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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR350 + 2 satellites internet speed question
Hi! I use a RBR350 Orbi connected to 2 RBS350 satellites in my house with 2 floors. There is a big concrete wall in the middle of the house. So basically, the router and the RBR350 are downstairs, ...
I recommend CAT6 UTP for best operation and performance. CAT5 was rated for 100Mpbs. CAT5E and CAT6 are rated for 1Gb.
Sorry, I'm using Cat5E, not Cat5. Should I still upgrade the cables?
Sorry, I'm using Cat5E, not Cat5. Should I still upgrade the cables?
Cat5e should be fine - these are short patch cables, and gigabit ethernet is designed to run over 5e.
I just installed a powerline adapter and tested it on my computer's room. I got 165 mbps
That is a suspicioius result.
Did you test the adapter going directly to your Mac? If not, I suggest you do that.
If the RBS decides the wireless backhaul is giving better performance than the wired (powerline), then I think it will continue to use wireless. Which would explain your result.
Well, I have the same results when the cable is going directly from the powerline adapter to my Mac.
Well, I have the same results when the cable is going directly from the powerline adapter to my Mac.
Ok. So definitely the powerline speed over thqt pair of outlets.
You could get different (perhaps better) results if you shift the adapter to the socket in your partner's room. I've found that the speeds can vary a lot across different outlet pairs
As far as stability goes, both wifi and powerline can be variable. The electrical load on the circuit will affect powerline performance - particularly if something that generates electrical noise is on the circuit. Motors can certainly do that, though there's other stuff that also will put noise on the power line. If you have air conditioning in the attic, you probably should test speeds with the AC turned on.
I spent $20 on Amazon to purchase a 100ft. CAT6 cable. When there are few family members to annoy, I can string that cable through the house (up stairs, down hallways, etc.) and connect devices to "see what happens"
FWIW, I do have wired ethernet to the two RBS locations in my home (and both are connected to the satellites). With the 870, the mesh still chooses 5+6 ghz backhaul. Older Orbi models chose wired.
Note the ethernet is wired through a gigabit switch, which rules out multigig. When I have some time, I might try bypassing the switch and see if the backhaul changes.
