Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel

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Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel

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Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel
Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel
2023-05-30 08:46:05 - last edited 2023-05-30 08:59:33
Tags: #Feature Request #2.4ghz Channel Selection option
Model: Deco X55  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.2.5 Build 20230511 rel 67294

If the Deco x55 system finds 2.4ghz channel 1, 6 or 11 not in use by any neigboring wifi system, the Deco system will select one of these non-overlapping optimal channels.  HOWVER, if ANY neighboring system is using channels 1, 6 or 11, the Deco system will select an wifi channel that is not one of the non-overlapping channels, i.e. not 1, 6 or 11.  This means that nearly ALWAYS, the Deco system relinquishes the best 2.4ghz channels to neighbors.  

 

This is not acceptable.

 

There needs to be a way to select the 2.4ghz wifi channel to use in the Deco app.  Let the neighbors' system jump to a non-optimal 2.4ghz channel.  I cannot understand why Deco developers will not provide Deco customers the means to manullay select the 2.4ghz channel to use.  Perhaps an advanced setting, with the normal non-advanced default to be auto select.

 

Whenever I am lucky enough to boot up my deco x55 system and there is a window of uncontested availability on channels 1, 6 or 11, the Deco x55 system will select one of those channels.  My system performs very well until, perhaps days or weeks later when I need to reboot the system or  there is a power glitch and the Decos are ofline for a moment, without fail neighboring wifi systems will grab whatever optimal channel the decos had been using.  Then sadly, as the Deco system completes its reboot, the Decos will revert to using one of the overlapping 2.4ghz wifi channels, i.e. NOT channels 1, 6 or 11 since the neighbors' systems are wisely now using them.

 

I say let somebody else's wifi system use a non-optimal channel.  I prefer to use channels 1, 6 or 11 -- my wifi system performance is MUCH better on these channels and if/when I am lucky enough to have my Decos select one of these channels, invariably the neighboring wifi systems switch to other channels leaving me with optimal performance.

 

I have 6 decos and neighbors on all sides so many of my Decos see neigboring wifi systems of various channels on all sides, but those systems are at the fringe of my system's rang.  Therefore, within my property between my 2.4ghz devices, performance is better on channels 1,6 or 11 regardless of what the neighboring systems are doing

 

Mesh system providers other than TP-Link provide this option for their customers, trusting that their customers have the ability and intelligence to be able to use such an option  effectively. 

 

Please, please TP-Link, listen to your customers and give us the option for manually selecting the 2.4ghz wifi channel the Deco X55 will use.

 

Surely TP-Link has the same faith in TP-Link customers' abilities that other manufactures have in their own customers.

 

Thank you.

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Re:Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel
2023-05-31 17:36:11

  @tnet 

 

Being a WiFi 6 router, channel selection is no longer as important as it once was. That is because one of the enhancements that AX (WiFi 6) brought is BSS coloring.  This feature assigns a color to a network and more effectively ignores the interference caused by neighboring networks that may be operating on the same channel.  Yes, it's true that this only benefits WiFi 6 and higher devices but is a key feature in the overall network management for WiFi 6.  Deco has always been built around ART (Adaptive Routing Technology) its one of the cornerstone features that make Deco a leader in Mesh Technology.  This feature is built around the System itself, deciding on numerous factors, which band a client will connect to and which channel that band uses.  Congestion is only one of these factors and complied with other factors the system may simply have determined the best channel is XX even though it shows congested on a network analyzer.  But, going back to BSS coloring, because this is a feature designed for congestion the router may simply be saying the congestion doesn't have to be considered because the other networks will effectively not be seen.

 

 

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Re:Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel
2023-05-31 19:04:07 - last edited 2023-05-31 19:05:13

Dear Carl,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I appreciate you taking the time to address my concerns.

I understand that 2.4 GHz is a legacy technology, but many older devices, especially Wi-Fi cameras, use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.

 

I have six excellent Deco x55s in my system, and they are all hardwired on my gigabit network.

Given the Decos' ART and BSS coloring and advanced technology, in the absence of any neighboring Wi-Fi systems it must be the case that using 2.4 GHz channels 1, 6, or 11 is optimal for legacy devices connected to the network since the Decos select one of these channels whenever neighboring systems are not using them.  In this case I can confirm that the neighboring wifi networks are not using the non-overlapping channel selected by the  Decos.

Moreover, I have noticed that my 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi cameras experience significant performance degradation (frequent dropped connections and poor throughput) whenever they are not using channels 1, 6, or 11. 

 

As the Decos currently operate, they always surrender all the non-overlapping 2.4ghz channels to neighboring systems if any of these systems are using the non-overlapping channels.. 

 

I believe that giving Deco users the option to select a channel could, in some cases, cause neighboring systems to vacate the Deco user's manually selected channel which could improve performance for a Deco user's legacy wifi devices. 

 

I.e. the option to NOT automatically surrender channels 1,6 and 11 could be optimal for some users and environments.

 

This would be a valuable and much-appreciated option -- other manufacturers seem to think so (e.g., Netgear, Linksys, and Asus) as they provide this option on their mesh systems.

 


I hope you will consider adding this feature to the Deco X55 system at some point. It would give Deco users more flexibility and it would make a great system even better.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration.
 

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Re:Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel
2023-06-21 02:57:26

  @Carl 

 

Hi Carl,

 

It's been great to see a number of firmware updates to the X55 system over the past few weeks -- nice to know that your and your fellow engineers are hard at work tweaking and improving.  I have noticed the performance improvements and I'm very grateful.  Thanks again for sharing your expert knowledge and for your support!

 

Warm regards,

 

Andrew

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Re:Deco X55 cedes best 2.4gz channels to neighbors -- need option to set 2.4ghz channel
2023-06-21 19:48:14

  @tnet 

 

Hello Andrew,

 

Sorry, I didn't respond to your post 3 weeks ago.  I didn't see it.  As you can imagine they keep us pretty busy here. So I generally only see posts specifically when I am tagged.  If there is anything I can help with further, please let me know.  Especially if you have suggestions related to the Deco X55.  We are always happy to take our user's valuable input.  

 

Also so you know new support materials, including Firmware, are generally added to the website every Friday.   The Deco supports OTA updates, so you can also regularly log into the Deco app to see if an update is available which you can then download directly on to the Deco from the app.

 

 

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Helpful: 1

Views: 918

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Tags

Feature Request
2.4ghz Channel Selection option
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