Client Power Drain - Router - TP-Link - AX5400 Pro
Hello,
Mid-July 2024 we switched from Netgear - R6900 to TP-Link - AX5400 Pro.
Ever since, our personal battery powered devices (all Apple - 2x Watch, 2x iPhone, and 2x iPad) have a poor battery performance. - No idea how much (more) power other connected devices might use...!?
My watch, for example, used to need a charge about every 3 days, and even then was barely in the high teens percentage on battery power remaining. Now, i can be lucky if it lasts a day.
Are there router settings on this unit one can check/change to influence power consumption on client devices?
i found a few general articles eluding to "... bad router configuration can drain....battery..." - see here at ZDNET for example.
<insert link option does not work so inserted an image instead>
but i am uncertain if, where, or what to look for and change on this router!?
Thank you,
Stefan
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Thank you very much for the information and included link. This sounds very promising!
Unfortunately we wont be able to test for a couple of weeks since we just hit the road; i will report back my findings upon return and trialing a few days.
At our current location - different state, router/network - battery performance improved. That, i feel, confirms my suspicions for the router (settings) to be the culprit. We'll find out.
Thank you again for the tip.
Stefan
Update 05/14/25
Cannot see an improvement on current devices (Apple products) as remotely hoped; even though i was aware that the TWT (Target Wake Time) is for Wi-Fi 6 standard.
Since there was a difference in device battery performance between two different locations/networks i am left to blame the new router, which is disappointing as one hopes that in fact new is better whereas we continue to be disappointed and repeatedly get more often than not confirmation that 'things aren't built how they used to'. :)
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Besides TWT option you can use the following directions to lower your battery consumption:
1. Router Settings for Battery Saving:
2.4 GHz Band:
Using the 2.4 GHz band offers a longer range and may be more efficient for your phone, potentially reducing battery drain compared to the 5 GHz band.
DTIM (Delivery Traffic Indication Map):
Setting DTIM to 3, as recommended by Apple, can help with battery efficiency.
Smart Connect:
If your router has a Smart Connect feature, which automatically switches between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, it can drain battery as the phone constantly searches for a connection. Disabling this feature can improve battery life.
2. Phone-Side Battery Saving Tips:
Turn off Wi-Fi when not needed:
Constantly searching for a Wi-Fi connection can drain battery.
Use Airplane Mode:
If you're not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data, use Airplane Mode to disable all wireless connections.
Limit background app activity:
Apps running in the background can consume battery. Close unnecessary apps or use your phone's battery optimization features to manage background activity.
Enable battery saver mode:
Many phones have a battery saver mode that limits certain features to extend battery life.
Adjust display brightness and timeout settings:
Lowering screen brightness and setting a shorter screen timeout can help conserve battery.
You can always contact your local support for further assistance - here.
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Thank you, I appreciate your help.
I'll take a look at this as well and experiment as time permits.
Stefan
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By chance do you have the SSIDs hidden? If so unhide them. It does not improve WIFI security but the signal between the devices and router is different. The device must ask if an SSID is available vs it asking what SSIDs are available. If the device has a lot of hidden SSIDs to search for, that could take more of the device's resources. May help to clear the SSIDs in the device.
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Hello,
Thank you for the input!
SSIDs are not hidden.
2.4G and 5G, both networks are set independently (Smart Connect is off), so the user chooses which to connect to on devices that work with both; as before and on the other network.
I suppose i am mainly concerned, disappointed really, that the Apple Watch performance changed so drastically, from pretty consistently about 3 days to barely 1 day. Only change i now of, other than the few iOS, iPadOS and AppleWatchOS updates around the same time, is the perhaps coincidence of having swapped to the new router. I guess a major, not one of does 0.x incremental, OS updates (beliefe it was #17, later the #18) could indeed be the culprits; maybe #19 to-come will settle things again!?
I appreciate all feedback and suggestions as i've learned a few things along the way already. :)
Stefan
p.s.
One other thought: This router allows to set signal strenght, which is set to 'high'. Not having looked into that yet; this means the signal (transmitter power) the router sends out, and does not have any impact on how devices connect back to the router, does it?
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I woud not think that the power level would effect a device's battery life. But it would not hurt to test.
I would suspect the Apple release or an app or some setting as my wife said her iPhone battery is not lasting as long as before.
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Just did some research and many report higher battery usage with the new Apple releases. Also Apple says that battery usage is higher right after installing a release for several days.
updated them all last night.
I just went through my devices and turned off a lot of settings. Some, I thought I had off before.
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