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NetGear R6700v3 Slow speed
I've seen this issue in other posts and web, but with no resolution. Scenario: I have R6700v3 router with firmware V1.0.4.122_10.0.95. I pay for 750mbps and only get 250mbps download max with this ...
Seems like the new Firmware Version 1.0.4.128 is holding up so far with me getting 475mbps on a 500mbps plan for wired..
I have a Gigabit fiber connection and with any new firmware past 1.03.66, my max speed test is around 180mbit. The firmware update after that which integrated the Armor software kills/throttles LAN wired speeds. Instead of giving us an option for a new firmware version without the Armor code, they are forcing it on us and don't seem to care that they're slowing down people's connections. It amazes me that with technology and Internet speed continuing to trend upward that they seem to think this is acceptable. People reported since 2019 that the Armor code severely limited download speeds but they won't offer a fix. I've pretty much given up hope at this point and will probably buy a router from a different brand. It amazes me that I'm still reading this years later and they are oblivious to their customer's needs. Word of mouth and reputation goes a long way, you need to do better Netgear or you're going to keep losing customers. The tech who installed my fiber was shocked when I downgraded my firmware and showed him the difference in speed.
Netgear needs to offer a firmware that's secure and modern without the Armor code that decimates wired throughout.
I'm very disappointed.
Netgear needs to offer a firmware that's secure and modern without the Armor code that decimates wired throughout.
I'm very disappointed.
JSebek wrote:
I have a Gigabit fiber connection and with any new firmware past 1.03.66, my max speed test is around 180mbit. The firmware update after that which integrated the Armor software kills/throttles LAN wired speeds.
These toys and other things that eat into your router's processor power, such as QoS and traffic metering, are known to slow them down.
You should be able to disable Armor and prevent that hit.
Try asking for help here:
NETGEAR Armor - NETGEAR Communities
It amazes me that with technology and Internet speed continuing to trend upward that they seem to think this is acceptable.
Another way of putting it is that someone who has a gigabit Internet service shouldn't expect too much of a router that dates back to 2014. While R6700s claim to be Gigabit, that'll be at the top of their operating window.
Technology and Internet speed do indeed trend upward, so does router technology. You might like to look into getting a router that matches your Internet service.
- Telling me to buy a new router is completely missing the point of the reply/reason other people are complaining/upset.
If you were referring to the wireless performance then the age of the router not getting sustained Gigabit speeds, your point might be valid but I'm not referring to WiFi performance. I'm referring to the fact that my wired connection is cut to 20-25% of what it should be. It's like you buying a car that's supposed to go 120 and the company releases a recall issue that you have done and your car maxes out at 30. You could drive it but why would you want to? You'd likely demand the company fix the issue or revert it. If they left it, you'd probably not do business with them ever again.
Basic switching/pass through for wired LAN gigabit connections has been available for far more than 10 years (probably more than 20 since Europe has had Gigabit connections to home for longer than that even). It's also proven that this router CAN handle proper speeds by downgrading the firmware. Netgear themselves have caused this problem with their firmware when they added the Armor code to the firmware basically breaking/throttling the LAN port. Even if you disable it in settings, the code still throttles the connection. It amuses me that you think this is an acceptable thing to do to customers who pay for one of your products to do a specific thing.
The purpose of Firmware is to IMPROVE performance and stability, not make the user experience terrible.
You have a right to your opinion but any router in the last 10-15 years should be able to do basic switching to a wired connection/LAN port without requiring someone to buy a new router.
I have a $40 router from 2010 that doesn't harm my LAN throughput but isn't up to spec in terms of WiFi or I'd throw this in the trash.
Why should I have to buy a new router when the company themselves released software that hurt the product's performance. I don't understand how anyone could think that's a good or acceptable practice.
To anyone else having this speed issue, the only solution I'm aware of is to downgrade your firmware to the version I mentioned unfortunately.
JSebek wrote:
Telling me to buy a new router is completely missing the point of the reply/reason other people are complaining/upset.I made several points, including that you should be able to get your ageing router to deliver much better speeds.
I also explained how you could go about that. Here it is again:
- Armor will slow things down because, as a security service, it has to inspect the traffic on your network
- If you want to turn it off, ask the right people
- NETGEAR Armor - NETGEAR Communities
- How do I turn NETGEAR Armor on or off using the Nighthawk or Orbi app? | Answer | NETGEAR Support
The purpose of Firmware is to IMPROVE performance and stability, not make the user experience terrible.Not really. Firmware can do next to nothing to improve the performance of your hardware. The clue is in the name, hardware.
Firmware updates are there to fix problems and, as you said, to improve stability. They are there to improve security. Most of Netgear's updates fall into that category.
I don't know what you mean by "performance". Better Stability is certainly improved performance. But so is an added feature, like Armor.
Another firmware improvement on the performance front was when Netgear added better parental controls.
Users have asked for both better security and controls, both of which are performance enhancements brought about by new firmware.
That these enhancements are also a way of Netgear making money is, of course, a sideshow.
Netgear will sometimes warn people that new firmware will change things and that they might like to skip an update if it is going to break something important.
Basic switching/pass through for wired LAN gigabit connections has been available for far more than 10 years (probably more than 20 since Europe has had Gigabit connections to home for longer than that even).Again, it is more subtle than that. A decade ago, a Gigabit router would have no problem handling the traffic on most Internet services. In most places, Gigabit speeds are relatively new. Here in the UK they are still rare.
A router designed for a Gigabit connections will happily process anything thrown at them. But now Internet speeds are hitting the limits of the hardware's capability. That's why newer hardware is designed for faster Internet.
The choice is yours. But it helps to base it on an understanding of what is going on.