well. Have you contacted your ISP?

Message 2 of 12
antinode
Guru

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

> Secondly, this is a MODEM as well. In the US at least, and possibly
> everywhere, the firmware is under the control of the ISP. You can't
> change the f/w. [...]

 

   Not really.  The firmware of a device which is (or includes) a DOCSIS
cable-TV-type modem is controlled by the ISP.  A D6400 is a DSL
nodem+router, not a DOCSIS cable-TV-type modem+router.

 

> [...] Look at the manual [...]

 

   Take your own advice?  Look for "Update the Firmware of the Modem
Router".  (Yow.)

Message 3 of 12
JohnUU
Tutor

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

Thanks, but yes the router is correctly set for Europe/UK,  where technically  we have 13 channels available, on the 2.4GHz band.

[It's in North America that there are just 11 channels available, and this router was bought here in the UK as a UK model.]

Yes, the device is useable as either a full-blown router or as a modem only (again software selectable in the devices firmware) - and it's configured as a router in this c ase.
BT - our national infrastructure provider, as well as my ISP in this case - don't make any configuration alterations to routers: they simply determine the Sync rate that the router sees over the connection, and use Dynamic Line Management (DLM) to determine the maximum service available with the minimum  errors.  In this instance I'm happily getting 50Mb/s  -10Mb/s with  zero errors being recorded by the router!! 

Model: D6400|AC1600 WiFi VDSL/ADSL Modem Router?802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
Message 4 of 12
IrvSp
Master

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.


@antinode wrote:

 

> [...] Look at the manual [...]

 

   Take your own advice?  Look for "Update the Firmware of the Modem
Router".  (Yow.)


I do not appreciate your snotty condescending attitude and replies. Apparently from other threads, so do others feel the same. If you can't politely reply and correct errors or omissions, keep your opinion's to yourself please.

Message 5 of 12
schumaku
Guru

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

Wild guess:

 

  • Your router is configured to use 40 MHz or 20/40 MHz bandwidth on, so to make this happen it does combine the channels 9 and 13 when configured to 13.
  • This "distance" is required because the channels on 2.4 GHz are only 5 MHz wide, using +/- 2.5 MHz from the nominal number, and are overlapping therefore.
  • Information in the Web UI might be incomplete - newer Netgear routers show this in more details.
  • The "primary" channel default to the lower channel, while the "secondary* is the higher one.
Message 6 of 12
JohnUU
Tutor

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

Antinode - I'm truly sorry you felt that my response was 'snotty': perhaps that  might have more to do with your reading of my response than in my writing.   When someone new comes to this forum it's not always easy to determine whether the  respondents are 'truly knowledgeable in the art' or  just those prepared to offer  the equivalent of 'patent medicine' to people who have a problem getting their equipment to function correctly.

My  response - to the two replies I had received (not just yourn) - was simply trying to get over the fact that I had done considerable research into this issue prior to posting the question, which had included  finding out about the channels available here in the UK, as well as ensuring that my router did indeed have the very latest version of the firmware installed.

Simply suggesting I  'RTFM' and suggesting I update the firmware wasn't therefore terribly helpful.  I must assume from your reply that you yourself haven't come across  the same  issue.  I nevertheless thank you for the response you took the trouble to write. 

Model: D6400|AC1600 WiFi VDSL/ADSL Modem Router?802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
Message 7 of 12
JohnUU
Tutor

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

Schumaku -  I think you may have hit upon  something there.

I have checked the settings and the '20/40  MHz Co-existence' is indeed enabled, so I shall investigate  that further to see if it does correct the issue, and will report back.

Thank you.

Message 8 of 12
JohnUU
Tutor

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

Schumaku - Congratulations! I believe you have found the solution!

Deselecting that '20/40MHz Co-existence' checkbox has returned the information -    Channel 13(P)+9(S)   and the router is now correctly using Channel 13.

 

Many, many   thanks.

Message 9 of 12
IrvSp
Master

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.


@JohnUU wrote:

Antinode - I'm truly sorry you felt that my response was 'snotty': perhaps that  might have more to do with your reading of my response than in my writing.   When someone new comes to this forum it's not always easy to determine whether the  respondents are 'truly knowledgeable in the art' or  just those prepared to offer  the equivalent of 'patent medicine' to people who have a problem getting their equipment to function correctly.

My  response - to the two replies I had received (not just yourn) - was simply trying to get over the fact that I had done considerable research into this issue prior to posting the question, which had included  finding out about the channels available here in the UK, as well as ensuring that my router did indeed have the very latest version of the firmware installed.

Simply suggesting I  'RTFM' and suggesting I update the firmware wasn't therefore terribly helpful.  I must assume from your reply that you yourself haven't come across  the same  issue.  I nevertheless thank you for the response you took the trouble to write. 


@JohnUU, that response was meant for me, not you. He's been like that most of the time, other's have complained about it too. Very snotty, condescending, and insulting, too many in his replies. He does seem knowledgeable though. Could do a much better job of replying and when he sees some misinformation rather than insulting the person simply correcting the wrong response and provide the proper or correct information. Not his style it seems.

Message 10 of 12
antinode
Guru

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

> [...] He does seem knowledgeable though. [...]

 

   He does dispense less obvious misinformation than some others, at
least.

 

   I find it interesting that when such misleading nonsense is reported,
the author seems seldom to apologize for posting the nonsense, but,
instead, lashes out at the source of the correction.

 

> [...] insulting the person [...]

 

   If suggesting that you follow your own advice is an insult, then what
does that say about your advice?

Message 11 of 12
IrvSp
Master

Re: Upper Wi-fi Channels incorrectly using lower channels.

@antinode, Smiley Happy, have a nice day, I'm done.

Message 12 of 12
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