Wireless Overload and Slow LAN

[PNWDweller]

Probably not the best title. 

 

I just had FIOS installed today 100mbs in our new apartment.  The company included an Actiontec MI424WR.  When connected to it wirelessly, I am getting about 20mbps.  When connected directly to the modem via Cat5 cable to my Laptop, Speedtest.net reports 99mpbs so I know we are getting the promised speeds. When I am connected via wired to my switch on my Laptop, I get about 50mpbs. 

 

I did a wireless site survey today and I have roughly every channel overlapping at one point or another by the wireless networks in my local zone.  I did try Channel 8 seeing that was open, but had no improvement.   (84 unit Apartment complex with about 8 units per building) (our SSID is Nelson and Nelson-5G)

 

 

This is my layout in short:

 

The reason I am connecting the Actiontec to my Netgear, is because the Actiontec is installed inside my Daughter's closet where they installed the FIOS box.  I have run a long Cat 5 through the hall as a temporary stopgap to get my wired devices (TV and BluRay - gotta have Netflix! ) Aside from punching a hole in my apartment wall (A Big NO NO per the lease agreement) to put a Cat 5 cable (obviously a small drill hole but still a bad thing), to connect the Actiontec to my switch so I can get the full speeds, is there something different that I can try at this point?   

 

The Netgear presently is in Access point mode, with Lan Port 1 from Actiontec connected to WAN Port on Netgear.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Get off 2.4Ghz if you can and switch to 5Ghz, if you can't then try using only channel 1, 6 or 11. The way WiFi works, it doesn't really care about fully overlapping signals (i.e. 3 APs on the same channel) because it can detect they're wifi signals and work around them, but partially overlapping channels just cause noise, which reduces the signal quality.

Also, unless you're using pure N/AC on 5Ghz with the right antennas, you just aren't going to get great speeds with WiFi. It's main benefit is portability, not connection quality.

[Kai Y]

You have "Nelson" and "Nelson-5G", which for the latter I guess is intended to be for 5GHz WiFi, but you aren't using the 5GHz channels (channels 1 to 13 are 2.4GHz) in the screenshots. 2.4GHz is pretty much congested everywhere, not much you can do about it - try to see if you can use the 5GHz channels on your devices. Also note that switching to channel 8 doesn't bring much of an improvement because, as the Wifi Analyzer app that you are using shows, the wifi signals do actually "spillover" to the neighboring channels, in fact the common practice is that you can only use channels 1, 6 and 11 without the channels interfering with each other. Unfortunately, a quick google search seems to say that the Actiontec is a 2.4GHz only device... while your Netgear R6100 is a pretty high-end router.

 

Probably at this point (if you are stuck with the Actiontec) is to, like what you have done, use an ethernet cable to connect your Actiontec to the switch.

 

Alternatively,

1) Move the Netgear to the same closet as the Actiontec - the Wifi AC of the Netgear router probably will give you better Wifi speeds than connecting to the Actiontec directly, if your devices also support 5GHz Wireless N or AC. Then invest in some adapters that can connect your ethernet-only devices through Wifi (to the Netgear, e.g. http://www.asus.com/sg/Networking/EAAC87/ ).

2) Invest in stuff like powerline adapters or MoCA adapters, that allow you to send ethernet data through the power lines or coaxial cables in the house, respectively. So you can put one in the closet and another near your switch. These adapters don't get close to their rated speeds (e.g. see http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/charts/powerline/view ), and their performance can be dependent on the wiring in your house as well, but I think some of the newer models should be able to provide > 100Mbps which should be enough to max out your FIOS.

 

The ethernet cable approach is probably the cheapest though!

[PNWDweller]

I am mostly at this point wanting to get the LAN speed up to the full 100mpbs or in that range. (I know that FIOS can vary).  When I had a 60mbps cable connection at my old place from a different provider, I was able to get 30mbps via 2.4ghz Wireless G on my laptop.  When I was on 5G, the router (Netgear), was able to push the full 60mbps easily to my phones which are the only ones that have the 5GHZ capability. As long as I can get my wireless in the 30mpbs speeds, that will be sufficient.

 

I am theorizing at this point, but I can't help but wonder if my Netgear in it's current mode (see OP), is throttling things down. 

 

I cannot move the Netgear to the same room as this would not solve the issue of having my wired devices connected.  It is either I connect my switch with the wired devices to the Netgear in the same room, or I run a wire directly to the Actiontec by drilling a hole in the wall for the cat5.   As I stated in my OP, this is not really an option and for now, I have a long cat5 running from the room through the hall into the main room where the Netgear and my switch are.

