RBK20 - Slower satellite speed (small living space)

Mstrbig
Master
Sep 01, 2020
mkstewartesq wrote:
Thank you for all of the suggestions. I changed all of those settings, but no improvement to the satellite. After the reboot, my computer connected to the router and pulled 350Mbps - however, once it eventually shifted to the satellite, speeds dropped back to 215 Mbps.

Mike
Your system is a dual-band system, so the backhaul band uses one of the bands, it’s usually the 5GHz band. So that band is also serving clients at the same time. Therefore, you should expect signal loss on the satellites. This will happen when one of the bands has to do send and receive simultaneously .

I took an RBK13 system and setup 1 router and 1 satellite about 40 feet apart. The building Square footage coverage was about 1400 Sq Ft. I ran a speed test 2 times for each test.
Results were the router speed test averaged 325Mbps in close proximity and 203Mbps around 30 feet from the router. The Orbi satellite speed test averaged 196Mbps in close proximity and 139Mbps around 30 feet.

These results tell me your system is performing well, and you probably won't get much more out of it. If you are getting wide coverage speed of 350Mbps off the one router, I would disconnect the satellite, or move it to an area where you have weak WIFI.
- mkstewartesq
  Aspirant
  Sep 01, 2020
  Mstrbig wrote:
  mkstewartesq wrote:
  Thank you for all of the suggestions. I changed all of those settings, but no improvement to the satellite. After the reboot, my computer connected to the router and pulled 350Mbps - however, once it eventually shifted to the satellite, speeds dropped back to 215 Mbps.
  
  Mike
  Your system is a dual-band system, so the backhaul band uses one of the bands, it’s usually the 5GHz band. So that band is also serving clients at the same time. Therefore, you should expect signal loss on the satellites. This will happen when one of the bands has to do send and receive simultaneously .
  
  I took an RBK13 system and setup 1 router and 1 satellite about 40 feet apart. The building Square footage coverage was about 1400 Sq Ft. I ran a speed test 2 times for each test.
  Results were the router speed test averaged 325Mbps in close proximity and 203Mbps around 30 feet from the router. The Orbi satellite speed test averaged 196Mbps in close proximity and 139Mbps around 30 feet.
  
  These results tell me your system is performing well, and you probably won't get much more out of it. If you are getting wide coverage speed of 350Mbps off the one router, I would disconnect the satellite, or move it to an area where you have weak WIFI.
  Mstrbig - first of all, thank you for going through the effort of replicating my set-up to test.
  
  I may just disconnect the satellite (the router covers my whole place with no decrease in speed anywhere), though it seems to defeat the purpose of hhaving this system. Perhaps this is partly my own fault in misundestanding the technology - I thought that the point of a mesh system such as this was to have roughly the same speeds throughout the house, whether near the router or near a satellite.
  
  However - one more query if I may: would a tri-band system avoid the issue you noted above of the backhaul connection doing double duty of serving clients? I believe I am still in my return window on this unit and have plans to move to a larger space within the year - so, while this unity may work for my current space, I'd consider switching up to a tri-band system (even if it is more than I need right now) if it would ensure more consistent speeds in the larger home I plan to purchase later this year.
  
  Thank you again,
  Mike
  - Mstrbig
    Master
    Sep 01, 2020
    mkstewartesq wrote:
    However - one more query if I may: would a tri-band system avoid the issue you noted above of the backhaul connection doing double duty of serving clients? I believe I am still in my return window on this unit and have plans to move to a larger space within the year - so, while this unity may work for my current space, I'd consider switching up to a tri-band system (even if it is more than I need right now) if it would ensure more consistent speeds in the larger home I plan to purchase later this year.
    
    Thank you again,
    Mike
    
    Yes a Tri-Band should avoid above mentioned issues.
    An RBR20 router and RBS20 Satellite is a nice affordable system. And for larger Sq. Ft. an RBK50, RBK50V or RBK53 system are very powerful and give great coverage.
    However right now being as you are 1200 sq ft, and your Orbi router is covering it sufficiently, an RBK20 or RBK50 system may be overkill as you may experience problems if the satellite is too close to the router. But for now you could just use the router and shelf the satellite(s), until the move.

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RBK20 - Slower satellite speed (small living space)