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Forum Discussion
Wildly fluctuating download speeds
I'm at a loss right now as this problem has been going on for too long. Computer using network cable directly into Orbi, I get 300+ mbps at all times. Computer using Orbi wifi get's 150+ sometimes,...
nika05 wrote:
Computer using network cable directly into Orbi, I get 300+ mbps at all times.
Computer using Orbi wifi get's 150+ sometimes, but most times 30-50 mbps! Use my phone in airplane mode and run a speed test online and get 30-50 mpbs, use the orbi app on the phone and get 300+ mbps!!!!
The Orbi 'app' reports the results of a Speed Test (by Ookla) that was performed on the router. (Everything the app displays has come from the router.) The router and a computer wired to the router should report the same download speed. Note also that it does not matter whether the smartphone running the Orbi app is connected to the router or to the satellite. The app says, "please run a Speed Test and tell me the results." (actually, it probably doesn't say "please")
There are potentially two possibilities for the lower speed:
- WiFi devices vary tremendously based on the WiFi chip set and number of antennas. It would be useful to know the make/model of phone in order to discover the WiFi specs. As plemans pointed out, the 2.4G WiFi band is often congested, which can lead to lower performance. I just ran a Speed Test on my 2019 Sony phone which is connected to the router at 5G and got the same speed as a wired computer (325Mbps)
- The link between router and satellite is 5G WiFi, which is affected by distance, building materials, and interference from other WiFi devices. What is the distance between router and satellite and what "lies between them"?