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iamamish's avatar
iamamish
Aspirant
Nov 27, 2022

R6400v2 - Slowed speeds

Hi all, 

 

I am having an issue - I pay for 500 Mb down internet and historically have received it. Recently I noticed that I was only getting about 150 Mb down. 

After a LONG investigation involving the ISP, I learned that the issue is with my router, the R6400v2. If I connect directly to my modem, I receive the advertised speeds of 500 Mb. 

I first tried turning off my wireless radios and unplugged everything from the router, excepting my PC, yet still only had about 150 Mb down. 

I did some further research on these forums and found somebody who had a problem that sounded very similar to mine:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/General-WiFi-Routers-Non/R6400v2-Speed-issue/td-p/2132554

I just downgraded my firmware to the same version OP was using, and sure enough my internet speeds rebounded back to 500 Mb down. 

Is this a known issue? Is there a way to contact Netgear about this? What is the general consensus regarding the security risk of running an older firmware version? I'm assuming that if I'm running the latest Netgear firmware, that's the same version that a new unit would ship with. That has to mean that new R6400v2 routers would have the exact same issue. 

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. For what it's worth, I'm connecting my router through a Netgear CM1000 modem. 


8 Replies

  • iamamish's avatar
    iamamish
    Aspirant
    Nov 28, 2022

    Let me add that I've done a bit of digging and have found references to this exact issue on other community posts, Reddit, and other forums. I have to think Netgear is aware of the issue, and is choosing to ignore it - probably because the devices are getting old at this point. 

  • Steve_R6400v2's avatar
    Steve_R6400v2
    Tutor
    Dec 06, 2022

    I am adding my voice to this as well.  I have found multiple threads, here and elsewhere, describing slow WIRED ethernet connection with my R6400v2.  (Many "Expert" comments devolve into bashing the user for Wi-Fi setup, I will not go into that here).

     

    So, I have 1Gbps connection over fibre using the provided ONT from Nokia.  Speed tests showed ~950 Mbps this summer.  After a firmware update to fix Security issues, we started noticing hitches in video streaming and a retest showed WIRED ETHERNET speed was 'capped' around 180 Mbps. (OK, I'll dispense with the caps). Upgraded firmware to with same results.

     

    Troubleshooting:

    Direct connection PC to Modem/ONT showed speed was still >950 Mbps

    All Cat 6 connections were tested by adding each wire and switch while bypassing the Netgear.  All combinations maintained >950Mbps

    Multiple reboots of router and ONT/modem

    The only slowdown occurred when the R6400v2 was back in the circuit.

    QoS was NOT enabled.

    Disabling Traffic Meter improved Upload speed to ~350 but download remained <200

    The *Best* recommendation of multiple Forum members and experts, for several Netgear models, devolved to "Roll back your firmware to factory, then step forward until you hit one with a problem."

    Do not enable any optional settings except LAN setup and WiFi.

    Then consider another manufacturer (this last one is mine)

     

    Netgear seems to be remaining silent on this and don't waste your money signing up for tech support.

    I've used several netgear products over the past decade or so. Reconsidering that.

    Good luck!  -steve

     

    • Steve_R6400v2's avatar
      Steve_R6400v2
      Tutor
      Dec 06, 2022

      Forgot to mention Firmware:  Problem noticed on v R6400v2-V1.0.4.126_10.0.102

      Updated to most recent: R6400v2-V1.0.4.128_10.0.104

      Downgraded all the way to R6400v2-V1.0.2.14_1.0.7

      Now to enjoy the incremental updates and security patches - oh happy day   -_-

      • iamamish's avatar
        iamamish
        Aspirant
        Dec 06, 2022

        Hi Steve, I agree with you 100% - thanks for sharing your experiences. I don't think I mentioned in my post here but I believe the root cause is that Netgear likely only maintains a handful (at most) of different firmwares. I'm guessing most of their products get the same firmware with features enabled/disabled depending on the price point, the CPU, and the board features. 

        There were probably changes made that are not compatible with these older routers. I'm guessing most customers won't ever be aware because (a) most users won't notice things like this and (b) most users won't have internet fast enough to expose the issue. I'm frustrated because I only bought this router 2 years ago, and to have a router become almost worthless after only 2 years is not an acceptable business practice. 

        After careful consideration I decided to jump ship and bought an ASUS GT-AX11000. So far I've been happy with it, but I noticed that even with the Asus, if I enable QoS, my speeds get capped at around 300 Mb/sec (I upgraded my connection to gigabit, so this was a substantial change). 


        All of this makes me wonder if I wouldn't be better off running DD-WRT, or getting a used PC and throwing a few network cards into it to run my own Linux router.