I am paying for 500mbps. With my provider router I am getting all of that speed and more, but I was sick and tired of paying $7 a month to use their router. And so a friend recommended the Nighthawk. In the past I have used Netgear routers and had absolutely no problem with them, but this one is sad to say a complete and utter piece of garbage.When I am connected hardwire from my modem to my computer I get 530mbps. When I am hardwired from the provider router to my computer I get 510mbps. When I am connected to the Netgear router I get slightly less than 350mbps, and if connected to wifi I get maybe 250mbps. If I connect to wifi using the provider router I get about 490-500mbps. How can this be ? Did I get a defective Netgear router ? I did the firmware upgrade as soon as it was hooked up so I know that is not the issue. Do I need to use a CAT6 or CAT8 cable from the modem to the router, and then from the router to my computer ? Is it that this router can not handle more than 400mbps ? Enquiring minds wanna know.

Thabilldozer wrote:I am paying for 500mbps. With my provider router I am getting all of that speed and more, but I was sick and tired of paying $7 a month to use their router. And so a friend recommended the Nighthawk. In the past I have used Netgear routers and had absolutely no problem with them, but this one is sad to say a complete and utter piece of garbage.When I am connected hardwire from my modem to my computer I get 530mbps. When I am hardwired from the provider router to my computer I get 510mbps. When I am connected to the Netgear router I get slightly less than 350mbps, and if connected to wifi I get maybe 250mbps. If I connect to wifi using the provider router I get about 490-500mbps. How can this be ? Did I get a defective Netgear router ? I did the firmware upgrade as soon as it was hooked up so I know that is not the issue. Do I need to use a CAT6 or CAT8 cable from the modem to the router, and then from the router to my computer ? Is it that this router can not handle more than 400mbps ? Enquiring minds wanna know. In real life, your new router should handle throughput in the 930-950 Mbps range via an Ethernet connection. Wi-Fi has a lot of variables that are mostly dependent on the capacity of the client hardware. For reading at a later date, here is a good reference: https://www.wiisfi.com/ Recommend you use the Ookla stand alone application for testing throughput. It is available at no cost from the application store. What is the brand name and model number of the modem that is connected upstream between your router and the internet? Please look on the label. When you replace a major component of a local network, a proper startup sequence is important to allow the devices to adjust communication protocols. Sequence and timing are equally important. Pull the power cord on your modem and disconnect the Ethernet cord. Pull the power cord on your router and disconnect the Ethernet cord. Plug in the cord to power up the modem and give it ample time (a few minutes) to boot and connect to your internet service provider (ISP). One of the last indicators to illuminate will be the one that shows internet connection. Connect your Ethernet cord from the output of the modem to the WAN input on your router. Plug in the cord and push the on button to power up the router and give it ample time (a few minutes) to boot and connect to the internet. One of the last indicators to illuminate will be the one that shows internet connection. Did the internet indicator on your router light up as white? If yes, check for stable internet access from devices connected to your router via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable.

Just a brief about me. I've been working in tech support for 31 years. I've worked for Spectrum, Frontier, Apple, Google, Nest, HostGator, and GoDaddy. So this is not my first rodeo when it comes to Internet connectivity. I'm certainly not an amateur.I know how to properly setup a network. I know that the modem needs to completely connect before attaching and connecting the router.This is not the issue. Again, plugged hardwired from my modem to my computer I'm getting over 500mbps. But, as soon as the Netgear router is connected hardwired it drops to 350mbps. This again is hardwired and not wifi. When using the router provided by my ISP (Spectrum) hardwired from their router to try my computer I'm getting 490-510mbps.This is definitely an issue with the Netgear router. I have troubleshot the dog snot out of this. I've even gone so far as to make sure that I'm using all brand new CAT6 cables.

Thabilldozer wrote:But, as soon as the Netgear router is connected hardwired it drops to 350mbps. This again is hardwired and not wifi. When using the router provided by my ISP (Spectrum) hardwired from their router to try my computer I'm getting 490-510mbps. Measured how?

