Hardware I was right about Switch's WiFi.

[DocAmes1980]

Yeah I know.
Only problem is, not 2.4 nor 5 GHz access points show up even though I'm "directly" above it and there are windows everywhere.

I forgot to mention that every single other smart device works fine.
My phone gets wifi signal from the street and my router is on the fifth floor.

Well then it's probably about as good as it's going to get. I had similar results as far as range. 3rd floor apartment, phone would disconnect halfway through the parking lot yet the Switch struggled to maintain a connection from my bedroom, 25 feet away from the router.

Maybe with a hack we can increase the wireless NIC Tx/Rx power. Probably not but it would be nice.

 

[BvanBart]

Just saying.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw..._every_switch_have_terrible_wifi_range_or_is/

It's NOT a problem with my internet like some idiots here were talking down to me, for.

It IS the Switch and its terrible wifi chip. Its compatibility with certain routers just absolutely sucks. I even talked to a support guy for an hour, and he was tried everything (including something he wasn't supposed to do) and based on everything he did, as well as the error code, that's the conclusion he came up with, as well.


I just wanted to say this so all the assholes who said "It's your shitty internet" will stop being condescending idiots and avoid commenting on something they know nothing about.

Smh.

So what brand of router do you have? And what type? I know from this tread that you have a Launch day Switch system right?

 

[DocAmes1980]

So what brand of router do you have? And what type? I know from this tread that you have a Launch day Switch system right?

A Netgear R6220. Dual band AC.

Edit: yes, launch day system

 

[BvanBart]

That is a fun fact, my brother has the same router and he is also complaining about the connection.
I do not have any trouble at all... but my switch is an older system (bought the Splatoon 2 bundle)

 

[DocAmes1980]

That is a fun fact, my brother has the same router and he is also complaining about the connection.
I do not have any trouble at all... but my switch is an older system (bought the Splatoon 2 bundle)

I didn't buy the router my roommate did. I don't like Netgear. I've thought about pouring water in the router to ruin it but I can't do it. That being said the router works pretty reliably after disabling the guest networks (or maybe it was the FW update that helped reliability). All other devices work fine with really good range. It's not the router's fault.

You should try your Switch at your brother's place.

 

[BvanBart]

I didn't buy the router my roommate did. I don't like Netgear. I've thought about pouring water in the router to ruin it but I can't do it. That being said the router works pretty reliably after disabling the guest networks (or maybe it was the FW update that helped reliability). All other devices work fine with really good range. It's not the router's fault.

You should try your Switch at your brother's place.

Going to him this afternoon, I’ll keep you updated!

 

[smf]

I didn't buy the router my roommate did. I don't like Netgear.

What do you have against netgear? The R6220 isn't the top of the range and I'd probably ditch the stock firmware and install LEDE. My WNDR3700 is still going strong after many years of service.

 

[Super.Nova]

Well then it's probably about as good as it's going to get. I had similar results as far as range. 3rd floor apartment, phone would disconnect halfway through the parking lot yet the Switch struggled to maintain a connection from my bedroom, 25 feet away from the router.

Maybe with a hack we can increase the wireless NIC Tx/Rx power. Probably not but it would be nice.

Try to change power consumption settings in your router and you might get a better range.
Mine was reset to power saving after some update which decreased WIFi range but was improved to said range once I put it on the "no sh!ts given" equivalent.

I'm thinking on getting a mesh network but not every sure all my devices (Switch included) are supported and don't even know if that's something a device should support.

 

[DocAmes1980]

What do you have against netgear? The R6220 isn't the top of the range and I'd probably ditch the stock firmware and install LEDE. My WNDR3700 is still going strong after many years of service.

