New ADSL modem router - very confused

[GregH991]

Hey all,

Recently purchased an ASUS AC52U ADSL/VDSL modem router and got Telkom 10MB/s uncapped ADSL. It is up and running but I am not sure that it is configured correctly as apart from entering my ISP provided login details, all other settings have been left at default. Given the huge number of settings that can be made in the modem control panel, not sure if I am getting the most from my connection.

For example, this modem router has 2.4 and 5 ghz bands. It seems to be 2.4 ghz by default. Must I manually change it to 5ghz or just leave it? My understanding is that 5ghz is better? And what about ADSL vs. VDSL. Can I use VDSL and if so, how do I set this?

I am using this network to connect a pc using a network cable for internet/email and also run wireless Netflix/YouTube etc through a smart TV. And the kids have the PS4 for online gaming, also wireless.

The modem is near the TV and PS4 - would it be better to connect these using a cable or leave it wireless?

Lots of questions... Any help on setting this up correctly will really be welcomed!

 

[nico.nel]

5Ghz is faster, but it does not penetrate walls at all which means you will probably only have stable 5Ghz WiFi in the room the router is in. The router seems to be dual band so you should be able to use 2.4 & 5Ghz at the same time. If you do this, the Ps4 will be able to connect to the 5Ghz network just fine and you won't need cables. The TV should be fine on 2.4Ghz.

The above is similar to my setup and I can stream YouTube & Netflix to the TV with no hassle and I get pings of around 20 when playing on local servers with the Ps4.

As for VDSL, that is only used for line speeds of 20Mbps+, so you should not change that.

In short, your settings are fine, but see if you can enable dual band. My router treats it as a separate WiFi all together. No need for cables either way.

 

[grump_grouch]

Under the Advanced Settings->Wireless->General tab you can select your frequency from the "Band" dropdown and configure the settings for each band.

 

[GregH991]

Thanks for the answers. So just to be sure, all I have done since unboxing this modem router is to run the initial auto set up function where I set my login, wifi password (SSID) and my Telkom login details. I also changed the time zone under Administration settings and did a firmware update. I have not touched any other setting.

For the 2.4Ghz vs 5Ghz bands and getting certain devices connected to a particular band (yes this is a dual band unit), is it simply a case of selecting either the 2.4Ghz SSID or the _5G SSID when linking devices? I presume that devices don't then switch over from the one band to the other as required, but stay only on the band I physically "assign" them to?

Cheers!

 

[nico.nel]

Yes, that should be all you have to do. The devices will stay on the SSID that you connected them too.

Some devices may revert to 2.4Ghz if both SSIDs have been added to them due to signal strength. So as long as a device has only been logged on to one of the SSIDs it should stay on it.

 

[GregH991]

Thanks a mil!