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Forum Discussion
EX6200 'Fastlane' Poor Throughput
New EX6200 w/ f/w upgraded out of the box to 1.0.3.68.1.1.104.
Unit was extensively tested in 'standard' mode, repeatering on both 2.4 and 5Ghz; throughput was ok with some small decrease from the base wifi router (to be expected).
Decided to put the unit in 'fastlane' mode, with a interconnect on 5Ghz, as the distance between the two units is ~25 feet with the signal strength at 100% (all bars) according to the extender, and put the clients off the extender on 2.4.
The throughput on the base wifi router on both 2.4 and 5Ghz is 100% of the connection speed (>50Mb/s), when tested in 'standard' mode throughput on the extender was in the 30-40Mb/s range.
After initiating 'fastlane' mode, the speed dropped to <10Mb/s.
I've read several discussions here on the discussion board commenting on exactly the same problem, but with no solution ever brought forward. Is this a known problem, a problem that software thought was fixed, a problem that isn't being fixed, or ?, like a bad unit I need to get replaced.
6 Replies
In another thread, DarrenM acknowledges similar issue (AP mode) and says new firmware is coming. On Netgear support site there is now v1.0.3.74_1.1.109, I have not tried that yet (to see if it solves similar speed issue beyond AP mode).
Yes, saw that new f/w, but router doesn't when asked to update, and the notes on f/w release make no mention of fastlane. Opened ticket, may get a responce from that, also throughput has slightly improved after 2 days of 'burn in'. Read up on reviews and they got >30mb/s with same setup as me, wonder if they tested longer than just a day.
There are other threads from late last year such as this one which experienced slow speed due to the firmware version described in your OP. I experienced it too (last year) and I was not in AP mode but FastLane - downgrading firmware version last year got me back to full speed (>50mbps). I just wanted to clarify that there has been well known speed problem like you describe with firmware for around half-year; sorry that I'm not yet willing to be the first to try the brand new firmware which mentions AP mode speed fix.
- So exactly what f/w worked? I jumped through several hoops that the netgear 'techs' had me do, and it appeared for several hours after a factory reset to brick the unit, but leaving it overnight, it magically revived somewhat. 'Standard' repeater op works like it originally did, 20-30gb/s. Fastlane using 5ghz link and 2.4 devices works just a tad better than it was, but still limited to ~10-13mb/s - this far short of the 30mb/s that several 'test' reports from 'reputable' magazies wrote.
I believe the firmware which worked best full-speed FastLane for me the last half-year (have not tested the one from this week) is EX6200-V1.0.1.60_1.1.98_FW. I do not recall what special steps I may have done to "downgrade" (they may be something like reset-to-defaults, then downgrade, then reset-to-defaults again, then go through the setup).
I'll take a look at what it will take to do that, maybe I'll take the plunge and try the latest as well just for kicks, since although I may 'brick' the unit once again, I'm still well in the 30 days return from Amazon Prime.