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Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

PaulGo
Luminary

EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

For mobile devices such as a smartphone, instead of transitioning to the EAX20 so when near the EAX20 the signal from the EAX20 conflicts with the router signal and causes very poor speed. The only way to fix this is to stop Wi-Fi and then resume Wi-Fi on the smartphone so it with now connect with the RAX20. For stationary items such as TVs and Roku devices, it works fine. I am useing the latest firmware available.

Message 1 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

its not the extender or the router that causes phones/tablets/etc to roam but their own roaming protocols. We can't fix their roaming protocols sadly. 

What phone do you have? 

Do you have it up to date on its own firmware/software? 

Sometimes if the extender it to close to the router, it can cause roaming issues as well as the phone still picks up the router signal fine (per its own protocol)

Message 2 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

I have trhe Samsung S21 smartphone running Android OS 13 which the latest updates. The S21 has Wi-Fi 6. The EAX20 is about 35 feet away from my Netgear RAX54S router. When connected to the RAX54S at close range I get over 600 Mbps and when connected to the EAX20 I can get close to 300 Mbps. When connected to both I get 20 Mbps.

Message 3 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

If the router is putting out 600mbps, the 300mbps you get from the EAX20 is normal. Extenders by how they work drop throughput 50%. 

this happens because they have to use the same chip for single/dual band extenders to go router----extender and then extender----device. And it can't do both at once. So if you're getting 300mbps when connected to the EAX20 and 600mbps with the router, thats normal. 

 

I have no idea what you mean by 20mbps when connected to both. You can't connect to both at once. 

Message 4 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

I realize it is normal for the EAX20 lower download speed when connected to the S21 of about 300 Mbps. This only happens if I turn of the S21 Wi-Fi when I am near the EAX20  and then turn it on again.  It the connect only to the EAX20.  If I go near the EAX20 without doing this I assume the S21 is either trying to combine the signal from both the RAX54S and the EAX20  or it the additional EAX20 signal is blocking reception from the RAX54S. That is wnen the S21 gets a maximum download speed of 20 Mbps. 

 

Message 5 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

or it could be connecting to the 2.4ghz on the RAX. It won't connect to both at once. It doesn't have that capability. 

Message 6 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

That would be impossible since I have auto-connect on the 2.4 GHz band turned off on the S21. When I look at the phone is shows a connection to the 5 GHz name. It's similar to have two router which have equal signal strength on the same frequency interfering with each other and causing poor download speeds.

Message 7 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

Its not though. Your phone will only connect to 1 of them at a time and so it shouldn't cause interference. Not anymore than any other thing connected would.  It could be the phone not roaming to the extender even through its close. that'd be on the phone's own roaming protocol

 

Message 8 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

My grandson would lives near me has the AX1800 Mesh WiFi System (MK63S).  He also has the same Galaxy s21 phone when he goes from one of the the Mesh units to the other he does not have this problem.  I have to assume at least part of the problem is the way the mesh is implemented in the EAX20. 

Message 9 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

One is a full mesh system, the other is a mesh extender. 

both rely on the devices (phone/laptop/etc) own roaming protocols to tell it when to switch. But neither of them can connect to 2 separate wireless networks at the same time. 

Message 10 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

The EAX20 in tne Mesh mode is on same frequency with the same name with the same password for access.  So it is not the same as usining it as an extender.  If I use the EAX20 as an extender I do not have the problem.  The only conclusion I can reach is the EAX20 in rhe Mesh mode has a problem interacting with moble devices.

Message 11 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

In either mesh or standard extender mode, they're on the same wireless channels or they can't talk to each other. 

The only time they're not is if the extender is hardwired in and ran in access point mode. 

Message 12 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

But in the extender mode they have a different wireless name which makes it unique.

Message 13 of 16
plemans
Guru

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

it gives them different SSID's but they still use the same wireless channels as the router. Or they can't communicate. 

All giving them separate ssid's is doing is letting you choose to connect to the 2.4ghz or 5ghz of the extender versus router. 

In mesh mode, you might be connected to the router, the extender and it'll switch between 2.4ghz/5ghz as needed. Again, based off the phone's own roaming protocol. 

Disabling that lets you choose which to connect to.

Its designed like this to let your own device manage it. 

If the device isn't connecting to the proper one, its not the router/extender that controls it. 

Message 14 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

I fully understand what you have written.  However, it the S21 works properly on my grandson's Netgear Mesh system but not on the EAX20 in the mesh mode have have to put mostr of the fault on the mesh implemention on the EAX20.  Hopefully they will weventually correct it with a firmware upgrade.  If not I guess I will have to live with it. 

Message 15 of 16
PaulGo
Luminary

Re: EAX20 In Mesh Mode - WiFi Probelm With Mobile Devices

I just obtained a Motorola G 5G (2022) smartphone from T-Mobile at no cost. It currently uses Android 12 and it has the same Wi-Fi problems and the Galaxy S21 when is is put near the EAX20 in the Mesh mode. The Moto G 5G is not Wi-Fi 6 device but uses Wi-Fi 5ac.. 

Message 16 of 16
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