Speeds drops intermittently - Doesn't happen when router bypassed

Question

I have had the router for a couple years. Warranty expired last week. No issues until today. Internet speeds drop from 80 to 2Mbps every few minutes. Anything I watch buffers routinely. I am using FIOS and connected through Cat6. When I connect the FIOS directy from the ONT to a computer, it works fine - no issues. As soon as I connect back to the router, it doesn't. Turned QoS off. No difference. Same issue over WiFi or Wired. All devices in the house.

Verizon is blaming the router. Everything light on the router is green. No errors, etc.

Could it be the router? I was using the .36 firmware and upgraded to V1.3.3.140_10.1.75 today to see if that would fix it.

michaelkenward · Answer

PL8SWPR&nbsp;wrote:
When I connect the FIOS directy from the ONT to a computer, it works fine - no issues.&nbsp; As soon as I connect back to the router, it doesn't.&nbsp; 
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What actually happens? I'm afraid "it doesn't" could be any number of things.
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Does this ONT have a make and model? Loads of things go under that label, so there could be all manner of box at your end.
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Have you tried a reset on the R7000P?
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PL8SWPR · Answer

For the several years (last 2 years with this router) multiple streams (up to 5 or 6), no issues. All of the sudden, streams start buffering if 2 or 3 are going at once. Speed tests show a drop from normal to 2Mbps back to normal. I have a 75/75 connection from Verizon.

Verizon had us run speed tests when connected directly from their equipment (the ONT outside) to a computer. Since that test showed normal speed, they blamed the router. They also tried to say that 75Mbps was only good for 2 or 3 streams.

I have upgraded firmware and did a factory reset this morning. Still having issues. I am on the verge of just upgrading the router to the R8000P just to make sure it isn't the router. I have a hard time though believing that with no changes, the router all of the sudden stops handling our normal traffic.

michaelkenward · Answer

PL8SWPR&nbsp;wrote:They also tried to say that 75Mbps was only good for 2 or 3 streams.
Makes some sense for wifi.
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All those "go fast" claims on the boxes are less impressive when you realise that they don't take account of the growing number of wifi clients that we throw at our routers.
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You can hardly expect a 75 Mbps Internet link to suddenly allow three, or more, wifi devices to connect simultaneously to the Internet and deliver 75 Mbps, or faster, each.
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PL8SWPR · Answer

I certainly do not expect 75Mbps on all devices.&nbsp; What I expect is to be able to stream video on 3-6 devices with that 75Mbps as I have been doing for severa l years with no issue.&nbsp;I just upgraded the service to 200Mbps.&nbsp; We will see what happens - should be more than enough now for sure.&nbsp;Question remains - is there something in the router that could have all of the sudden gone bad to cause buffering issues when running multiple streams (1 per connected device)?&nbsp; Would I just be wasting money if I upgraded the router?&nbsp;

michaelkenward · Answer

PL8SWPR&nbsp;wrote:
I just upgraded the service to 200Mbps.&nbsp; We will see what happens - should be more than enough now for sure.
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Remember to reset the router when you sigh in to the new service. You need it to forget any settings that it inherited from the old connection.
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PL8SWPR&nbsp;wrote:
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Question remains - is there something in the router that could have all of the sudden gone bad to cause buffering issues when running multiple streams (1 per connected device)?&nbsp; 
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Piling on connection after connection certainly means that the router has to work harder at detecting&nbsp;connections and managing traffic, even if they are not all busting a gut simultaneously. That is just one of the tasks that eats up processor power. Others include QoS, traffic metering and parental controls. Time spent on those tasks is time not spend handling traffic.
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The R7000P is a reasonable capable router. (I own one.) But all of these things get overtaken. Then again, a message came up here earlier from someone running a router from 2009 that seemed to suit them just fine.
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Speeds drops intermittently - Doesn't happen when router bypassed

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