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Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!

WhyPhyJunkie
Tutor

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!

By adding the new mesh functionality to EX7300 extender, you have introduced new bugs and taken away some of the opriginal features of the extender/access point EX7300. For example, after the upgrade to a new firmware (going from 1.0.1.78 to 1.0.2.140 or to 1.0.2.136), the status page incorrectly reports EX7300 has no internet access. To clarify, I use EX7300 as an access point with a wired internet connection and with ony a single band (5GHz) Wi-Fi radio enabled. This bug may seem innocent, because the EX7300 is nonetheless functioning as an access point. However, starting with firmware 1.0.2.140 the option to adjust Wi-Fi transmit power was taken away, i.e. "WiFi Coverage" option in the configuration utility has disappeared. For an access point the ability to adjust transmit power is basic, and at the same time essential, and eliminating that ability brings down the quality of the product substantially. I would not have purchased this EX7300 device if the option to adjust transmit power were not awailable. Of course, I can keep the older firmware 1.0.1.78 for now, but that also means no more security updates as new vulnerabilities are discovered. Perhaps, it would be fair to balance that trumpeting of the new mesh features with a little bit of the bitter truth that some functionality and/or an ongoing support is being taken away from the original product.

 

Does anybody know why the option of changing Wi-Fi transmit power is conflicting with the mesh functionality? Netgear's newer devices, such as EX8000, do not have Wi-Fi transmit power feature available, even though the previous and much more basic generations of extenders used to support it.

Model: EX7300|AC2200 WiFi Range Extender
Message 26 of 33
ozzcaddy
Aspirant

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!

A user buys a product as it has the functions that the user is after, but then the manufacturer (Netgear) in this case, intoduces new firmware to improve its security, plus try and turn a router into the latest thing on the market "WiFi Mesh", which the router was not originally designed for. But overall, stuffs up most peoples routers along with taking away functions which was the users reason for purchasing the product.

 

Maybe Netgear thought the User had too much power (excuse the pun) and decided to take away functions that were useful to the user.

Message 27 of 33
WhyPhyJunkie
Tutor

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!

Too much power, huh? Smiley Frustrated  You may be right.

 

But to continue your pun line, in this case Netgear is locking the EX7300 device at the highest radio output power allowed by the regulations in your country. Too much transmit power can actually be bad for your wireless network performance, but it is a whole new topic of ducussion. Ironically, I was adjusting the transmit power DOWN from the max setting to 25%, which happens to be just right for my small apartment. So, whether the user has too much power or too little is truly a matter of perspective - you can argue that Netgear merely substituted user's customization power with overwhelming radio transmit power.

 

My guess is that Netgear had to disable transmit power option because in the original design both radio bands (2.4GHz and 5Ghz) shared the same transmit power setting. That is a deficient design even for an ordinary access point, but in a mesh system one would probably want to use high transmit power setting for the backhaul band, but low transmit power setting for the band to which wireless clients connect. And because most consumers naively believe that the highest transmit power setting is best, why not just lock the device at the highest setting and have no headache?

 

BTW, Verizon Fios router, which is also a consumer oriented product, still allows changing transmit power individually for each Wi-Fi radio band. One would think that Netgear, which is a more specialized networking equipment company, would be able to offer more sophistication to its customers. Somehow, that is not the case.

Model: EX7300|AC2200 WiFi Range Extender
Message 28 of 33
StephenB
Guru

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!


@WhyPhyJunkie wrote:

but in a mesh system one would probably want to use high transmit power setting for the backhaul band, but low transmit power setting for the band to which wireless clients connect.

I think this is the issue here.  With a triband mesh extender you can get a higher transmit power for the backhaul, since it has a dedicated radio.  But you can't get that if the same radio is used for the client and backhaul connections. 

 

One aspect here also is that it is useful to be able to switch over to a 2.4 ghz backhaul if needed, so even in the triband case the backhaul might not always be on the dedicated radio.  I'm not sure if the extenders are doing this, but Orbi certainly does.

Message 29 of 33
RJG202
Guide

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!


@RJG202 wrote:

@StephenB wrote:

 

Triband extenders let you dedicate one 5G radio to the backhaul (using Netgear's FastLane feature), and use a different 5G radio with your devices.  The two radios operate independently - communicating with the client and the router at the same time. That eliminates the performance bottleneck that results when you share the radio.  This benefit is delivered even if the router is only dual band. 


Thanks,  I think I understand that I can dedicate one 5GZ band on the triband extended to the backhaul base on what you mentioned.  Since my R7800 is dual band and I am now leaning towards a tri-band extender,  I have a few questions.  Can the router handle sharing the 5GHZ band with my local clients and the extender?  Should I have beam forming on and MU-MIMO on?  I am getting coverage in my 2 story home and basement but the basement tends to connect to 2.4 ghz band probably 30% of the time, the 5ghz band when it does connect it a little bit of a low signal, probably due to distance.  The router is on the middle floor right now,  that is why I was looking to extend.

 

I am not in no way a power user home,  maybe some video streaming via netflix, VPN and a few smart phones.


So I am looking to pair the Ex8000 with my R7800,  would it be best to dedicate the 1733MBPS channel on the extender as the backhaul?  Will that kill my roouter?  I am not too heavily utilized,  just need extra range.

Model: DST6501|DST (Dead Spot Terminator) Adapter,EX8000|AC3000 Nighthawk X6S Tri Band WiFi Range Extender
Message 30 of 33
StephenB
Guru

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!


@RJG202 wrote:
So I am looking to pair the Ex8000 with my R7800,  would it be best to dedicate the 1733MBPS channel on the extender as the backhaul?  Will that kill my router?  I am not too heavily utilized,  just need extra range.

 That's what I would do.  It won't kill your router.  If the extender is properly placed, it should ensure that the extender->router backhaul won't be a performance bottleneck.

Message 31 of 33
Chinto
Aspirant

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!

Have an R7000 and 2 EX7000 with latest firmware and make the mesh.. after awhile, none of my equipments can get either 2.4 nor 5 wifi network.
The radios are up down when checking with a wifi analyzer
Model: EX7000|AC1900 WiFi Range Extender
Message 32 of 33
trf000
Tutor

Re: We've unlocked the potential of our WiFi Extenders by adding WiFi Mesh!

I added the xrs extender. as one SSID for each band, 2.4g and 5g.

 

complete fail. everything connected to the network if it got throughput at all was under 1 MB a second. My internet connection is AT&T Fiber 1GB.

 

My sad solution was to disable the one name and use the X4S as a separate name. when i do that, most of my devices connect properly.

 

And while i prefer the one name solution, i really just need a stronger signal in the back. However this is killing my whole house automation.

 

Man am I glad i dropped almost $350 combined on these two devices.

Model: EX7500|AC2200 Nighthawk X4S Tri Band WiFi Mesh Extender, R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 33 of 33
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