TR Forums

Hi.
There's weirdness in my wifi setup that i can't understand. I have a computer connected to router via 802.11n, i test out the speed and it's 24mbps download and 100mbps upload. My internet service is 100mbps both download and upload. On a laptop closer to the router, it's around 100mbps both download and upload. So it must be the wifi that i'm not getting the full speed. But how can upload speed be solid and download speed be so much lower?

Couple of possibilities:

- You have a localized source of interference close to the PC

- The transmit range on your router isn't as good as that of the WiFi adapter on your PC

There's nothing transmitting near the PC. I'm using FIOS quantum router gateway. Is that a bad router? It doesn't have an external antenna
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HappySOB wrote:

There's nothing transmitting near the PC.

Yes there is, by definition -- the PC's motherboard (and graphics card, if any) emits EMI. It doesn't need to be another WiFi device to interfere; anything that emits RF energy in the same frequency bands used by WiFi could be the culprit. Microwave ovens are notorious for this (but presumably there hasn't been a microwave in use nearby every time you've done the test). To rule out the PC EMI possibility, get the antenna away from the PC. If your WiFi adapter has a removable antenna, try using an external antenna that has an extension cable which allows it to be located a couple of feet away from the PC; or if you can't remove the antenna, try a USB WiFi adapter plus USB extension cable.

It could also be driver issues with your WiFi adapter.

I think it's the $200 router verizon router. I used the PC in another location and it was doing fine. I paid 200 for that thing. Can you help me out with which is a good router?

Lots of people seem to like the Asus routers, https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/ has lots of reviews. If you are just looking to boost the WiFi then I can recommend the Ubiquity UniFi AC-AP. It was in the TR Christmas Gift recommendations, I got one for Christmas and it works really well.

Powerline Adapters.  Screw WiFi.

DPete27 wrote:

Powerline Adapters.  Screw WiFi.

On these I say both yes and no. Going across the house, I had bad luck because once you have to go across breakers there's a big dip in speed. Going the 30 feet from my office to my living room, I could do no better than 40mbps.

When the signal was going from my office to the bedroom where both adapters are attached to outlets on the same breaker, I could max out my 200mbps internet connection. I'm basically going through a shared wall in that case, but that's plenty fast.

The adapters I'm using are pretty well reviewed. If your wiring is recent and if you're not jumping across breakers, they might do well. The wiring in my house is from the 70s, so it's possible things are better in newer houses. Also, avoid plugging them into power strips. If you get those specific adapters, plan on only having one usable outlet—the one built into the adapter. The top of the unit gets in the way even when plugged into the lower outlet.

I generally agree with DPete27's "screw Wi-Fi" sentiment, though. I have ethernet in the living room (running a cable through my attic) and in my bedroom. The only Wi-Fi devices in the house are phones.

If you have that kind of bandwidth from your ISP, then your best bet is to suck it up and put in decent hard-wire connections into your home. It isn't too hard to snake a few wires here and there through your walls and joists. Just make sure to use quality cable and make your own cable ends to keep wire lengths short. In my case, the best DSL connection I can now get is 13.7MB/s, which amounts to about 10MB/s download, and 660K upload. My WiFi would have to be horrendous to be limited to those speeds.

Sure beats the 1.7MB/s I was limited to last year, but I will suffer with it to live in the boonies with low traffic and quiet.

Thanks guys. Im gonna try that powerline adapter. Wow prices have really come down

derFunkenstein wrote:

once you have to go across breakers there's a big dip in speed. Going the 30 feet from my office to my living room, I could do no better than 40mbps.

I jumped across breakers on my 200Mbps powerline kit and I can still max out my 60Mbps service from my ISP (which is all I really care about).  On Wifi, it was spotty depending on how strong the interference decided to be, but at times I couldn't even get 3Mbps.  I haven't actually tried a straight over-the-network test to see what I'm getting.  My house was built in 2010.  Even if your 40Mbps example is a close to worst-case scenario, the OP is only getting 24Mbps over WiFi, so...  $20-$40 powerline kit, vs $200 router.

HappySOB wrote:

I think it's the $200 router verizon router. I used the PC in another location and it was doing fine. I paid 200 for that thing. Can you help me out with which is a good router?

1. Do you have another PC (or wifi-enabled device) that you could test in the same area where the PC showed poor performance?

2. Does the PC work from another location that is roughly the same distance from the router?

3. Does the performance change if the router is relocated?

Sources of interference (radio noise) and obstruction (signal attenuation) are quite common, and I would be rather surprised if there weren't at least one or two bad spots in the house.

I have seen several people spend lots of time and money on replacement routers and wifi adapters when the issue was neither of those things.

DPete27 wrote:

Even if your 40Mbps example is a close to worst-case scenario, the OP is only getting 24Mbps over WiFi, so...  $20-$40 powerline kit, vs $200 router.

Yeah, that's a good point. Less investment and more performance means powerline adapters are a win. With your newer wiring, which is up to higher standards, I wouldn't be surprised if you get more speed than I do. And it could just be the breaker box on my end. I don't think the investment is worthwhile just to speed up powerline adapters so I haven't researched much. It was easier to run ethernet into the ceiling in the office, across the attic, and then down into the wall in my living room. The ethernet wall jack is right behind my TV so you can't really even see it.