Rax70 router not showing 4804mbs option

[DrPopper]

My new RAX70 will not show the option for 4804mbs on the 5G-2 band no matter what settings I try it only shows a max of 2401mbs ... new firmware, factory reset, different channels, smart connect on or off ...it doesn't matter it only shows the 80mhz 2401mbs option .... have been back and forth for days with Netgear support without any luck .... 

[DrPopper · Accepted solution]

I don’t think I can set that to use the lower channels…. I think it’s time to return it.

[Kitsap]

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@DrPopper wrote:

My new RAX70 will not show the option for 4804mbs on the 5G-2 band no matter what settings I try it only shows a max of 2401mbs ... new firmware, factory reset, different channels, smart connect on or off ...it doesn't matter it only shows the 80mhz 2401mbs option .... have been back and forth for days with Netgear support without any luck .... 

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Not sure about your choice of available numbers.  The 5G-2 band may not have the same capacity of the 5G-1 band.  You do need to be aware the mode is a theoretical maximum link capacity for the router.  Not a real world data transfer capacity between two devices.

Some reading on your part is in order.  Start here:  https://www.duckware.com/tech/wifi-in-the-us.html.

Duckware knows what they are talking about and the paper was recently updated.  Start with sections 3 and 4.

[DrPopper]

You don't understand the issue ...the Router supports 160 Mhz 4804mbs mode on the 5G-2 band. When logged into the routers UI I cannot select any higher then the 80mhz wide 2401mbs mode on the 5g-2 band .... it's not that the 160/4804 mode is greyed out ...it simply isn't there. It has nothing to do with real world transfer rates ...it's got to do with this Router refusing to go into a mode that it is supposed to supports.

[Kitsap]

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@DrPopper wrote:

You don't understand the issue ...the Router supports 160 Mhz 4804mbs mode on the 5G-2 band. When logged into the routers UI I cannot select any higher then the 80mhz wide 2401mbs mode on the 5g-2 band .... it's not that the 160/4804 mode is greyed out ...it simply isn't there. It has nothing to do with real world transfer rates ...it's got to do with this Router refusing to go into a mode that it is supposed to supports.

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And you are absolutely certain of this fact based on just what exactly?

Are you logged in to the UI with a mobile device or with a real computer and web browser connected to the router via an Ethernet cable?

[DrPopper]

Yes I am absolutely certain of these facts based on the specs for the Netgear RAX70 ....I am logged in via Ethernet and a PC ....I have reuploaded manualy the firmware, reset to factory settings, and restarted many times .... same result.

[plemans]

What region is the router set to? 

What channel do you have the other 5ghz band on? Have you checked to ensure you don't have the 2 mixed up (stupid question, I know)? 

To use the full 160hz channel width, it has to use the dfs channels. So make sure the other 5ghz band isn't using them. 

If you factory reset, what does it show under the defaults for the 5ghz bands? (before you change anything with them)

[Kitsap]

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@DrPopper wrote:

Yes I am absolutely certain of these facts based on the specs for the Netgear RAX70 ....I am logged in via Ethernet and a PC ....I have reuploaded manualy the firmware, reset to factory settings, and restarted many times .... same result.

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Ah yes, your interpretation of the specifications.  There are clearly educational deficiencies between your interpretation and fact.

@plemans questions reside in the open space between your interpretation and details of your configuration.

[FURRYe38]

I like to review the spec sheet for details of what is what:

https://www.netgear.com/images/datasheet/networking/wifirouter/RAX70.pdf

[DrPopper]

Really? Read the spec sheet Eisenstein

[DrPopper]

Exactly… it should support 4.8gbs 160 mhz on 5G-2 but alas …

[DrPopper]

Yes it’s on a dfs channel and the other 5 ghz channel is no where near it …

[plemans]

What region is the router set in? 

Do you have a screensnip of the wireless settings page? (showing the drop down for both 5ghz? might have to do more than 1)

[DrPopper]

It’s got only 3 options in the drop down mode menu … 600,1200 and 2400 mbs which corresponds to 40,80 and 160 mhz channel widths.
It’s on channel 100 ( DFS ) and set to the local zone.

I can see absolutely no reason why this won’t work but alas ….

[plemans]

I'm wanting to see what you actually see for both 5ghz bands. Not typed out, a screensnip of them. For both 5g-1, 5g-2

(and it corresponds to 20/40/80hz width)

And what region you're in. Local zone tells us nothing. 

[DrPopper]

As you can see .... everything SHOULD be working ....for 160mhz wide on 5G-2 but alas .... 🙄

Nothing makes a difference .... all DFS and normal channels react the same, Smart connect makes no difference, Resets, Firmware ....nothing helps .... its a valid band for the region .... I simply cannot fathom this.... 

[plemans]

You might be screwed because of your region. 

Australia only has the 1 section of channel width 160 hz wide. 
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels)

And its the lower band channels. The higher 5ghz bands all have a break in there due to their local broadcast restrictions. 

I'm not 100% because I don't have that router. But can you set the 5ghz band 1 to use the higher 5ghz channels? 

If so, then potentially, you could use 5ghz band 2 for the lower band and the 160hz. 

Again, I don't have that router so I can't test it. 

IF the 5ghz band 1 is locked to the lower 5ghz channels, then you won't have a "up to 4800mbps" option on the higher bands because of your region. 

[DrPopper · Accepted solution]

I don’t think I can set that to use the lower channels…. I think it’s time to return it.

[plemans]

Just be aware that any router you pick up is going to have that channel restrictions. You might be better off going with a dual band so you can choose the channels for the 160hz wide spectrum. A decent AX6000 dual band would manage that. 

But you might also look at actual usage speeds. You still have a triband with a 2x2 radio and a 4x4 antenna for the 5ghz. Most devices are only 1x1 or 2x2 antenna devices. Also most devices don't use 160hz wide channels so even if you get a router that has the 4800mbps option in the correct channel zone, your device might not connect at the 2400mbps. 

So even through the one band is limited to 80hz wide channels, you might notice much speed difference. And you might even find it has benefits as then you have a little more load balancing with the dual 5ghz bands. 

But again, your choice. Just not sure if you'll see much real world speed differences. 

But it does explain why you can't hit the 4800mbps with that device.