optimal wifi settings advice RT-AX88U (2024)

looking for some advice on what the optimal WIFI settings are for my RT-AX88U, for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.

i've attached an image of my current settings.
i've heard some conflicting opinion on what the channel bandwidtch should be set to for both bands.

For AX routers:
5 GHz at 160 MHz on channel 36
2.4 GHz at 20 MHz on channel 1, 6 or 11
WPA2/WPA3-Personal

For 5 GHz using channel 36 will give your older clients that do not like DFS channels 80 MHz of channels they can connect to.

Best Practice Update/Setup Router/AiMesh Node(s) 2021

Best Practice Update/Setup Router/AiMesh Node(s) 2021

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the post you linked seems to be about updating merlin?

Keep reading.

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i did. nothing in the text of the post mentions anything about wifi.
are you referring to one of the many URL links contained within the post you linked to?

Use a tool such as SSIDinsider to scan the 5ghz band. If you find a free range, set it to 160 mhz only, you may have to enable DFS channels. Manually set a control channel until it connects at 160mhz.

For 2.4ghz, set it to 20Mhz auto channel selection. Auto channel selection is best for 2.4ghz as this band is always saturated and AP's hop around all the time. If you set it to manual, you could wake up the next day and be oversaturated. The auto channel selection routine is good enough to change itself.

leerees said:

For 2.4ghz, set it to 20Mhz auto channel selection. Auto channel selection is best for 2.4ghz as this band is always saturated and AP's hop around all the time. If you set it to manual, you could wake up the next day and be oversaturated. The auto channel selection routine is good enough to change itself.

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should i enable the "Auto select channel including channel 12, 13" option?
i am in the UK so i am permitted to use those channels.

Chenks said:

should i enable the "Auto select channel including channel 12, 13" option?
i am in the UK so i am permitted to use those channels.

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No, use a fixed channel 1, 6 or 11 at 20 MHz. Even with neighbors you are better off this way. Clients do not like it when the router keeps switching channels. Hopefully the neighbors close routers will sense your router and auto switch away from yours. At least give it a try. A network scanner is a good idea. The routers in my neighborhood keep switching channels on 2.4 GHz so I check from time to time and manually set the channel usually 1 or 11. Even though you have channel 12 1nd 13 there is a chance of overlap with them. I would stick with 1, 6 or 11.

bbunge said:

No, use a fixed channel 1, 6 or 11 at 20 MHz. Even with neighbors you are better off this way.

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Only valid if everyone around is using 1-6-11. This is not the case in most places. The better channel is the one with more bandwidth available, not necessarily 1-6-11. Wi-Fi Radar in Asuswrt-Merlin shows what the router sees around. If channel 4 has more available bandwidth, the router will choose channel 4. This is the least noise/interference affected channel in this particular Wi-Fi environment. By sticking to 1-6-11 in mixed networks environment you only limit yourself. Channels 1-6-11 are only recommended in corporate networks, where all APs are yours. Home routers got smarter and can use efficiently any channel, as long as specific conditions are met. In my environment channels 4 and 8 work best, the least overlapping to what's around.

Chenks said:

Ok. Conflicting advice. One person says auto, other says fixed

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For 2.4GHz - leave it on Auto for a week. See what channel the router selects most of the time. This is the channel with most bandwidth available in your place. For 5GHz - channel 36 @80MHz. I wouldn't recommend using 160MHz wide channel and DFS. How many of your clients support 160MHz?

Chenks said:

should i enable the "Auto select channel including channel 12, 13" option?
i am in the UK so i am permitted to use those channels.

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Yes, Enabling DFS works for us but we don't have any radar near us. We are also in the UK.

Manual channels on 2.4ghz will always end up causing you problems as you don't control your neighbor's AP's. Auto periodically performs a site survey and switches to the best channel.

Chenks said:

Ok. Conflicting advice. One person says auto, other says fixed

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I always check unwritten rules these days as I've fallen for them in the past in tech. We tried the 1,6,11 rule and it always produced slower transfer rates and high pings.

I beleive the confusion stems from the fact that on paper 1,6,11 should produce the best results as there's no cross talk on those channels.

For your own peace of mind, you should test the 1,6,11 rule yourself.

leerees said:

Auto periodically performs a site survey and switches to the best channel.

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Indeed and this channel is rarely 1-6-11. With multiple 2.4GHz networks around all on different channels there is no real non-overlapping channels. They all overlap and the router will automatically switch to the channel with higher possible throughput. @Chenks may try to play nice and test 1-6-11 theory in his Wi-Fi environment. If it works - great, lock it there and move on. If it doesn't - use the channel with constantly higher throughput or Auto.

Tech9 said:

I wouldn't recommend using 160MHz wide channel and DFS. How many of your clients support 160MHz?

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my main laptop has killer AX 160Mhz WIFI

Tech9 said:

Indeed and this channel is rarely 1-6-11. With multiple 2.4GHz networks around all on different channels there is no real non-overlapping channels. They all overlap and the router will automatically switch to the channel with higher possible throughput. @Chenks may try to play nice and test 1-6-11 theory in his Wi-Fi environment. If it works - great, lock it there and move on. If it doesn't - use the channel with constantly higher throughput or Auto.

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i've went for auto on the 2.4Ghz band, and it's selected 12