Re: WAP Wax214 speeds are too slow

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-05

Hello,

I have the WAX214 - AX1800 WiFi 6 Dual Band PoE Wireless Access Point that I purchased a year ago.

Current Firmware Version 2.1.1.3

When I first installed the unit, I was getting download speeds in excess of 500 Mbps, which is what it's supposed to be.

In the last 4-5 months, i've been getting speeds of 80 Mbps, never breaking 100.

While the internet seemed stable enough at that speed, I didn't do anything, but then it just stopped working. I reset/rebooted, updated the firmware to 2.1.1.3 and got it to work again, but the speeds are still at 80.

It's set to ALL CHANNELS and all that and i'm just not sure what else I can do to help boost the speed to what it initially started out at (and what it really should be as I'm paying for the faster speeds)

When I hardwire my computer to the ethernet port, I am getting the proper speed, so it is the WAP that is throttling it down.

I'm not an IT guy, but somewhat techie, but i've tried to figure out online what may be going on and I'm apparently out of my "free" support window of 3 months (?) and I just cannot figure out what's going on.

Any help would be great.

Thanks!

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-06

Thank you, but I may need you to elaborate in more lament terms? 🙂

Not your Internet connection ... just the cabling, the switch port and/or the WAX214v2 LAN port. As you already swapped the WAX214v2, and are connecting to different switch ports, figure. The switch based port/link test seems to be fine however.

Good news and Bad News, but mostly good...

Bad news: Unfortunately, I'm not totally following what you're saying, BUT I think you're saying it's the ethernet cable that plugs from the wall to the WAX214?

Good news: The thing is, I never checked/tested that small little cable that goes from the wall to the WAX214...so based on this response, I swapped the cable and VOILA...my speeds are at 300+Mbps on the laptop and 600+ Mbps on my iphone.

Looks like I had a bad short cable this whole time!

Thank you all for your help on this!! Turned out to be a hardware issue, not a software issue...and honestly, the most basic of all. I'm kicking myself for not checking that cable. I created it myself, it's like 5" long total so I could keep it flush with the wall, but I'm thinking now that this is an OLD ethernet cable that can't handle speeds higher than 100Mbps...or maybe it just has a very bad kink in it.

Regardless, all good now. THANKS TO ALL!

View solution in original post

plemans · ‎2024-02-05

Have you checked to see if the WAX is connecting back to the main router with a gigabit connection? I've seen sketchy wires/connections work at gigabit for a bit and then drop to 10/100mbps speeds. Always worth checking

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-05

Thank you SO MUCH for the reply. In short answer to your questions...I'll be honest, i'm not sure. I think so? 🙂

Here's the full setup:

I've got a TP Link router: TP-Link AX3000 Smart WiFi 6 Router (Archer AX50) – 802.11ax, Gigabit Router, Dual Band, OFDMA.

That TP Link is connected to a Netgear switch: NETGEAR 16-Port PoE Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch (GS316EP) - Managed, with 15 x PoE+ @ 180W, 1 x 1G SFP Port. Link to the model on Amazon

And then I have 11 ethernet drops connected to that switch. Of those 11 drops, 6 are being used. 2 for TVs, 1 for A/V Receiver, 1 for printer, 1 for wired desktop computer and then 1 for this WAX 214 wap. The other 5 ports are not connected to anything (but are connected to the switch...)

When it initially went out and I updated firmware, it worked for a little bit, but then the internet would stop working and how i figured that out is: Of the three blue lights that flicker on the box (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, ethernet connection), the "ethernet connection" would not be blinking and that's how I knew I didn't have internet.

When that happens, I go to the switch and I see the specific port that ethernet is plugged into and look at the two LED lights. Usually, only the upper right light is illuminated, indicating there is power going out via POW, but when I look at the left light, it's usually not illuminated, indicating no internet going out on that line. So I'll switch ports and connect the ethernet cable to an open and different port and 50% that usually works, but it seems to happen every 6 weeks or so.

For clarification, though, even after switching ports, the internet speed still maintains at that 80Mbps. The only time it was over 500 was when i first installed.

Hope this helps you or anyone else help me troubleshoot!!

Thanks in advance!!

schumaku · ‎2024-02-05

What wireless clients are in use?

Keep in mind the WAX214v2 can reach 550...650 Mb/s with ease.

Under average conditions (non-exclusive usage of the air and the Internet connection), allowing 80 MHz bandwidth on the 5 GHz band. My WAX214v2 ad-hoc set-up playground system showed this half an hour ago:

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-05

Thanks for getting back.

