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Forum Discussion
Slow Local Wifi/Fast Wired Internet RBK852
Hello. Just upgraded my internet service to Gigabit and having some issues with my Wi-Fi speeds.
I have 1 Router and 1 Satellite.
When I plug my laptop directly into the RBK852 router with a Cat6 cable, I get Gigabit speeds from Ookla Speedtest
When I unplug my laptop and stand right next to the RBK852 router, my speed drops in half.
The laptop is brand new, Wifi 6E from Intel Ax211 160 MHz. I installed the latest driver from the Intel website today.
RBK852 Router firmware is V4.6.8.5_2.1.9
I am have enabled the following - AX for 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz, WPA2-PSK, 20/40 Coexistence, WMM, CTS/RTS set at 2346
My iPhone 12 gets a similar speed over WiFi standing next to the router.
It seems like there is a wifi transmit problem from the router because the speed drops by half when I go from wired connection to Wifi. Can anyone help? Thanks!
2 Replies
BadBunny78 wrote:It seems like there is a wifi transmit problem from the router because the speed drops by half when I go from wired connection to Wifi. Can anyone help? Thanks!
WiFi speeds will never match wired and they also vary a lot depending upon the environment, nearby signals, etc. Even with WiFi 6e the best devices may not be able to match gigabit real speeds (including compression, communication overhead, etc.). If you were using WiFi 6 I would say that ~500 to 600 Mbps wireless speeds are pretty good on average (sometimes higher under the best conditions). 6E should be better but your RBK852 only supports WiFi 6, not 6e. Your iPhone 12 is also 6, not 6e.
Wifi speeds won't be as fast as wired speeds. There's a lot of reasons but mainly it comes down to network overhead, wireless interference, obstructions, and device limitations.
For example, the 8 series (your router) has a 1200mbps 2.4ghz and 2400mbps 5ghz fronthaul. But thats with a 4x4 antenna setup. Most devices (phones/tablets/laptops) are 1x1 or 2x2 antennas. So the best possible connection is at 1200mbps. But thats just link speed. Actual throughput tends to be around 55-65% of link speed. that'd put your around that 600-800mbps range for actual throughput. And thats if you're connected at the maximum rate and don't have much interference in your area.
I'd take a read through duckware's article on it. Its a bit in depth but helps explain it really well.
https://www.duckware.com/tech/wifi-in-the-us.html
