Built in Wifi Quality??

[vsthemParticipant]

Hi all. So, it seems that built in wifi for most digital mixers turns out to be a weak point and that they don’t work very well in real-world environments.

Can anyone comment as to the quality of the built in wifi? Does it have a decent range? Is it reliable in a crowded busy area?

Thanks all!

[ScottParticipant]

I did some testing in a heavily congested WiFi area (my office with 3 APs, and at least 5 other neighboring APs) and was able to get back about 50′ before my tablet started showing a drop in signal. I was much closer to 2 other access points at the time, which are commercial grade APs. I was using the 5 GHz band on the CQ at the time. I still plan on carrying a backup AP to actual gigs.

P.S. I am using a CQ20B, and will be mixing remotely. If you will be using it from stage for monitors, or mixing, the signal should be quite good from the built-in WiFi.

[BrianParticipant]

There are two reasons why built-in wifi can be problematic on these types of mixers IMHO. First, some competitor’s devices use a very old Wi-Fi standard because the devices were initially produces long ago and the manufacture has no interest in upgrading the hardware to new standards. (I don’t blame them for this). Second, because the antenna’s are fixed on the devices themselves and the devices tend to be placed where it is most convenient without thought to Wi-Fi coverage, the results can be terrible.

There are a couple of things to consider. First, consider the placement of the device if you are using built in Wi-Fi (with OEM antenna). Putting the device inside a metal rack is going to create a terrible Wi-Fi environment. Placing it on the floor without line of site to the users is going to create a terrible Wi-Fi environment. Etc, etc, etc. Second, you can get an “extension cord” for the antenna and detach the antenna from the console and place it in a more optimized location. Of course you will see a slight drop in power the longer your cable is (so don’t rush out and buy a 100′ cable when you only need 10′), but putting the antenna up high with good sight lines is going to outweigh the slight loss of signal from the cable length. Third, you can always switch to a more robust Wi-Fi solution by creating your own network. This is the most reliable way of handling your Wi-Fi needs. If I was “touring” with one of these devices, I would 100% invest in some decent network/Wi-Fi equipment. Sure it is an extra cost, but it doesn’t have to be expensive and if the OEM stuff is constantly disconnecting, then it is worth every penny regardless of the cost.

[Lee7Participant]

@brian,

When I do any Pa Hire I always put my router on top of one of the speakers or anywhere which is way above people’s heads giving a constant line of sight. Theatres can be the most problematic when you have hundreds sat there with their smartphones, let alone the theatres own in-house networks cluttering the 2.4 domain.

For me, the CQ shouldn’t pose too many connection problems as even though it will positioned next to the drum kit, it is only a few feet away. And I only need to go out front for our initial soundcheck anyway.

Any other jobs I undertake will be with the QUSB/AB168 anyway. 🙂

[ScottParticipant]

The CQ series’ built-in WiFi is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac which is great. WiFi 5. As Brian mentioned, a lot of other manufacturers using older standards. Overall I was quite impressed with the CQ’s built-in WiFi compared to another mixer that we also have available.

[Author]

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