BCM Best Wifi Settings

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msoengineer
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 21:23    Post subject: BCM Best Wifi Settings Reply with quote
This should be your first stop to check out and read about how to get the most out of your Broadcom Chipset router and its wifi settings.

LINK:Got an Atheros Chipset Router, then read this guide instead.

To really get a good understanding of the limits of wifi, PLEASE READ THIS. (1/3-2/3 rule)
The Best wifi I have ever seen is about 67% of the maximum MCS index rate. For most users this will be 866.7mbps (580 mbps is the best case/real life scenario). If you are lucky enough to have 4x4 VHT80 stream this would mean 1161 mbps. Of course, this also means you need to have a newer CPU from the last 3-4 years that can handle all that data...

Next, go read the Basic Wifi Wiki. This has very detailed explanations of what are the best settings to use and why. See something wrong there, PM me and we'll discuss offline about making changes.

If you are too lazy to read, then simply scroll down. Realize, the pictures below are a work in progress and not all settings may apply to your older router which may have fewer possible settings; also, a few new features may have also been added in the gui but have been omitted in the pictures because I only have a R6400v1 (If you want to send me a free donation of a better BCM router- PM Me). If a setting is missing in your gui, but is in my pictures, then it's not available on your hardware because it's older hardware. Do your best to match the settings in the pictures.

These settings have been found to yield the best and most consistent wifi possible. DON'T deviate from them and then ask why things are not working...follow these settings, unless you really know what you are doing, or just want to tinker around. If you have a technical workshop beef, or want something changed, PM me and we can discuss offline.

All of those settings can be moot if you also don't position your router/ap in the right spot. This is an excellent guide to further help you
properly locate your router/ap in your space

HOW DO I TEST MY NETWORK?

And when you're testing, you need to use two computers running iperf on each and don't rely on iperf on the router because you will skew results if only testing against the router's iperf. Also not all routers have iperf built in- 4 & 8mb versions...
How to use Iperf for testing the router
Preffered Iperf3 commands to use so we all are using the same parameters when posting:

Code:
Upload test: iperf3 -c #.#.#.# -b1000M -w750k -P20 -V
Download test iperf3 -c #.#.#.# -b1000M -w750k -P20 -V -R

#.#.#.# = the ip of the server running iperf3
-b1000M: forces 1gig speeds transfers
-w750k: sets the transfer window to half the full MTU of 1500
-P20: 20 simultaneous streams to force data through and see the full potential of the signal mbps.
-V: verbose test to show you cpu and memory load under testing.
-R: reverses the transfer from the server to you instead of you to the server.


PLEASE read the Basic & Advanced wiki's and don't be TL:DR-
NOTE THE UPDATED BEACON INTERVAL FOR STABILITY REASONS- Don't use prime numbers anymore, some clients may not like prime time units





For Wireless security recommended default is:
WPA2-PSK
CCMP-128 (AES)

For best throughput on Basic Setup page use:
Shortcut Forwarding Engine: CTF
Flow Acceleration: CTF & FA (FA is not available on all Broadcom routers)

Some older clients can have problems with Key renewal,and they will show frequent disconnections.
In that case set "Key Renewal Interval" (On Wireless Security Page) from standard 3600 sec to a much higher value e.g. 86400.
You can even set Key renewal off by setting it to 0, although there is a slight security risk.

Auto channel does not work reliably, so use a fixed channel!
You can use an app on your phone e.g. Wifi Analyser to pick the best channel.

When you have stability or throughput problems disable Airtime Fairness and CTS protection.

Throughput testing is best done with running iperf3 on a wired client on your LAN with your wifi connected client using four parallel connections (-P 4) (for Android e.g. with Magic iPerf).

[edit by moderator (egc)]
For Broadcom/Arm DHD routers (those with the Dongle Host Driver e.g. R8000, R7000P, Asus RT-AC5300, AC3200 and AC3100, Dlink-885, -890, -895) having stability problems with 5 GHz see: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=332468
Things to try:
Disable Key renewal on wireless Security (set to 0 or a large number)
Set NTP update to maximum (Basic Setup page)
Make sure the router does not overheat

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