How many pcap 802.11ax adapters can run at once?

MetaGeek Products Chanalyzer
1

Hi,

please, do you know which 802.11ax pcap adapters are suitable for Chanalyzer 6? I have bought an ASUS USB-AX56 as recommended on the Metageek site, but if I use three pieces at once they keep disconnecting. Support says it is due to their high power draw.

  1. how many adapters I can safely run at once?
  2. will listed DWA-X1850 behave similarly? I didn’t originally choose the D-link due to it having internal antennas, so I assumed less range.

Are two at a time the optimal amount?

Thank you.
Best Regards
Zdenek

Windows 802.11ax adapters (Chanalyzer 6 only)
ASUS USB-AX56 (USB\VID_0B05&PID_1997)
D-Link DWA-X1850 (USB\VID_2001&PID_3321)
FusionFutures AX180 (USB\VID_0BDA&PID_8832)

2

Hi, Metageek has asked me to share if I find anything in this area as they have no experience with more than one 802.11ax adapter. I’m thinking of testing ASUS with some active hub e.g. IcyBox IB-AC618 USB Hub which has a power adapter.

3

I tested the D-LINK DWA-X1850 with the same result as the ASUS USB-AX56. If three adapters are running at the same time, at least one crashes after a while. With both models I also experienced crashes if even two were running at the same time, but that doesn’t happen often.

As for current draw, both D-LINK and ASUS each draw about 110 mA in “pcap mode”. To boost the port current, I purchased the rugged seven-port ICY BOX IB-AC618 hub. This hub, especially popular for hard drives, powers the device exclusively with an external power supply. Its total draw from PC is only 30 mA, and that doesn’t change if I plug in any number of adapters (1-3). This hub didn’t help either. So I think the problem is not the current draw, but something else.

So the conclusion is that if you want to use 802.11ax devices D-LINK DWA-X1850 or ASUS USB-AX56, only two adapters work at the same time, the third one is not worth buying. The D-Link is compact, but at the cost of internal antennas that may have worse range. (I haven’t tested this.) The ASUS USB-AX56 is also sold with an extension that also works as a stand.

4

I have a same problem. One from three ASUS USB-AX56 adapters after a minit work go in “No packets detected from capture device” error status but it switch to work mode if I choose Networks Table view, and after choose ssid to monitor. If I switch to upper view level or switch to Assessment, then one of adapters switch to error “No packets detected from capture device” mode again.