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Severe Upload Bufferbloat on RAX38v2
We live in a rural area and have an extremely slow DSL connection (at best 11 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up). Previously we had an IQRouter v2, which was great for maximizing the connection for multiple devic...
> We live in a rural area and have an extremely slow DSL connection (at best 11 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up). Previously we had an IQRouter v2, which was great for maximizing the connection for multiple devices...but got old and kept dropping the connection.
Before I moved, I had that situation (DSL 7mbps down, 768kbps up). I used an IQrouter v2 to completely eliminate the bufferbloat. No one would call the connection fast, but it was always very usable, even with two simultaneous zoom sessions.
The IQrouter v2 is a re-labeled Archer C7v2 - one of the most reliable / revered routers - Wirecutter's Best Router for Home a few years ago). It is designed by a team of folks at Evenroute who also suffered from bufferbloat.
Before you blame the IQrouter, you can do some troubleshooting:
- Run speedtest.net. Look at both the up/down speeds, but also the new Responsiveness numbers that show latency during the speed tests.
- If you know how run a ping test from the terminal. Look for dropped packets.
- Call your ISP. Tell them you are having problems. (Report the speedtest.net and ping test numbers.) Ask them to check the line characteristics. Ask them if they see any problems.
- Also, ask them to replace the Actiontec - it's an older model, and perhaps it failed or got damaged in a storm.
Good luck!
PS Double-NAT (your DSL modem connected to your router) is almost certainly not your problem. I do it all the time - the IQrouter is designed for it. Double-NAT *can* cause problems, but not bufferbloat. (Symptoms would include being able to connect to certain services, but not others, and mostly fairly unusual situations/applications.)
I'm glad the Windstream made a difference in your speeds.
If you're plugging the Netgear router into the Windstream, I would make sure the Wi-Fi on the Windstream is turned off. (Don't worry about putting the Windstream into bridge mode.)
Then configure the Netgear as well as you can. If it still doesn't work, check out an IQrouter...
So I am considering getting the IQRouterv3, and converting the Nighthawk to a wired access point (in another room) for wifi traffic. The TV, printer, and Synology NAS would be on wired Powerline connections. All the phones/personal devices would be on Wifi. Would this make sense?
I am not certain because it seems like the IQRouter and the Nighthawk work in very different ways. I don't understand it all, but I suspect the Nighthawk achieves higher speeds with lots of buffering, which is what is causing the bloat.
I should say that I have tried reducing my upload bandwidth on the Netgear QoS menu, but no matter how much I reduce it, the upload latency remains terrible. And with so little bandwidth...
Also, the new Actiontec modem/router IS faster (thanks for the suggestion), and I did get it set up in bridge mode--I just had to reset both routers at the same time (and give them plenty of time off), which apparently I didn't do the first time.