Although I've never owned a Netgear router I've had bad experiences with Netgear products. I'm the techie in my family and circle of friends so I am called when something goes wrong. Netgear routers are popular so it seems like whenever I show up to check their network I see they've got a Netgear router. Maybe I associate Netgear with problems because of it. The last Netgear router I tried to setup wouldn't display the router management page even though it appeared on the network map. Tried their "routerlogin.net" and it could not load the page. Downloaded their setup utility and it couldn't recognize that a router was attached even though it still appeared on the network map in Windows. Just the fact that I had to go through a stupid setup process was enough to piss me off. Any other router you can just connect and then use the default IP to access the management page. They took the Netgear back and got a Linksys and of course it was plug and play like every other non-Netgear router I've setup. The R6220 came into the mix because I was going to move out so my roomie got a R6220 on Black Friday (it was still $100+). I didn't move out because I found out my GF was a sociopath. Since he already bought the Netgear I gave the router that I had bought, a $30 TrendNet, to my mom. That TrendNet was WAY more reliable than the much more expensive Netgear. I'm not sure if we ever had to power cycle it. I think my mom has had to power cycle the router twice or so in the two years she's had it. The R6220 was a hot mess when it was first setup. It would drop wireless clients multiple times a day. I turned off the guest networks and that seemed to make it slightly better. Then there was a FW update. Now it's okay. Sometimes it gets really flaky and has to be power cycled to fix.

I checked to see if the router supported DD-WRT or OpenWRT it does not. If there's any other firmware that can be put on the router I'd be willing to try. I don't recall hearing about LEDE. I'll use my google machine to find out more... EDIT: No support for the R6220. I might just intentionally short the router and buy something that supports aftermarket FW.

TL;DR: A Netgear router killed my dog.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Try to change power consumption settings in your router and you might get a better range.
Mine was reset to power saving after some update which decreased WIFi range but was improved to said range once I put it on the "no sh!ts given" equivalent.

I'm thinking on getting a mesh network but not every sure all my devices (Switch included) are supported and don't even know if that's something a device should support.

Thanks for the tip but it doesn't have any such setting. Besides, the range of the router is actually quite good. The Switch is the only device I've ever connected to it that has such poor range. I'm not concerned anyways. I hardly use my Switch, it's on 3.0.0, and it might get blacklisted anyways depending on what hacks/mods are possible in the future.

 

[smf]

I don't recall hearing about LEDE. I'll use my google machine to find out more... EDIT: No support for the R6220. I might just intentionally short the router and buy something that supports aftermarket FW.

The guy in charge of OpenWRT was causing problems, so everyone left to join the new project LEDE. OpenWRT is essentially dead.

According to this page it's been supported by LEDE for a few months, although I don't know how well.

https://lede-project.org/toh/hwdata/netgear/netgear_r6220

https://downloads.lede-project.org/...e-ramips-mt7621-r6220-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar

AFAICT you just install it like you would an official upgrade, as the only installation instructions I found were from before they had built sysupgrade packages.

If you're going to destroy the router anyway, then it seems like it's worth giving it a go. It might force the issue and you'll be on better moral standing if you were just upgrading the firmware when it died.

I have had problems with linksys and never with netgear, but I guess they probably both have released duds and it depends on experience. My ancient WNDR3700 is solid as a rock.

 

[DocAmes1980]

The guy in charge of OpenWRT was causing problems, so everyone left to join the new project LEDE. OpenWRT is essentially dead.

According to this page it's been supported by LEDE for a few months, although I don't know how well.

https://lede-project.org/toh/hwdata/netgear/netgear_r6220

https://downloads.lede-project.org/...e-ramips-mt7621-r6220-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar

Wow. Big thanks man. I had looked in the supported router list and the R6220 wasn't listed so maybe they haven't updated the list. I'll try to flash it tomorrow since I get off early.

 

[grossaffe]

Wow. Big thanks man. I had looked in the supported router list and the R6220 wasn't listed so maybe they haven't updated the list. I'll try to flash it tomorrow since I get off early.

I bought the R6220 because it supposedly had support (LEDE, I think), but then I'd seen it was more of a preliminary support. That was months ago, though, so maybe it's gotten better since then.