 

Sadly, at this moment, I am ZERO funding until the end of the month when I get paid as I started a new job and have moved across the state to start it.  So, all available funds are tied up at the moment to buy any equipment for another few weeks. 

[sc302 Veteran]

What hardware is in your laptop? Make and model of your laptop, I can look it up for you. Wireless g, you still only see about 1/2 of the advertised 54Mb/s, so 25-28Mb/s is about all you are going to get.

[+BudMan MVC]

"unless you're using pure N/AC on 5Ghz with the right antennas, you just aren't going to get great speeds with WiFi."

 

I wouldn't even call AC great speeds   This is 100% right on the button with wifi!!  "It's main benefit is portability, not connection quality"

 

"with Lan Port 1 from Actiontec connected to WAN Port on Netgear."

 

That doesn't sound like AP mode to me..  To use any wifi router as just a AP, turn off its dhcp server connect it to network via one of its LAN ports not its wan and put its lan IP address on your network for easy access.  It is rare that wifi router AP actually bridges wan to lan.  But maybe that one is different?  So its not natting?  Your sure..  Your clients on that wifi get an IP from your main routers dhcp server.

 

"I was able to get 30mbps via 2.4ghz Wireless G"

 

No you didn't -- sorry it just not possible to see 30mbps on G.. Guess you could of been seeing bad reporting of your speed, where were you seeing this 30mbps number?  Was that your connected data rate.. Wireless G can do 18-21 normally, 23 maybe even 25 on a good day when the stars are all in a row.  But 30.. Yeah don't think so..

 

As to your drawing, Im a bit confuse - where is the actiontec currently connected?  Looks like only your wife laptop has a connection.  The other stuff doesn't look connected at all, unless you have a wifi bridge setup between the actiontec and the netgear?  You need to get your modem connected to the switch or the netgear so you can have wired to anything wired to those.

 

As to seeing 100mbps over wifi, not going to happen unless you have AC to be honest.  You could do it over N, but problem is most clients just do not have the streams.  Most wifi devices are 1 or 2 streams only - even if your router is 3x3 or even 4x4 the clients are not going to have that.  Now if you have a pc card that is 3x3 then sure you could get 100 over N if you had 2 you could get real close and maybe even hit with 40mhz and good location, etc

 

If you can not run a wire from the actiontec to your switch/netgear then get newest powerline adapters that can do some very good speeds - well over 100mbps.  But even the really OLD pair I have does 100mbps like any normal 100mbps card..  I see high 80s to low 90mbps over it.  Since you have 100mbps, and you saw 99 we really want to be able to do 100 for sure.  And 100mbps network cards don't see that, they see mid 90's etc..  Just like gig cards don't do full 1000, they are going to be 900s etc..  If you wan to see 100 over wifi, as mentioned need the right combination of clients and AP to support it.  Yes 5ghz is going to be cleaner in a small space.. its range is not as good as 2.4 which makes it much better for crowded air waves like an apt complex..

[PNWDweller]

"unless you're using pure N/AC on 5Ghz with the right antennas, you just aren't going to get great speeds with WiFi."

 

I wouldn't even call AC great speeds   This is 100% right on the button with wifi!!  "It's main benefit is portability, not connection quality"

 

"with Lan Port 1 from Actiontec connected to WAN Port on Netgear."

 

That doesn't sound like AP mode to me..  To use any wifi router as just a AP, turn off its dhcp server connect it to network via one of its LAN ports not its wan and put its lan IP address on your network for easy access.  It is rare that wifi router AP actually bridges wan to lan.  But maybe that one is different?  So its not natting?  Your sure..  Your clients on that wifi get an IP from your main routers dhcp server.

 

"I was able to get 30mbps via 2.4ghz Wireless G"

 

No you didn't -- sorry it just not possible to see 30mbps on G.. Guess you could of been seeing bad reporting of your speed, where were you seeing this 30mbps number?  Was that your connected data rate.. Wireless G can do 18-21 normally, 23 maybe even 25 on a good day when the stars are all in a row.  But 30.. Yeah don't think so..

 

As to your drawing, Im a bit confuse - where is the actiontec currently connected?  Looks like only your wife laptop has a connection.  The other stuff doesn't look connected at all, unless you have a wifi bridge setup between the actiontec and the netgear?  You need to get your modem connected to the switch or the netgear so you can have wired to anything wired to those.