In terms of wireless clients, in that area of the house, I think the answer to that question would be 1-2 macbooks and 1-2 iphones hitting that WAX214. Basically, my wife and I with our phones and laptops. All other devices needing internet are hard wired in directly with ethernet cables.

I also did a new test. I actually have a second WAX214 that is not in use, yet. Was going to install that unit in a different part of the house when I have time (it's been 7 months!). When I swapped out the current one with the one not in use, yet, the speed dropped down to 8-15 Mbps and basically rendered all devices useless. Now the firmware on this other unit was not updated, so I thought that may be the issue...but then swapped it back with the original one that we're talking about here and sadly, the speeds were still in that very low range.

I then moved the ethernet cable from port 5 to port 10 on the switch and then it got back up to it's typical 80mbps. So i'm really at a loss here.

I should point out that the wifi is on 5Ghz (not 2.4) and the range set to 80MHz bandwidth.

Another thing i'm seeing in the Netgear switch admin interface is that the speed is set to Auto, but when I go in there to adjust it, it does not give me any option over "100M Full" with no option to go higher. And the specs on this switch say that each port has a Gigabit, so i'm very confused.

schumaku · ‎2024-02-06

@feinepotte wrote:

I should point out that the wifi is on 5Ghz (not 2.4) and the range set to 80MHz bandwidth.

This is key in attemting to provide replies.

@feinepotte wrote:

Another thing i'm seeing in the Netgear switch admin interface is that the speed is set to Auto, but when I go in there to adjust it, it does not give me any option over "100M Full" with no option to go higher. And the specs on this switch say that each port has a Gigabit, so i'm very confused.

Nothing wrong, for Gigabit (and faster copper Ethernet), Auto Negotiation is mandatory.

Either way, the linked speed does show just 100 Mb/s as "Linked Speed", while connecting either of the WAX214v2, and swapping ports does not change anything, too. This makes me believe there might be a small issue with the cabling/wiring or one of the patch cables.

Regards

-Kurt.

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-06

Thank you, Kurt (and everyone else!)

I did a "test" on the backend and the Switch says that the line is "ok"

But more importantly, when I plug an ethernet cable directly into the port and into my laptop and turn off WiFi, it works perfectly, giving speeds of up to 900 Mbps, so I do not think the line is the issue.

That tells me there's something wrong with the WAX214 and it's settings. I'm not sure how to test channels? Maybe I have some interference or something. I'm just not sure how to test for that. I've googled it, and don't seem to get a straight answer.

Any help is again appreciated. 🙂

Thanks!

schumaku · ‎2024-02-06

Not your Internet connection ... just the cabling, the switch port and/or the WAX214v2 LAN port. As you already swapped the WAX214v2, and are connecting to different switch ports, figure. The switch based port/link test seems to be fine however.

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-06

Thank you, but I may need you to elaborate in more lament terms? 🙂

Not your Internet connection ... just the cabling, the switch port and/or the WAX214v2 LAN port. As you already swapped the WAX214v2, and are connecting to different switch ports, figure. The switch based port/link test seems to be fine however.

Good news and Bad News, but mostly good...

Bad news: Unfortunately, I'm not totally following what you're saying, BUT I think you're saying it's the ethernet cable that plugs from the wall to the WAX214?

Good news: The thing is, I never checked/tested that small little cable that goes from the wall to the WAX214...so based on this response, I swapped the cable and VOILA...my speeds are at 300+Mbps on the laptop and 600+ Mbps on my iphone.

Looks like I had a bad short cable this whole time!

Thank you all for your help on this!! Turned out to be a hardware issue, not a software issue...and honestly, the most basic of all. I'm kicking myself for not checking that cable. I created it myself, it's like 5" long total so I could keep it flush with the wall, but I'm thinking now that this is an OLD ethernet cable that can't handle speeds higher than 100Mbps...or maybe it just has a very bad kink in it.

Regardless, all good now. THANKS TO ALL!

plemans · ‎2024-02-06

Glad you got it fixed!

Glad it was something simple

feinepotte · ‎2024-02-06

Yep, I tested the cable I made, and I mixed up the Solid Brown with the Solid Green and put the Striped Brown at the end.

I'm color blind (yay...) so it's REALLY hard for me to see the Brown vs Green, but regardless of that, I totally messed up and put the Striped Brown on the end, instead of the Solid Brown.

When I looked up what can happen when you mix them up, it literally says all the symptoms I was having: Slow internet, Internet dropout, etc. So I created a new cable and voila, it's at the proper speeds and my wife will be happy.

Thanks again to all!