Uhm, I assume that was a retorical question. How do you measure the speed of your internet connection ? Most, if not all people that want to TEST the SPEED of their internet connection use what is called... wait for it... wait for it... wait for it... a SPEED TEST.There are several out there to use. I get speeds from at least 3 of them before drawing any definitive conclusions. As for connecting via wifi it is ridiculous just how much speed I lose. For example If I turn off wifi on my cell phone and just use cellular data I get 248mbps down/28mbps up. If I turn off cellular data and turn wifi on, and connect to the 2ghz band on my Netgear router I get 216dn/11up. If I change to the 5ghz band it drops to 180/11. Sure, there will always be a drop in speed connecting via wifi, but it should not be more than half your subscribed speed.But, again I am NOT talking about wifi. Yes, it is a wifi router, but that is only half of it's functionality. The other half is the ability to plug hardwire into the router. A hardwire connection should not be losing ANY speed. When using the router provided by Spectrum I lose absolutely NO speed when hardwired into their router. So why is it that I am losing half of my speed hardwired into the Netgear ?

Thabilldozer wrote: Uhm, I assume that was a retorical question. How do you measure the speed of your internet connection ? Most, if not all people that want to TEST the SPEED of their internet connection use what is called... wait for it... wait for it... wait for it... a SPEED TEST. There are several out there to use. I get speeds from at least 3 of them before drawing any definitive conclusions. You may think that you know everything about this, but, as I suspected, you are using less than optimal speed tests. You are measuring the speed of devices connected to the router, not the speed of the router itself. You might do better to start with testing the speed between the router and the Internet. You don't sound like someone who is willing to learn – claims of years of computing experience are always warning signs – but as well as the suggestions from Kitsap I should throw in another option. That is to use the Netgear Nighthawk App. The reason for using the app is that it makes a direct measurement between the router and the modem. It may start with a wifi connection to the router, but after that it is down to the router to report the speed that it sees for its connection to the Internet. If you see slower speeds with devices connected to the Netgear router, my first move would be to check the devices themselves. Then there are all the points made by Kitsap. Did you go anywhere near the desktop speedtest?

Re: Paid for Speed Increase, Not seeing it

16 Replies

Kitsap
Master
May 08, 2024
Thabilldozer wrote:
I am paying for 500mbps. With my provider router I am getting all of that speed and more, but I was sick and tired of paying $7 a month to use their router. And so a friend recommended the Nighthawk. In the past I have used Netgear routers and had absolutely no problem with them, but this one is sad to say a complete and utter piece of garbage.
When I am connected hardwire from my modem to my computer I get 530mbps. When I am hardwired from the provider router to my computer I get 510mbps. When I am connected to the Netgear router I get slightly less than 350mbps, and if connected to wifi I get maybe 250mbps. If I connect to wifi using the provider router I get about 490-500mbps.

How can this be ? Did I get a defective Netgear router ? I did the firmware upgrade as soon as it was hooked up so I know that is not the issue. Do I need to use a CAT6 or CAT8 cable from the modem to the router, and then from the router to my computer ? Is it that this router can not handle more than 400mbps ?

Enquiring minds wanna know.

In real life, your new router should handle throughput in the 930-950 Mbps range via an Ethernet connection. Wi-Fi has a lot of variables that are mostly dependent on the capacity of the client hardware. For reading at a later date, here is a good reference: https://www.wiisfi.com/

Recommend you use the Ookla stand alone application for testing throughput. It is available at no cost from the application store.

What is the brand name and model number of the modem that is connected upstream between your router and the internet? Please look on the label.

When you replace a major component of a local network, a proper startup sequence is important to allow the devices to adjust communication protocols. Sequence and timing are equally important.

Pull the power cord on your modem and disconnect the Ethernet cord.

Pull the power cord on your router and disconnect the Ethernet cord.

Plug in the cord to power up the modem and give it ample time (a few minutes) to boot and connect to your internet service provider (ISP). One of the last indicators to illuminate will be the one that shows internet connection.

Connect your Ethernet cord from the output of the modem to the WAN input on your router.

Plug in the cord and push the on button to power up the router and give it ample time (a few minutes) to boot and connect to the internet. One of the last indicators to illuminate will be the one that shows internet connection.

