How many wireless devices can one GL mini router handle?

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2017 by Hill

 

Question: How many wireless devices can one GL mini router handle?

Answer: That depends on the encryption method which the mini router is using. We did a test and used PSK2 as encryption method and connected totally 39 devices (this is all we have) to the router without problem. When 15 devices were playing YouTube video, the router worked fine. When 25 devices were playing YouTube video, some devices experienced long time waiting. There is not significant difference between our different models.

For the best user experience, we suggest up to 15 devices.

 

How did we test:

We conducted a test in the Mobile Devices Testing Corner of Hong Kong Science Park to measure how many mobile devices can be connected to a GL mini router (AR150, MT300N, MT300A, AR300M, MIFI) simultaneously. Those mobile devices being tested include Samsung, HTC, iphone, ipad, Nokia, Sony, Xiaomi etc. Because there is no cable in the testing lab, we have to use another AR150 router working as a repeater and provide a cable network for the router under testing. The repeater can provide 4Mbps Internet only.

Basic test environment:

  • WISP Internet speed 4Mbps.
  • Total 39 mobile devices of different brands and models.
  • 5 mini routers tested, including AR150, MT300N, MT300A, AR300M and MiFi.
  • Encryption, PSK2.
  • Distance, the devices is put around the mini routers due to space limitation.
  • During test, we ran YouTube app on the mobile devices (totally 25 devices can use YouTube app) and tried to use browser to visit webpages.
  • Checked system load using Luci of each router.

Here are some photos of the test setup.

Basic setup:

basic setup

basic setup

 

AR150:

AR150 Test

MT300A:

MT300A Test

MT300N:

MT300N Test

AR300M:

AR300M Test

MiFi:

Mifi Test

The result:

All 5 router models (AR150, MT300N, MT300A, AR300M, MIFI) can connected to at least 39 mobile devices simultaneously without problem.

We tried to play YouTube video in all 25 devices that has YouTube app and view webpage in some devices. Around 15 devices can play YouTube smoothly and 10 devices shows video loading. When using browsers, we can open website but it takes longer when so many devices is playing video streaming.

Since the Internet speed is limited to only 4Mbps, it is also a bottleneck. So, we checked the sys load using Luci. The load diagram is only for reference because they change over time. The load is reaching 1 so we think this is reaching the mini router’s limit as well.

About the load: In Linux, the sys load is generally between 0 and 1. When the number is above 1, it means the CPU cannot handle all the tasks simultaneously and some tasks are queued.

We conclude that the devices can connect at least 39 devices when using psk2 and it can connect even more when using no encryption. It can handle YouTube video streaming in around 15 devices simultaneously. Please understand that video streaming is cached in the app so not all devices are downloading data at the same time but this simulate the real usage case.

About GL.iNet

GL.iNet builds network hardware and software solutions that bring affordable and secure network connectivity to families and businesses all over the world. We work with a wide range of industries, solving everyday internet problems in offices, and providing complex networking solutions such as smart buildings and IoT Networks. At GL.iNet, We believe all successful businesses build upon a strong and secure foundation, which is why our highest priority is perfecting network security and reliability for our partners.