In Use
Switching between modes is done via the Administration page available in each mode. The screenshot below shows the adapter set to Repeater mode. Repeater mode doesn't require WDS to be supported on the router or access point that you would like to repeat. In fact, WDS isn't supported at all in the product.
ASUS EA-N66 mode selection
As noted earlier, you can't adjust any wireless settings in the default Bridge mode. All you can do is change mode to AP or repeater, scan for networks and initiate a connection. Note that the adapter is set to Auto 20/40 MHz bandwidth mode. So it will adopt the mode settings of the AP/router it connects to.
Switching to Repeater mode provides the settings shown below, which apply only to the wireless network created by the repeater. Note that the repeated network can have different SSID and wireless security settings than the AP that it is repeating. The ability to change the SSID is particularly handy since getting clients to connect to the repeater signal is a frequently-encountered weakness of using repeaters.
ASUS EA-N66 Repeater wireless settings
The Access Point (AP) mode provides the most flexible wireless settings with both basic settings and Professional settings shown in the screenshot below. Note that the schedule applies to both bands and the Transmit power can be adjusted downward only. The LAN page lets you select between static IP and DHCP (default) and supports IPv4 addressing only.
ASUS EA-N66 Repeater wireless settings
Key wireless setting options for both radios in AP mode are summarized in Table 3.
Updated 9/19/12
Setting | 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
---|---|---|
Channel | Auto, 36, 40, 44, 48, 149, 153, 157, 161 | Auto, 1 - 11 |
Mode | Auto, a only, n only | Auto, b/g mixed, n only, g only, b only |
Bandwidth control | 20 MHz 20/40 MHz (Auto) [default] |
|
Security | None WPA2 Personal WPA Personal WPA/WPA2 Personal WPA2 Enterprise WPA Enterprise WPA/WPA2 Enterprise WEP (legacy only) |
Table 3: Wireless settings summary
The setup wizard worked reasonably well, although it took a few attempts to get the Repeater mode to work. When the wizard did successfully complete, it didn't redirect the FireFox 14 browser I was using to the Network Map page. So I had to go back to www.asusrouter.com manually.
In general, the user interface was friendly and responsive, but really could use online help. Documentation for the EA-N66 is poor, too, with only a "quick start" guide covering the bare essentials available, no User Manual and only one FAQ. So if you can't suss out the connection wizards, you'll have to rely on ASUS support or forum posts for help.
I've put screenshots of most of the screens in the gallery below along with commentary so that you can explore further.