TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate

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TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate

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TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-03 00:30:23
Hi

Has any one tried the TL-WA7210N yet?

I have some and getting unexpected results :confused:: Here's what I posted to TP-Link tech support so far:

If anyone has any input/suggestion, would be appreciated.

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31/07/2013 - Tech support question

Have the TL-WA7210N for a customer. Just experimenting with setup. Simple thing on the wireless. in bgn mixed mode which he must have. if I leave the channel width to auto. I find I get data rates of 135-144 channels used are 1-5.

In my customer set up there are no other WI_FI near-buy so taking opportunity to separate wi-fi channels I set the channel width to 20Mhz and channel 1. I now find data rates drop to 54-65.

I have other routers including TP-Link products where I have set channel and channel width and don't see this drop on data rates! Why?

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01/08/2013 - Reply and my responses

Hello Nancy,

Please see responses below.

From: Nancy Xie
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2013 10:10 AM
To: it@sjgnet.co.uk

Dear Steve,

Thank you for choosing TP-LINK, This is Nancy from TP-LINK Technical Support.

How did you test the speed? Using inSSIDer and general web browsing via a laptop. Using my existing router (a TD-W8960N) Wi-Fi no problems, via the TL-WA7210N very slow! if not just drop out altogether!
Have you tried other channels with channel width 20MHz? No will do and report back,
How about channel auto with other channels? With channel auto it must default to 40Mhz bandwidth as I see 1+5 in inSSIDer.

When I first brought the TD-W8960N router a few years ago I saw 1+5 channel usage, so switched to 20Mhz bandwidth with no problems max rate is reported as 144.
Assumed the same with the new TL-WA7210N. But does not appear to be the case if I switch to 20Mhz bandwidth max rate drops to 65 or less. It’s like it thinks its in ‘g’ mode but it’s not!
I have even changed to ‘n’ only mode and it still drops the rate.

Further to my original posted question. I reset the TL-WA7210N device and started setup again. I’m using just as a simple access point at this time which is how it comes out of the box.
So just using default setting so it connects to my LAN and internet via Ethernet connection to the TD-W8960N
I now also find that after a few minutes use on a laptop everything slows down and in becomes almost impossible to browse the web. switch to the TD-W8960N wireless and all fine,
switch back to the TL-WA7210N wireless again after a few minutes use on a laptop I everything slows down!

Any help you can give me with the TL-WA7210N would be appreciated. These are for a customer of mine.


Regards
Steve Glover
SJG Computer Services

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01/08/2013 - Further information after some more testing

Hi Nancy,

I addition to my previous responses I’ve done some more work with the TL-WA7210N today my results are as follows:-
I have also tried all of the bellow with a number of wireless laptops, and different OS, results the same!

Your question: Have you tried other channels with channel width 20GHz?"

Yes I tried channel 6, results the same see attached Pics from inSSIDer

On these pics the TL-WA7210N has the SSID of ‘Laurels-Public’ and you can see in pic 1 we have 6+2 indicating 40Mhz channel width and a rate of 135Mbps
If I set the channel width 20Mhz the channel is 6 as expected but the max rate drops to 65Mbps, see pic 2, and I have seen less! Why?

The TP-LINK_sjgnet is my TD-W8960N it’s channel width is set to 20Mhz and the as you can see the rate is 144Mbps

Both are set to ‘bgn’ mixed mode, but I get the same results if I set both/either to ‘n’ mode

Interestingly why is the max rate I get out of the TL-WA7210N 135Mbps and not 144Mbps? as you can see from the pics every other ‘n’ device around me has a max rate of 144.

Yes I know there is a LOT of other wireless around me. But I don’t see that as a factor in this issue.

With regards to my comments that after a few minutes usage any internet access slows down and I’m unable to browse the internet:

Ok I think this has something to do with DNS traffic via the TL-WA7210N and gateway settings.

In the LAN section, as I would naturally expect to do, I set a static IP for the AP, subnet and gateway address which in my setup is of course the TD-W8960N

EG 192.168.1.20
255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1 (my TD-W8960N)

When I reset the TL-WA7210N because it felt like a DNS issue I left the gateway address to 0.0.0.0 default.

