NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Slow WiFi and I can't figure out why
I can't make this short so here goes. We have Xfinity Internet and TV and our package includes 200 Mbps internet upload and 5 Mbps download speeds. We use a Arris SB6190 modem that we own and a NetG...
A couple things.
1. The WNDR4500 isn't the highest performing router and is over a decade old. Even when it was performing great, its max 2.4ghz was 30-40mbps and 5ghz was 50-60mbps. Thats under optimal conditions with a 2x2 wifi client. (some devices are only 1x1 antenna clients)
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/31621-netgear-wndr4500-retest
2. Wireless extenders drop throughput 50% of what they recieve. This happens because they have to use the same chip to go router---->extender and then extender---->devices and they can't do both at once. So if you're getting roughly the same speed while connected to the extender in 5ghz as you are while connected to the router, its making me wonder if you're laptop isn't a 1x1 antenna device.
so what extender do you have (model)?
And what wireless card is in the laptops?
3. 5ghz doesn't broadcast as far or through as much materials as 2.4ghz.
4. You might not have had it for 10+ years but it is an old router. It could be showing signs of its age. It might be time to upgrade to a newer device generation.
Well like I said, I might sound like I know what I am talking about but I really don't. I bought the router new at Best Buy and I had no clue when it was first manufactured, but it seems to be not much more than 5 years ago or less when I bought it, but who know, time flies. So at Amazon the heading for this router says "Netgear WNDR4500-100PAS N900 Dual Band Gigabit Wifi Route", and Gigabit sounds pretty big ...... so are you saying that "gigabit" only pertains to wired speed?
You'll not ever see anything near 900Mpbs or Gb speeds over wireless with this model router. Was never ment or designed to support that speed. You may see near 900Mpb on a wired ethernet connetion however being that this model is that old, was predating some ISP Gb speeds that are seen now days. This model may or may not have CutThru or HW NAT Accelleration support which is needed to see near 900Mpbs on ethernet connections.
Sure, but I don't care about getting 900, like I said I'm only paying Xfinity for 200 so wouldn't expect more. But as I also said in my original post I'm getting 2 to 20 Mbps max wifi anywhere in the house and matters not whether it's on 2.4 or 5 ghz ............ it's all slow as can be.
FURRYe38 is right. It might be gigabit but it was released back when devices weren't hitting gigabit speeds. They'd just saturated 10/100mbps. You might see quite decent wired speeds on it but doubtful you'll hit full gigabit.
And wireless speeds are way over rated. Especially the old N900 devices.
You might have bought it 5 years ago (and its even still sold today) but its a pretty old router. A couple generations behind.
Your wireless card isn't a great one but it isn't a horrible one. From looking it up, some people were hitting 50mbps on it during testing.
any newer phones you could speedtest on the router? (use the speedtest app)
Tried my Samsung S7 phone that running Android version 8.0.0
Did you say you tried a factory reset?
