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RBK50 Speed Tests don't match wired device throughput
Attached is an image of my Orbi Speedtest taken seconds before the same test on a Mac that is wired into the back of the RBK50. Should I expect these to be in the same ballpark? They are WAY off. I'...
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OzGobo wrote:
The Orbi is reporting 437 down, the macOS app on the device that is wired into it is reporting 893. This seems odd.🙂
Odd is correct. One would expect that the router itself and a device wired directly to the router would report the same speed. With a gigabit ISP connection, that is normally in the 800-900Mbps range. It is a bit irritating that the router Speed Test function does not report which Speed Test server was used to perform the test. (Notice that the Mac reported using Verizon and offers an option to select a different server.) In my case, I have noticed that Speed Test reports can vary significantly.
It might be worth running Speed Test on the Orbi several times to see if the reports are consistent over time.
WiFi device speed is definitely a function of the WiFi network and specific device capabilities. The RBK50 ("K" for "Kit", consisting of one RBR50 Router ("R") and one or more RBS50 Satellites ("S") is built on 802.11ac technology with two antennas (2x2 MIMO). A WiFi device with two antennas can theoretically achieve a Link Rate of 867Mbps when placed very close to an access point. Internet searches for "what speed can I expect to get?" turn up all sorts of information.
I do not find it surprising that WiFi devices connected to this 802.11ac system continue to report Speed Tests in the 400Mbps range even with the higher ISP connection.
p.s. On the matter of firmware. I am pretty confident that updating the firmware will have little or no impact on this specific issue. I, myself, updated to the current V2.7.5.4 in the spring and have found nothing amiss.
OzGobo wrote:
Attached is an image of my Orbi Speedtest taken seconds before the same test on a Mac that is wired into the back of the RBK50.
The speedtest on the app measures the throughout between the router and the modem. In other words, while it uses wifi, that is just to control the test. It effectively measures the speed of your internet connection.
Anything else has to navigate whatever else is on your network.
Your wifi speeds will never match your wired speeds. They depend on the technology on your wifi clients.
If your ethernet wired Mac has the same speeds as your wifi clients, then something odd is happening.
Are you deliberately ignoring the advice to get new firmware for your router?