As my TD-W8960N acts as DHCP it supply’s gateway and DNS info to any clients issued a dynamic IP

And well this appears to work! I have been browsing ok since I did this. (but not at full rate possible rate!)
But what if you had an unusual gateway setup where you need to tell an AP the gateway address?
This works in my set-up but who’s to say it will at my customer? He has a D-link router!

Your Faithfully
Steve Glover
SJG Computer Services
File:
inSSIDer pic 1 auto channel width.jpgDownload
inSSIDer pic 2 20Mhz channel width.jpgDownload
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#1
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17 Reply
Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-03 01:50:22
before all, reset your 7210 at least 2 times with pin, do not use web reset
re-load FW (firmware) http://www.tp-link.com/resources/software/TL-WA7210N_V2_130320.zip
and every time you change Mode, reset the 7210 pin or web
test with other cables, even if the cables work with any other source (laptop, modem or any other Tp-Link product.
its there a chance you connect 7210 on AP mode direct via (utp or lan cable) to your ISP modem or router
or test CLIENT moden to TD-W8960N router http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?faqid=348 this mode will only give you internet via cable.
or Repeater range extender to TD-W8960N router http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?faqid=318
do not test with ch. 5 use 1, 6 or 11
your pictures cant be seen to low Q.
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#2
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Thanks Danymac I'll work through you suggestions.
2013-08-03 16:47:14
Hi Danymac

I'll work throung this and let you know.

One quick think, yep the pics turned out small. When I uploaded they shrunk. How can I upload at original resolution?

Steve


danymarc wrote

before all, reset your 7210 at least 2 times with pin, do not use web reset
re-load FW (firmware) http://www.tp-link.com/resources/software/TL-WA7210N_V2_130320.zip
and every time you change Mode, reset the 7210 pin or web
test with other cables, even if the cables work with any other source (laptop, modem or any other Tp-Link product.
its there a chance you connect 7210 on AP mode direct via (utp or lan cable) to your ISP modem or router
or test CLIENT moden to TD-W8960N router http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?faqid=348 this mode will only give you internet via cable.
or Repeater range extender to TD-W8960N router http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?faqid=318
do not test with ch. 5 use 1, 6 or 11
your pictures cant be seen to low Q.
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#3
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-03 17:56:20

sjgnet wrote

Hi Danymac
One quick think, yep the pics turned out small. When I uploaded they shrunk. How can I upload at original resolution?
Steve


Well thats another matter, i use Photoshop for pictures and leave weight of the file about 100kb
The important matter its that you try the mode of your needs to solve your bandwidth and rate issue
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#4
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-04 21:08:40
Hi danymarc

Ok I have reset the 7210 as suggested and uploaded the firmware from TP-LINK website
Firmware revision and build values the same!

Testing in AP mode I get exactly the same results as before. As soon as I change from Auto or 40Mhz to 20Mhz. max data rate drops to a lower rate. Now around the 72Mbps. I do notice one minor improvement in that the max rate in auto/40Mhz modes is at the expected maximum of 150Mbps.

Not sure I understood the next bit
and every time you change Mode, reset the 7210 pin or web


If I change mode say from AP to Client mode, pressing the reset button will just set it back to AP mode?!

And the next bit
its there a chance you connect 7210 on AP mode direct via (utp or lan cable) to your ISP modem or router


Do you mean Am I communicating with the 7210 via Ethernet cable and looking at cable data speeds. If so the answer is no. I am using the unit purely as a AP to my existing lan. The wireless clients (Laptops) connect to it via WI-FI.

I looked at the links to the two guides you provided. My customer will not be using the units it these modes Only as an AP or possibly in the future as a Bridge.
Never as a client or repeater!

Never the less I tried them out to see what results I get:

In both cases I find the following:-

My TD-W8960N is normally set at 20Mhz channel width and a channel 1, 6 or 11 to avoid cross channel interference. and works well.
With it left on that setting the TL-WA7210N detects that and obviously down rates the channel width to 20Mhz and I see the max rate is lowered to 72Mbps!

If I set the TD-W8960N to auto/40Mhz channel width modes I get the same results. In that the rate is as expected at 150Mbps

With regards to channel setting
do not test with ch. 5 use 1, 6 or 11


I never used 5 in auto mode with channel 1 it automatically set to 40Mhz 1+5!
With channel 6 it's 6+2 and 11 11+7!

