Wireless Network Notes

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Wireless Network Notes [Copy link]

In the Wi-Fi table, it mentions the frequency of the router/gateway, either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. It is recommended that an apartment or condo type housing setup should be 5 GHz to avoid any possible interference with other devices that usually operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. Even though you may not use devices in that range, your neighbors and their devices may interfere with the Wi-Fi performance.

It is recommended to use a router built into the residential gateway, which starts at $5.00 per month. This gateway/router is managed by Lumos Networks and is kept up to date with firmware updates and security protocols. Using a Lumos Networks Wi-Fi router also allows us to see connected devices and helps us troubleshoot issues if needed.

As technology has evolved, wireless routers have also evolved to meet the needs of customers. If you decide to use your own router, some important things to note are:

• Router Type:

1. Early routers listed as "G" series have very limited bandwidth and are not recommended for use in today's environment. (Most "G" series routers cannot achieve more than 55Mbps pass-through)
2. The next series of routers, the "N" series, are much better, with the higher-end routers in this group able to achieve up to 600Mbps or more in some cases.
3. 802.11ac routers are recommended for applications that require more bandwidth and are often certified as "Gigabit."

Is 5 GHz better than 2.4 GHz?

1. 5GHz can generally deliver more data and more intensive data needs, such as video streaming and gaming. (Advantage 5Ghz)
2. The higher the frequency, the shorter the range, especially 5Ghz frequencies do not penetrate solid objects, and 2.4Ghz limits their range indoors. Many older Wi-Fi devices do not include a 5 GHz radio, so they must connect to 2.4 GHz. (Advantage 2.4Ghz) NOTE: Lumos WiFi routers allow you to select frequency by device, so some devices can be set to 2.4Ghz and others to 5Ghz.
3. Network interference often resides in the 2.4 GHz space, and using the 5 GHz frequency eliminates that interference. (Advantage 5Ghz)
4. Recommendation: If you have older equipment deployed, it's nice to be able to flexibly switch frequencies, but in most apartments or side-by-side family homes, a 5 GHz setup is usually preferable. New technologies like AC routing and MESH routing can make the environment more seamless, but they're usually more expensive.

Recommended routers:

1. Any consumer-grade router will work with Lumos Fiber Broadband service, but to get the best performance it is important to look at a product that can support and deliver the bandwidth you are subscribing to, and do so reliably.
2. Some recommended CE routers:

• ASUS RT-AC88U (retail price $270)
• Netgear Nighthawk x6 (retail price $230)
• Linksys AC1900 WRT1900ACS (retail price $160)
• D-Link AC3200 (retail price $180)
• Netgear Orbi Mesh (retail price $349)
• NOTE: These devices are based on industry magazines and

Recommended by an independent ratings panel (reference Lifewire.com)
The key to these recommendations is that these devices are highly rated and
perform well in most environments similar to our residential gateways/routers. The difference is that we
manage the updates and security agreements for you, and at $5.00 per month, you need 32 months to break even on the less expensive
recommended models. Lumos Wi-Fi is the best value for consumers, and soon the Premium Wi-Fi service will
offer better performance at a slightly higher price (release date TBD).

Included in a broadband setup is the ability to hardwire devices directly to a gateway. This will ensure that
all bandwidth is properly delivered to connected devices and is preferable to a standalone PC. In this day and age of connected devices, Wi
-Fi is the Achilles heel
because the speed and bandwidth of the transmission cannot be guaranteed due to the atmosphere and ecosystem. Hardwiring of devices is better suited to guaranteeing
speed delivery, but newer devices may not even have a hardwired connection. So think wireless and Wi-Fi, but
performance depends on many factors, so product selection is important.

Competing Devices
Wi-Fi bandwidth is shared by all competing devices used in the home.
Choosing a speed profile based on the needs of the home is important for performance, here are some simple
tips:
Competing devices do not all have the same characteristics and needs should be considered. For example
, simple surfing on an IPAD or tablet may not consume much of your subscription bandwidth, but
browsing Facebook might. Here are some simple metrics to determine contention utilization:
Netflix recommends at least 5Mbps

• 1.5Mbps SD content
• 3Mbps DVD quality
• 5Mbps HD quality
• 8Mbps or higher for streaming from Sony PlayStation
• 25Mbps for 4K content

1. Smart TV Apps: 3Mbps
2. Internet TV service: 3 Mbps minimum
3. TV Everywhere content: minimum 3Mbps
4. Basic Internet usage: 2 Mbps
5. Streaming video: 10Mbps
6. Streaming music: 2Mbps
7. Large file download: Up to 15Mbps
8. Online Gaming: 15Mbps

Note: These are general guidelines, but you can see from the example that consumption can easily
be limited by the bandwidth of the subscription. For example: wife watching HD quality Netflix on IPAD, daughter
streaming music while browsing Facebook, son playing games on PlayStation, father
downloading "how-to" videos from the Internet.
This example shows that the bandwidth required to smoothly perform all these tasks without interruption or possible buffering is as high as 50Mbps or more.