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gt_tim's avatar
gt_tim
Follower
Jun 11, 2022

R8000 Speed limit

I have a Nighthawk r8000.  It gets 400 Mbps download speed when I connect the computer directly to the router via ethernet cable.  I only get 65 Mbps when I try to use wi-fi.  It doesn't matter which frequency I use (2.4Ghz or 5 Ghz).  The computer has an Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 wifi adapter, so it should easily be capable of reaching 400 Mbps.  Similarly, the R8000 should have no problem reaching that speed.  I have two 2.4 Ghz networks and two 5Ghz networks set up, but I was only using one device when I did the speed test.

 

The tested computer is 14 feet from the router with nothing between them. 

 

I am using firmware V1.0.4.66_10.1.75.  I had to roll back because the last firmware was screwing up the DNS.

 

Any ideas on what is going on or how to fix it?   

1 Reply

  • Kitsap's avatar
    Kitsap
    Master
    Jun 12, 2022

    Wi-Fi Performance

     

    There are several variables that have an impact on the capacity of a Wi-Fi connection.

     

    The radio frequency environment where you are trying to establish the connection.  Interference from neighbors or in-home appliances as well as the type of home construction.

     

    Settings on your transmitter (Wi-Fi router).  Such as which band you are connecting to (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and the new 6-6E flavors).  Also, the settings for auto-adjust or fixed channel within the band.

     

    Settings and hardware capacity on your receiver device (client).  Including the application or site you are connecting to for the test.

     

    Using one device while conducting a capacity test does not always isolate other devices connected to your local network.  When connected whether data is being used or not, the other devices can have a negative impact on your network capacity and should be disconnected and powered off if possible.  This especially applies to IoT devices.

     

    In general, on a good day, your tested capacity when connected to the 2.4 GHz band should be 100+ Mbps and when connected to the 5 GHz band it should be 300+ Mbps.

     

    Two areas to start.  In the settings on your router, turn off (disable) the boutique features such as QOS, UPnP, Smart Connect, 20/40 MHz coexistence, and Traffic Meter.  Make sure you have IPv6 enabled.  Pick and fix a channel for the 2.4 GHz band (recommend 11) and for the 5 GHz band (recommend 48).  Set different SSID’s for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.  Reboot your router after making the changes.  For the device you are using to run your capacity test, manage and forget your previous connections and start with a fresh connection after you have made the changes to the router.  I have had good success with the Ookla test application on both Windows and Android devices.

     

    A tool that provides good information on your Wi-Fi environment is Wi-Fi Analyzer (open source) on an Android device.

     

    There is a lot of time effort that goes in to tuning a Wi-Fi network for a specific location and hardware suite.  There is seldom one magic setting to resolve the situation.