I'll sort out the pics and post again!

Regards
Steve
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#5
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-04 22:08:30
i dont understand this
it automatically set to 40Mhz 1+5!
With channel 6 it's 6+2 and 11 11+7!

why the 7210 using inSSIDer is giving you double chs. this only happens when in WDS or Repeater mode on any device in use, not your case
your 7210 on AP mode should not read 2 chs.
i uploaded a screen, first 4 lines are mines, i added the models in use.
Line 1 and 4 are older models they works at 54, the rest are newer models, orange color line 4 its a 5210 older brother from 7210 and connected as AP (same mode as your 7210) and
inSSIDer its not showing double chs.
I cant see your pictures but if what i post its a fact, then you have a bug in your network,
Second line on picture Tp-Link-LITE shows double ch cause it's set as WDS equal job as Universal Repeater, Repeater or Range Extender all this modes will show double chs. but AP mode, never seen it before
There is a post here of and issue cause he had on main router WPS active
File:
inSSIDer2.jpgDownload
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#6
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-04 23:12:01
Here's some updated pics. Hope you can read these

Ok the first one show my two devices

TP-LINK_sjgnet is my TD-W8960N with channel width set to 20Mhz and channel 11 max rate is 144Mbps (My router wireless is in AP mode and has never been changed!)

Laurels_Public is the new TL-WA7210N set to auto channel width and channel 6 max rate is 135Mbps. See how we get 6+2 This is in AP mode

2nd Pic again show my two devices

My TD-W8960N unchanged

Laurels_Public is the new TL-WA7210N set to 20Mhz channel width and channel 6 max rate has dropped to 65Mbps

Now In the last hour or so I think I understand this my TD-W8960N is a 300Mbps 'n' device so if I set it channel width to auto I get 300Mbps max data rate and dual channel for 40Mhz channel width. So In this respect what we are seeing for the TL-WA7210N is correct.

Having said that the usage of Wi-Fi through the TL-WA7210N is appalling, very slow. Often after a few minutes browsing grinds to a halt! Have tried on a number of WiFI devices. Same result. Very frustrating. I'm using this device in it's simplest mode and it's not usable. Certainly can't deploy to my customer like this!.

I have another of these TL-WA7210N so will give that one a try to see if the same!
File:
inSSIDer pic 1 auto channel width.jpgDownload
inSSIDer pic 2 20Mhz channel width.jpgDownload
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#7
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-04 23:40:16
TP-LINK_sjgnet is my TD-W8960N with channel width set to 20Mhz and channel 11 max rate is 144Mbps (My router wireless is in AP mode and has never been changed!)

You have a bottle neck on your network, if you don't have another adsl router to test, go to any friends home or office and connect your 7210 set as AP, to any LAN port of any SOHO router or ISP router, adsl or cable company

or
(My router wireless is in AP mode and has never been changed!)

can you change to other mode and test
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#8
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Router Bottleneck and mode?
2013-08-05 17:35:13
Hi

Yeap I was getting to the point of swapping out the router as an experiment.

Though I have to say I do not see any performance issues/bottleneck with the existing TD-W8960N router either wired or wireless.
It's only communication via the new TL-WA7210N wireless AP that slows up!

As to changing mode of the TD-W8960N router. The only mode I could change to is Bridge which would then mean I'd need to set the TL-WA7210N
Bridge with AP mode. This is not how I want the units to operate for my customer.

I attached a diagram of my plan. I've done this sort of thing with edimax units before. But never been happy with them. Have used a lot of TP-Link product
thought I'd give this unit a try!
File:
TL-WA7210N Diagram.jpgDownload
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#9
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-05 20:10:29
remember this one on post #2
its there a chance you connect 7210 on AP mode direct via (utp or lan cable) to your ISP modem or router

well now you are going to apply that one with
swapping out the router as an experiment.

post results
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#10
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Re:TL-WA7210N Channel, bandwidth and rate
2013-08-06 02:17:06
Yes, Um not sure if we have misunderstood each other here? But the TL-WA7210N has always been connected to my TD-W8960N via a LAN cable. it would only be disconnected if I was using the TL-WA7210N as a Bridge or Repeater or client which I'm not.
See this diagram:
File:
TL-WA7210N Diagram 2.jpgDownload
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#11
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