Is AC just not ready for prime time?

[bradly1101]

I researched a lot of AC routers before I settled on the Netgear Nighthawk X4. I read many reviews but in this case it seemed like the professional ones weren't helpful because in user reviews all the routers had similar comments, "After about three months (to a year) it constantly drops 5Ghz signals."

Mine isn't doing that, but the AC is not reliable enough to do streaming video. The video will freeze while the audio keeps going, and there will be occasional stutters. When it works between problems it is very smooth. And if I switch to the 2.4Ghz band everything is fine.

It's not a signal loss issue, it's always reported as "Very Strong." The router manufacturer recommends for all four antennas to be vertical and that's how they're set.

On the 5Ghz band regular data for the internet is very fast and SpeedTest reports the proper speed, but video fails. I've tried it with QoS on and off with the same result. Beyond that I'm at a loss.

 

[azazel1024]

Bleeding edge is that sometimes.

Dunno, my couple of 11ac routers work perfectly with everything.

 

[Mushkins]

The 5Ghz spectrum is a lot more touchy about interference and signal strength attenuates more quickly regardless of what the little icon reports. I'd use a tool like inSSIDer to properly analyze what's going on in your immediate area and maybe make some adjustments to antenna power or channel as needed.

 

[VirtualLarry]

When I was using AC1200 wireless on my workstations, when I would stream my favorite radio station, it would say "buffering" within an hour or so. Yet, LAN transfers from my NAS would still flow just fine over wireless (watching the copy graph in Win8.1, no dips at that point). So it's not like the connection was bad, or struggling.

Yet, my Gateway AIO PC, with wireless-N built-in, streams the same radio station fine, over wireless, to the same AC1200 AP I am using.

I was using PremierTek PT-8812AU (Realtek AC1200 USB3.0 chipset) adapters. Before that, I was using the Rosewill AC1200 USB3.0 adapters, using the same chipset / drivers. Same problem with both.

I finally just ran cables between my two rooms in my apt.

But I agree, there's something "not right" about AC wireless, and streaming.

 

[JackMDS]

Is AC just not ready for prime time?

It probably as ready as it would get.

BTW. People (Including most Computer Enthusiasts) are so ignorant about Wireless Computer's Networking that it is hard to relate to both positive and negative comments.

Unless one knows what exactly the Network and its' devices is comprised anf used. The specific physical outlay of the Wireless Environment, and how the Wireless devices and its Antenna are placed, there is NO way way to really evaluate anything.

 

[bradly1101]

Is AC just not ready for prime time?

It probably as ready as it would get.

BTW. People (Including most Computer Enthusiasts) are so ignorant about Wireless Computer's Networking that it is hard to relate to both positive and negative comments.

Unless one knows what exactly the Network and its' devices is comprised anf used. The specific physical outlay of the Wireless Environment, and how the Wireless devices and its Antenna are placed, there is NO way way to really evaluate anything.

Yes, well there was no expertise needed for any of my other networking options (wired and wireless N), they just worked (I was a Novell network administrator at one time, but that was before wireless). I notice the tools available can help choose the right channel, but I've already tried that. It happens when the wireless device is within a few feet of the router.

I don't think it's 'ready for primetime' if you need to be an expert or buy specialized tools to use it.

 

[kevnich2]

AC runs off pure 5ghz vs N that used 2.4ghz and 5ghz. 5ghz is MUCH more finicky about obstacles, obstructions,etc. In a typical home environment, this is going to play a big role because typically, the router will be located in an office or somewhere tucked in a corner and most usage happens in the center of the house for video streaming, etc.

The best way I've gotten around this is with a dedicated AC access point (Unifi) in the middle of the house that usually works fine for the outlaying areas, granted the signal does degrade a little but not enough to impact performance. The bigger the house and the more obstructions, you may need more than one for proper signal penetration.

 

[wilds]

I've owned the Asus RT-AC68U for nearly 2 years now.
https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RTAC68U/

I live in an older building with lots of stonework. I see 5 GHz to be near half strength 2.4 GHz's signal. Even with this drop off, I find 5 GHz to be over double the speed and have lower latency.

When downloading large files, I find that the 5 GHz band will greatly exceed the 50 down/10 up Mbps (90 Mbps down) plan I have with Comcast whereas I couldn't come close to that with my older Cisco Linksys router.

I'm surprised at how well the Asus RT-AC68U projects 5 GHz. The older Cisco Linksys router I had could barely get the 5 GHz signal to where my Desktop is now. I find that 2.4 GHz provides noticeably slower performance on my phone, desktop, and tablet/laptop (both 802.11n) vs 5 GHz.

ac is the first wireless experience I've had with gigabit-like performance, especially when transferring a file over the network to another computer.

I can't stand using a slow wireless network anymore.

edit: Forgot to point out that when I owned the older Linksys router, I also had another Netgear router act as a wireless hub. This way only the Linksys router provided IPs, and the other router provided a wireless boost.

The massive boost in signal strength means the Asus router is the only device needed to provide wireless signal to the entire building. It made Wifi a technology I no longer loathed. I haven't had any intermittent wireless dropouts that I used to have with the older setup. This is the first router I've owned where I don't expect it to stop working on a whim. I'm sure the doubling of core count, ram, and other improvements in why I am no longer frustrated with WiFi.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I've got the Asus AC68U. No problems or complaints and I do heavy video streaming from Netflix, Amazon, and Plex wirelessly. My wife says we occasionally will see buffering on Netflix during prime movie watching hours (like Saturday evenings), but we don't see this on any other service, leading me to believe it is network congestion rather than the wireless AP.

Also agree with the poster above -- the Asus provided a MASSIVE boost in signal strength and replaced the 3 devices I previously needed to cover my house and patio.