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mike-armour's avatar
mike-armour
Aspirant
Feb 08, 2021
Solved

Orbi RBK50 Wireless Speeds are Half of Wired

We recently upgraded our cable internet (Xfinity) and had to replace the old cable modem (SurfBoard) with a new Netgear CM1100. With the new cable modem in place, my wireless speeds on my laptop (did...
  • tucsontico's avatar
    tucsontico
    Feb 08, 2021

    OK. Sounds like you're seeing typical numbers in a "crowded" environment. As you may know WiFi interference is quite common in condo/apartment situations. Especially when lots of folks have powerful routers (like ORBI).

     

    Here's a link to an article describing basic how/why WiFi signals get derated with interference:

    https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/03/802-eleventy-what-a-deep-dive-into-why-wi-fi-kind-of-sucks/2/

     

    One technique is to switch channels from auto to manual and choose a "clearer" channel. Typically Channels 1,6, or 11 for the 2.4 gHz. The 5 gHz channels have a different division scheme. Here's another link to an article regarding channel settings to try:

    https://www.extremetech.com/computing/179344-how-to-boost-your-wifi-speed-by-choosing-the-right-channel

     

    The issue with your laptop not connecting to the nearest satellite may be simply a false display on the we-based ORBI gui or the Orbi iOS app. This happens quite often as the ORBI system really doesn't report the changeover very quickly. I've seen it take up to 10 minutes to report the swap from an router to a satellite (or vice-versa). Try telling your laptop to "Forget this Network" and reinitialize the WiFi service. 

     

    Finally, 2.7.2.104 firmware is getting a reputation of not being the best release for lots of reasons. I'm running 2.7.2.102 and haven't updated yet. I don't plan to anytime soon as my system is running quite well. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

     

    Good Luck!