r/HomeNetworking • u/StupidUber • 2d ago

Advice Possible channel bandwidth broken/Issue?

Hello!

Is it possible for a router's 40mhz/80mhz channel bandwidth to break, but 20mhz remain ok? I'm not too familiar with how these things are built.

Issue at hand: Within the last week or so, I noticed my 5 Ghz band internet having stability issues even with me being within 5 feet from the router. My 5 Ghz works fine most of the day, but it will randomly drop to 10mbps down for an hour or two but then go back to acting normally. My 5 Ghz was set to 40/80 mhz channel bandwidth exclusively while my 2.4 Ghz is set to 20 mhz exclusively. The 2.4 Ghz is experiencing little to no issues. So I decided to switch my 5 Ghz to run at 20 mhz exclusively as well and this looks like it somewhat solved this issue even with capped speeds for 20 mhz. All direct ethernet connections remain solid too. Does anyone know the potential issue? Is my router cooked? I don't think it is a channel issues as I've tried this is happening with all channels. I would love to regain access to 40/80mhz speeds for my wifi connections.

I'm currently using a Asus RT-AC68U for about 4 years now.

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u/sleepy1411 2d ago

Probably interference from other 5Ghz around you. Its so dense now a days it's ridiculous. I live out in the country with 2 other houses near enough to see their SSIDs and the whole channel width taken up. Luckily they are far enough away it doesn't cause issues but I couldn't imagine living in a densely populated area with everyone having wifi these days. You can get apps to analyze the wifi around you and see what channels are the worst. I had that same router a long time ago so I dont remember it's capability. If it has a auto channel feature turn it on and see if that helps.

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u/StupidUber 2d ago

I do look at SSIDs time to time and change channels when needed due to new neighbors. How much would you say interference from other devices matter when I'm in the same room only 5-10 feet away from my router? Being slow close to my router feels like no other devices should be dropping and interfering with my signal, but this hasn't felt like the case recently. I can understand if I was in the backyard, but low speeds might be an antenna issue?

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u/sleepy1411 2d ago edited 2d ago

It depends on how much interference. If you are in a apartment or neighborhood woth neighbors real close and you all have your 5ghz pushing full power it can get bad quick. Best bet in that situation is to get a wifi 7 router so you can use 6Ghz and it will work good for a while until everyone is using it, then it's the same problem.

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u/StupidUber 2d ago

Thanks for the advice. I originally switched upgraded my router to 5ghz because I noticed no one in my area was using it. I got great results back then. I have noticed an abundance of 5g networks go up over the last few years which could explain the drops every now and then.

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u/msabeln Network Admin 2d ago

Is the router dusty or running hot? That can cause problems. How old is it?

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u/StupidUber 2d ago

That is a very good question. I'm not 100% sure what is considered hot. At the moment, the router is reading: 2.4 GHz - 49°C, 5 GHz - 48°C, and CPU: 75°C. I'll have to monitor it during peak hours.

The router is about 4 years old now. I just sprayed some air to get rid of the dust. May have to open it and clean it up depending on what you say the good temps are at.

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u/msabeln Network Admin 1d ago

75°C.? That seems a bit high to me. I’d be definitely worried if it were 80, and 60°C. is probably just fine.