 

As to seeing 100mbps over wifi, not going to happen unless you have AC to be honest.  You could do it over N, but problem is most clients just do not have the streams.  Most wifi devices are 1 or 2 streams only - even if your router is 3x3 or even 4x4 the clients are not going to have that.  Now if you have a pc card that is 3x3 then sure you could get 100 over N if you had 2 you could get real close and maybe even hit with 40mhz and good location, etc

 

If you can not run a wire from the actiontec to your switch/netgear then get newest powerline adapters that can do some very good speeds - well over 100mbps.  But even the really OLD pair I have does 100mbps like any normal 100mbps card..  I see high 80s to low 90mbps over it.  Since you have 100mbps, and you saw 99 we really want to be able to do 100 for sure.  And 100mbps network cards don't see that, they see mid 90's etc..  Just like gig cards don't do full 1000, they are going to be 900s etc..  If you wan to see 100 over wifi, as mentioned need the right combination of clients and AP to support it.  Yes 5ghz is going to be cleaner in a small space.. its range is not as good as 2.4 which makes it much better for crowded air waves like an apt complex..

 

 

Sorry about the drawing, I had her laptop wrongly stated as being wired to the Actiontec, that is wrong.  She is 100% wireless.  The Actiontec is currently connected directly to the FIOS via a Cat5 from the FIOS box.  It is acting as the modem with router functionality.  I have accepted the fact that I cannot get 100mpbs over wireless with my current set up as well.  I am just wanting to get the full speed to my wired devices which at this point consist strictly of:

 

My Laptop (When I am at my desk and not roaming my apartment with it).

TV

Blu-Ray Player

NAS Box

 

The rest of my devices are wireless only which are the phones and tablets. 

 

Later today after work, I will see if I can't push a hole through the bottom of the wall to run my Cat5 to the switch directly.

[+BudMan MVC]

So still a bit confused. You say your at your desk, where is that in the drawing. So your TV and bluray and Nas are wired, but how does this wired network get any internet access at all? You don't show any sort of internet connection in the drawing. It looks like your wifi is off your netgear blue lines, but that doesnt have any connection to your actiontec?

If you can not run a wire from your actiontec to switch or netgear switch port. Then get some powerline, make sure it doesn't have 100mbit interfaces.. How these companies claim 500mbps when the ethernet interface on the adapter is only 100 is beyond stupid.

This one is 600mbps and has gig interfaces. And the benchmark I see here they are seeing over 100mbps - so that should be good for you for your uplink to your internet router.

https://www.avforums.com/review/tp-link-tl-pa6010kit-powerline-adaptor-review.9349

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBPLI48

[PNWDweller]

UPDATE:

 

I plugged my laptop in directly to the router (Actiontec), which I learned was only a router.  Anyway, I have been getting 1/2 speed all day today and all night last night.  After spending sometime with the ISP, they determined I had a faulty router and are sending a new one after they did some tests.   Plugging my laptop directly into the interface box got things running at full speed which was their basis for the determination.  

 

Since I have to wait for a new Actiontec from them, I decided to do a factory reset.  This put things back up to the full speed while directly connecting to the Actiontec.   I have been running some periodic speed tests now and have seen the speeds waver from 99mpbs down to 20mpbs hardwired. 

 

I disconnected everything and dropped my Lan cable to my Netgear R6100 and have been getting some decent speeds, but am also experiencing the same slowdowns as the Actiontec. 

 

This makes me think the Actiontec is indeed working properly since my Netgear is doing the same symptoms.

 

I have tried plugging my direct line into my switch, and then my laptop connected to the switch (With no other items plugged into it) for a test, and oddly enough, my speeds are better, but not as strong as if I run the same cable to my computer.  I admit, that my computer does have a 1gb network card in the laptop so I think that I would be getting the best speeds (90-100mbps) with a direct drop to my computer.  My switch on the other hand has a 10/100 (Half Duplex) 20/200 (Full Duplex) configuration so, would this in essence be causing effectively "half" the speeds?

 

The switch is a "Netis ST-3111" which has specs here:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833389016

[+BudMan MVC]

"My switch on the other hand has a 10/100 (Half Duplex) 20/200 (Full Duplex)"

 

Huh??  Its a 10/100 switch, yes you want to run in full duplex.  Are you connected at half duplex?  Do you have duplex mismatch?

 

"I have been running some periodic speed tests now and have seen the speeds waver from 99mpbs down to 20mpbs hardwired"

 

Where are you seeing them waiver to 20mbps??  Where exactly are you testing?

 

Dude be it your plugged directly into the actiontec or the switch is not going to make your speeds faster on that switch..  Not unless you you had a duplex issue when connected to the actiontec directly, and had correct when on the switch, and switch had correct to your actiontec.

 

BTW - get a NEW switch that is gig..  Do you really need a 16 porter?  I don't see 16 devices on your drawing that are wired.  You can pick up a gig switch for $20..  That switch is complete wast of elec, Again if you wan to see 100mbps you can not be going through a 10/100 switch.