Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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RTS/CTS

busjen
Aspirant

RTS/CTS

I have orbi ax6000 and why is the CTS / RTS value 64 as standard on Orbi ax, when it says on several websites that the value should be 2347 on routers, is there any reason why it is 64?
Message 1 of 7

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FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RTS/CTS

The 2347 just has been a standard for a while. NG seems to take a different approch for Orbi AX. Seems to work for some, others not so much. Users can change the value to suite there needs. You don't have to leave it at 64.

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Message 2 of 7

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FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RTS/CTS

The 2347 just has been a standard for a while. NG seems to take a different approch for Orbi AX. Seems to work for some, others not so much. Users can change the value to suite there needs. You don't have to leave it at 64.

Message 2 of 7
FarmerBob1
Luminary

Re: RTS/CTS

You're not the only one that's was tricked by that. In my research, a setting of 500 is also widely discussed. There's a billion good articles out there, go find one and read up on CTS/RTS. It's a pretty enlightening read.

Message 3 of 7
Timothy88
Luminary

Re: RTS/CTS

Doesn't setting it to 2347 effectively disable it?

Message 4 of 7
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: RTS/CTS


@Timothy88 wrote:

Doesn't setting it to 2347 effectively disable it?


This article agrees that a value of 2347 efffectively disables RTS/CTS on the Access Point. (More about that later below.)

https://www.wi-fiplanet.com/improving-wlan-performance-with-rts-cts/ 

 

Analysis of my network traffic tends to support that conclusion.  I just now captured some traffic on my network, which includes a lot of FTP from security cameras with a packet length of 1514. Here's the Wireshark statistics view of that data sample:

CrimpOn_0-1658251857982.png

In this sample, there were less than 1% packets over 2347.  I'll need to take more samples to see if this one is representative.

 

The discussions I have seen regarding RTS/CTS seem to focus on how WiFi devices coordinate with one WiFi access point.  My Orbi system actually has four access points (one router plus three satellites) They are all on the same channels.  How does RTS/CTS work with multiple access points?

 

That article (above) makes the point that setting RTS/CTS on the access point is largely irrelevant compared to setting it on user devices.  My Windows laptop, for example, has a setting called "Mixed Mode Protection" with two options:

  • RTS/CTS Enabled (default setting), and
  • CTS-to-Self

I did not find anything about what the RTS/CTS threshold value is on the WiFi adapter.  My other WiFi devices do not provide information about the technical features of the WiFi adapter.

 

Looking at the Beacon frames transmitted by Orbi access points, I find no indication of an RTS/CTS value.

 

Looks like this topic will require further analysis. For example:

  • Does my Windows laptop continue to use RTS/CTS even when the Orbi value is set to 2347?
  • When the Orbi value is set to something lower than 2347, do packets under that cutoff not generate RTS, but packets over that value do?

 

 

Message 5 of 7
FarmerBob1
Luminary

Re: RTS/CTS

Just moved back to an RAXE500 and this is a setting that I stumbled on.Screen Shot 2022-08-01 at 1.52.47 AM.png

Message 6 of 7
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: RTS/CTS

Wow... another parameter to fuss with!

 

I have yet to find evidence that these parameters affect any devices other than the router itself.

I had expected to see some setting in the WiFi beacon frame saying, "This WiFi network has a RTS/CTS setting of...."

(and now, "This WiFi network has a Fragmentation setting of....")

 

But, have yet to find anything along that line.  Thus, my reasoning is along these lines:

  • If the RTS/CTS and Fragmentation settings apply only to transmissions by the router, and
  • None of the user devices have settings to control them (certainly my Smart Plugs and cameras do not), then
  • Setting RTS/CTS and Fragmentation could at most affect about half of the actual WiFi transmissions, but
  • When I actually monitor WiFi packets they rarely go over 1,150 bytes (FTP file transfers).

This all remains major Voodoo to me.

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