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jonbrach
join:2005-03-31
New York, NY

jonbrach

Member

can't believe how bad the actiontec router is

i have been using an apple express router with my old provider's internet service and it has been rock solid giving me 98% of the 75/10 promised wirelessly....I work at home so i needed a backup internet connection so i opted for fios with 75/35 and the tech set it up with the actiontec router and immediately i noticed the speeds were horrible and the range was almost non existent!I went out and bought a new apple express router and after playing with its settings etc i now have good wireless performance.I dont see the point of providing a router that allows only a small portion of the 75/35 to be used wirelessly?
VZFiOSYo
join:2007-02-24
Lakewood, CA

VZFiOSYo

Member

Well there are a lot of factors that go into wireless connections and speeds overall. The Rev. I does need some tweaking to be able to perform at a good level. It's a good router and just like any manufacturer you may have gotten a bum device. I've personally seen the Rev. I do a speed test at 60mbps download and 35 up. It could be a lot variables affecting wireless performance. Apple products work really well and have both a wireless extreme and Airport Express working in tandem with the Rev. I.

germ
join:2006-09-30
Long Beach, CA

2 edits

germ to jonbrach

Member

to jonbrach
The router has been ok for my needs. But I'd still like the option to completely replace it with my own router; I would rather use a router with DD-WRT firmware.

matcarl
Premium Member
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY

matcarl to VZFiOSYo

Premium Member

to VZFiOSYo
said by VZFiOSYo:

The Rev. I does need some tweaking to be able to perform at a good level.

What tweaking does it need? I recently got one and my wife complains about the wireless speed.

bluepoint
join:2001-03-24

bluepoint

Member

As for any wireless devices in 2.4GHz, you need to find the cleanest channel for your environment to get the best performance. Assign a fixed/static channel with the least overlapping ones like 1,6 or 11 first, do not leave it in auto. If the wireless is still not performing to your liking, start experimenting with other channels one at a time. To aid you in finding lesser channel interferences use inSSIDer to see the channels/signals around you. The Actiontec rev. I is an N wireless, so your clients must be an N wireless too to achieve a higher throughput.
»www.metageek.net/product ··· nssider/

matcarl
Premium Member
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY

matcarl

Premium Member

Thanks for all the info Bluepoint. I will look into it. I think the router channel is on Auto.

bluepoint
join:2001-03-24

bluepoint

Member

You are welcome! And as a followup I'd like to add, if you use inSSIDer and you have set a fixed channel, make sure inSSIDer is closed before testing, inSSIDer affects your wireless performance when it's running.

matcarl
Premium Member
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY

matcarl

Premium Member

I downloaded it on one of my laptops, but I don't quite understand all that mumbo jumbo, but I will try. Thanks.

bluepoint
join:2001-03-24

bluepoint

Member

For now until you get used to using inSSIDer and read/viewed documentations, pay attention to the signal strength(lower is stronger) and channel. 2.4GHz wireless is very crowded so it's important that you're aware of the other wireless signal/channels around you so you can adjust yours to the best settings.

matcarl
Premium Member
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY

matcarl

Premium Member

But do I look at that number in the upper right corner and look for the highest number?

bluepoint
join:2001-03-24

1 edit

bluepoint

Member

Look at the first two datas(signal and channel) after the SSID names like above. What you want to see are faint signals from a channel in relative to yours. Since 2.4GHz is a crowded frequency you will not be able to choose a channel without somebody using it. The info you get from inSSIDer will help you choose the best channel for you. Strong channels that you see means it's very close to you, so as much as possible avoid that channel.

matcarl
Premium Member
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY

matcarl

Premium Member

Bluepoint, what does the Auto do on the router? Mine is on Auto and it's currently using channel 11 according to that program I downloaded. Mine is the only one on channel 11, so does Auto pick the best ones? What if I hard change it to 11 and some other people pick that in the future? If I leave it on Auto, would it change to something more available rather than leaving it crowded at 11? Thanks for all your help.
matcarl

matcarl

Premium Member

Bluepoint, also I see my signal twice on the list there. One has my SSID and the other has no SSID but all the other things next to it are identical to mine including the MAC address. Is my router outputting two signals?

bluepoint
join:2001-03-24

3 edits

bluepoint

Member

Yes, auto, when it's working properly will find the best channel for you. However, once it sense an interference it will change channel to one of the three non overlapping channels(1,6,11), most wireless routers/AP are programmed to use those three. There are times when there are lots of wireless around you, the other remaining channels are better, so you really need to test each channels. You said, your wife is complaining about the wireless performance so I suggested to test other channels. If her experience is slow throughput then it means you can use a better channel, there are other hardwares that uses the 2.4GHz frequency like microwaves, landline wireless phones, etc that can interfere with your wireless router that inSSIDer will not show. Remember the best cleanest signal will give you the best throughput.
If you see two entries that represents your MAC then yes that's your router but maybe you need to reboot the laptop after you installed inSSIDer.

matcarl
Premium Member
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY

matcarl

Premium Member

Well, right now according to that program I downloaded, everything seems to be fine, so I hate to mess with anything. I will see. Thanks again Bluepoint

bluepoint
join:2001-03-24

bluepoint

Member

Welcome matcarl See Profile! I assume you're getting a good speed then?

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926 to jonbrach

Member

to jonbrach
OP never posted what router he had. Just because he ordered 75/35 does not mean he received a revI
jonbrach
join:2005-03-31
New York, NY

jonbrach

Member

i have the red router which i am told is the newest and most up to date.....