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Very slow network speeds on 5GHz network on Orbi RBR50 after months of solid performance
Hey All, Hopefully someone can help me with this. I just started noticing some really slow network speeds on my 5GHz connected network devices a couple weeks ago. This is after several months of ...
Thanks to all who pitched in. Your advice was helpful! I just took a backup of the working config in case I need it in the future. Setting this as resolved now!
Please try a factory reset and setup from scratch with the RBR and RBS.
Zablalbaz wrote:Hey All,
Hopefully someone can help me with this. I just started noticing some really slow network speeds on my 5GHz connected network devices a couple weeks ago. This is after several months of fantastic speed and performance with my Orbi routers. When I first set them up, I was seeing up to 700Mbps Internet speed test results on my Fiber Internet while connected to the 5GHz wifi network. Now I am lucky to see 15Mbps to 24Mbps while connected to either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz wifi networks on my Orbi mesh.
Before I go further, here are my specs:
Orbi Hardware Version: RBR50, and RBS50
Firmware Version V2.5.1.16 on both
Operation Mode: Router and Satellite
Region North America
2.4G Channel Auto ( 8(P) + 4(S) )
2.4G Mode Up to 400 Mbps
5G Channel 36+40+44+48(P)
5G Mode Up to 866.7 MbpsAdvanced settings:
Enable Beamforming
Enable Fast Roaming
Preamble mode: Auto
20/40 coexistence mode on 2.4 GHz is disabled
Daisy Chain Topology is disabled
Today, while I was going around doing my wifi analysis, I noticed that my phone was connecting to the Orbi routers' 5GHz network, but with only with a single, 20MHz wide channel. To be honest, I never looked at that before, so I don't know if this is typical of Netgear routers. But to rule out the phone, I also tried 2 tablets and my FireTV cube - all with the same wifi analysis tools - and they all reported back a 5GHz (5240MHz) connection with the 20MHz wide channel instead of a 40MHz wide channel.
Testing with my Lenovo Thinkpad also shows a similar result with the link to the 5GHz network only having a reported bit rate of 54 MB/s. This is the same laptop that was originally giving me 700 Mbps Internet test speeds and now is only giving me 24Mbps at best while connected to the 5GHz Orbi network.
As a further data point, I connected my laptop to a wired Ethernet port on the RBR50 and ran an Internet speed test and got over 800Mbps down and over 900Mbps up. I also ran the integrated speed test on the RBR50 and got the following results:
Latest test result (16:37 Apr 26, 2020)
DOWNLOAD UPLOAD
860.75Mbps 909.30Mbps
Since I purchased the Orbi Mesh system, I have manually updated the firmware twice. Once to V2.5.1.8 back in December 2019. And the second time to V2.5.1.16 today in hopes it would help. I did not reset the routers to factory state after updating them.
Could something have gotten corrupted during the first firmware update to v2.5.1.8? Has anyone else seen this behavior and know a fix?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected. https://kb.netgear.com/000036466/How-far-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite-from-my-Orbi-router
Router and Satellite are connected via a Gigabit Ethernet connection. I do not use the wireless backhaul. I haven't measured the distance with a tape measure, but the router is downstairs on one end of the house in the living room, and the satellite is upstairs on the other end in a bonus room. I'd say maybe 90-100 feet apart in a straight line?
Ok just checking this.
What is the Mfr and model # of the switch in between the RBR and RBS if your using one?
I have only Netgear equipment in my house. :-) Here is a simplified topolgy:
The Internet signal comes into my house via an AT&T BGW210 modem.
That goes directly to the WAN port of the Orbi router.
Signal then goes from a LAN port on the RBR50 to two uplinked Netgear ProSafe GS108 Gigabit switches that distribute ethernet to the rest of the house.
Orbi Satellite is plugged into the Gigabit network with a GS108 switch between it and the RBR50
I have no problem with the wired, Ethernet speeds. That checks out everywhere in the house. Just the wifi from the router and the satellite.