Did the internet indicator on your router light up as white? If yes, check for stable internet access from devices connected to your router via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable.
- Thabilldozer
  Aspirant
  May 08, 2024
  Just a brief about me. I've been working in tech support for 31 years. I've worked for Spectrum, Frontier, Apple, Google, Nest, HostGator, and GoDaddy. So this is not my first rodeo when it comes to Internet connectivity. I'm certainly not an amateur.
  
  I know how to properly setup a network. I know that the modem needs to completely connect before attaching and connecting the router.
  
  This is not the issue. Again, plugged hardwired from my modem to my computer I'm getting over 500mbps. But, as soon as the Netgear router is connected hardwired it drops to 350mbps. This again is hardwired and not wifi. When using the router provided by my ISP (Spectrum) hardwired from their router to try my computer I'm getting 490-510mbps.
  
  This is definitely an issue with the Netgear router. I have troubleshot the dog snot out of this. I've even gone so far as to make sure that I'm using all brand new CAT6 cables.
  - michaelkenward
    Guru - Experienced User
    May 08, 2024
    Thabilldozer wrote:
    But, as soon as the Netgear router is connected hardwired it drops to 350mbps. This again is hardwired and not wifi. When using the router provided by my ISP (Spectrum) hardwired from their router to try my computer I'm getting 490-510mbps.
    
    Measured how?
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
May 08, 2024
Just curious if you don't mind, What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

You mentioned that connecting your wired PC to the ISP router gets you to spec speeds. If there is a router here, have you used the ISP routers DMZ or IP-pass thru feature for the R series router while it's in router mode then speed tested? Would be a double NAT condition here that could cause this speed difference.

When speed testing, instead of using the NH app to check speeds, try Ooklas installable speed test app on the wired PC to test speeds here.

Also another test to try, if you have ISP router, configured the R series router for AP mode and test if you get time.

Thabilldozer wrote:

I am paying for 500mbps. With my provider router I am getting all of that speed and more, but I was sick and tired of paying $7 a month to use their router. And so a friend recommended the Nighthawk. In the past I have used Netgear routers and had absolutely no problem with them, but this one is sad to say a complete and utter piece of garbage.

When I am connected hardwire from my modem to my computer I get 530mbps. When I am hardwired from the provider router to my computer I get 510mbps. When I am connected to the Netgear router I get slightly less than 350mbps, and if connected to wifi I get maybe 250mbps. If I connect to wifi using the provider router I get about 490-500mbps.

How can this be ? Did I get a defective Netgear router ? I did the firmware upgrade as soon as it was hooked up so I know that is not the issue. Do I need to use a CAT6 or CAT8 cable from the modem to the router, and then from the router to my computer ? Is it that this router can not handle more than 400mbps ?

Enquiring minds wanna know.
- Thabilldozer
  Aspirant
  May 08, 2024
  Spectrum uses modems manufactured by Motorola. Mine is the E31N2V1 which is rated for 1.9gbps. My Spectrum router (also manufactured by Motorola) is a wifi 6 router rated for 2.5gbps. My work computer MUST be hardwired. My goal in getting the Netgear router is to save the $7 per month that Spectrum now charges their customers for using their router. But this is becoming more of an hassle in an attempt to save $7. The plan was to return the Spectrum router to them.
  
  Spectrum routers do not have an admin gateway where users can configure their settings other than change the SSDI and password. Bottom line is that I am not getting the speeds I pay for using the Netgear router. I get my subscribed speed and more using the Spectrum router.
  
  Since this is a work computer I can not install anything on it without IT permissions.
  - Kitsap
    Master
    May 08, 2024
    Your perception of the router's internal throughput test is wrong. The test measures the input to the router from the modem. The test is initiated from within the mobile application that is connected to the router over Wi-Fi and the results are reported out the same way. This test does not measure Wi-Fi throughput. Historically this test has provided a very stable reference and record of the results.
    
    Within the configuration of your router, do you have IPv6 enabled? If not, it should be.
    
    Are you using the DNS from your ISP? For both IPv4 and IPv6?
    
    Do you have any of the boutique router features enabled like QoS, traffic meter, Armor, etc.?

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Re: Paid for Speed Increase, Not seeing it