 

[DocAmes1980]

I bought the R6220 because it supposedly had support (LEDE, I think), but then I'd seen it was more of a preliminary support. That was months ago, though, so maybe it's gotten better since then.

The latest available FW is still a snapshot. It might be the initial one. I'm not sure if there is a changelog or a way to view older versions. Also it's a .tar file. The stock firmware comes in a .img file. Not sure if I flash it via the web interface like official or if I have to use the .tar file to make a .img file. I can't look into until tomorrow.

 

[gamemasteru03]

Just saying.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw..._every_switch_have_terrible_wifi_range_or_is/

It's NOT a problem with my internet like some idiots here were talking down to me, for.

It IS the Switch and its terrible wifi chip. Its compatibility with certain routers just absolutely sucks. I even talked to a support guy for an hour, and he was tried everything (including something he wasn't supposed to do) and based on everything he did, as well as the error code, that's the conclusion he came up with, as well.


I just wanted to say this so all the assholes who said "It's your shitty internet" will stop being condescending idiots and avoid commenting on something they know nothing about.

Smh.

Agreed my switch use to be like 4 feet away from my router and it would only get like 2/3 bars. My family upgraded our router a few months ago to router that supported 5g (our old router was really old) and now it gets 3/3 bars.

 

[DocAmes1980]

Agreed my switch use to be like 4 feet away from my router and it would only get like 2/3 bars. My family upgraded our router a few months ago to router that supported 5g (our old router was really old) and now it gets 3/3 bars.

5 GHz supports higher speeds but has less range. Maybe the new router has better range overall. Although at four feet it shouldn't matter. It's amazing how terrible the Switch's WiFi seems to be.

 

[urherenow]

I recently just spent a year studying networks, both wired and wireless, and did at first find the Switch's wifi to be pretty terrible. After doing my own research, I found that it really seems to be that the Wifi chip, or even posssibly the antenna, is pretty much dogshit. Had incredible range with very few routers and very poor with most.

Even in my own home, I find the Switch struggles to punch through walls, even simple drywall, of which none of the other devices I tested with ever struggled. Even my desktop, which is at the furthest part of the house, as well has a dodge antenna, connects fine to my low-end Hauwei router, where if I'm about half of that distance with the Switch, it drops signals quite often.

My guess? Either the Wifi chip in it is shit, (which I can't really see being an issue, since it also has to deal with all the bluetooth connections for controllers at the same time, a full possible 8 + wifi all at once.) or that the antenna is in an awful spot as well as covered up internally somehow.

So... with all of that studying under your belt, did you bother testing specific channels, as well as switching between half (both upper and lower) and full width on all channels to see if certain ones performed better or not?

 

[DocAmes1980]

So... with all of that studying under your belt, did you bother testing specific channels, as well as switching between half (both upper and lower) and full width on all channels to see if certain ones performed better or not?

Why should that be necessary when all other devices perform well? Even if the router is using a sub optimal channel how it performs relative to other devices on the same network gives you an idea of how good the Switch's wireless is (or isn't).

 

[urherenow]

Why should that be necessary when all other devices perform well? Even if the router is using a sub optimal channel how it performs relative to other devices on the same network gives you an idea of how good the Switch's wireless is (or isn't).

it's necessary because the switch wifi obviously has a problem. Testing ALL possible combinations is the only way to know whether or not there is a "best setting" for the switch to work with your router. If Nintendo would do the same thing, it could *possibly* help them to develop a better firmware for the chip they're using (provided there is a specific setting that performs better than the rest).

 

[fatsquirrel]

I literally just bought the switch and connected it to my home wifi which is a god damn fast beast of a wifi.
It works like a snail on drugs with deformed snail legs. What is this?
I doubt I'm getting 200kbps on this meanwhile my iPad downloads with 6 MBps+ without a hassle even further away from the access point.

 

[BvanBart]

I think it is Switch related! My Switch has no problem whatsoever with the router from my brother. My brother however has a sloppy connection.