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Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

drengfer
Tutor

Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

I have ATT Fiber, delivered to my home network via an ATT gateway (Pace 5268AC). Speeds delivered by the Pace to computing equipment (using speedtest) approach gigabit levels, both wired and wireless. That's awesome.

 

However, my home network is served by a Netgear R6400 router, and I would prefer to use it rather than the Pace. I have cabled the Netgear to the Pace, set up DMZ+, and I've turned off the wifi section of the Pace.

 

Using both wired and wireless connections to the R6400, I see upload speeds in the 40mbps range, and downloads in the 120-150mbps range (again, per speedtest). I consider this performance poor, given what the Pace appears to be capable of. Things I have tried in order to improve the bandwidth that the R6400 delivers to devices on the home network include:

 

. I have replaced the cabling between the R6400 and the Pace (with 25' of Cat 6 wire)

. I have ensured that R6400 firmware is up to date

. I have surveyed the wifi "airspace" and set 2.4 and 5 GHz channels to avoid congestion

. I have rebooted all of the network equipment any number of times

 

As regards R6400 configuration settings, I have done as suggested elsewhere in the Community:

 

. On the nighthawk, make sure you are on a different subnet. Don't use the 192.168.1.x that they use.

. Set want to get dynamic ip from the ISP. 

. Set your wireless to use wpa2-aes for encryption

. Set NAT filtering under WAN to open

. Turn off QoS

. Turn on WMM

. Under advanced wifi make sure you use beamforming and airtime fairness

. Turn off traffic meter

. Don't use traffic control.

 

I would like to know what I may be doing wrong here with my configuration and/or settings, on the assumption that I should see similar speeds via the R6400 that I see via the Pace (maybe 10% degradation, but not 80-90%). Or, perhaps the R6400 is just not up to dealing with gigabit speeds?

 

Thanks, all!

 

Netgear R6400 (v1)

Firmware: V1.0.1.46_1.0.32

 

 

Message 1 of 9

Accepted Solutions
drengfer
Tutor

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

Again, I’d like to thanks folks for their constructive suggestions.

 

Apparently, ATT quite recently figured this out - it’s a problem with the Pace gateway (their term! I realize that the device is a modem/router). See this thread on the ATT forums: https://forums.att.com/t5/AT-T-Fiber-Equipment/PACE-11-1-0-531418-DMZ-Issue/m-p/5745153#M7940

 

Now, this only solves things for that particular Fiber configuration, but at least it’s a start. Hope this helps other folks.

 

(Apologize for the double post - I initially posted in the Nighthawk section before realizing that the post “belongs” here. Thanks, @michaelkenward for cross-linking to avoid further duplication.)

View solution in original post

Message 8 of 9

All Replies
antinode
Guru

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

> [...] an ATT gateway (Pace 5268AC). [...]

   That's a modem+router ("gateway").

> [...] my home network is served by a Netgear R6400 router, and I would
> prefer to use it rather than the Pace. [...]

   Why?  Better wireless coverage, or some other reason?  Generally,
cascading multiple routers can cause multiple problems.

> [...] I've turned off the wifi section of the Pace.

   By itself, that wouldn't stop it from being a router.

> . I have surveyed the wifi "airspace" and set 2.4 and 5 GHz channels
> to avoid congestion

   Ok, but if the problem affects "both wired and wireless connections
to the R6400", then radio interference couldn't explain the whole
problem.


> . On the nighthawk, make sure you are on a different subnet. Don't use
> the 192.168.1.x that they use.

   Who are these "they"?  The important thing would be not to try to use
the same subnet on the R6400 LAN as the 5268AC uses on its LAN (the
R6400 WAN).  (And I'd bet that the R6400 wouldn't allow it.)

> I would like to know what I may be doing wrong here with my
> configuration and/or settings, [...]

   Rather than cascade multiple routers, I'd suggest configuring the
R6400 as a wireless access point.  Visit http://netgear.com/support ,
put in your model number, and look for Documentation.  Get the User
Manual.  Look for "Use the Router as a Wireless Access Point".

> [...] Or, perhaps the R6400 is just not up to dealing with gigabit
> speeds?

   That's a possibility.  If you're currently requiring the R6400 to
think too hard, then it might do better as a WAP.  ("If you don't think
too good, don't think too much.")

Message 2 of 9
drengfer
Tutor

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

“Why? Better wireless coverage, or some other reason?”

Better security; more control over configuration; lack of confidence in ATT to keep device firmware updated; (presumably) better functionality (though that’s clearly not working out for me at this point). Setting up R6400 as an AP doesn’t really address this concerns.

Not sure why ATT would choose a device that (apparently) can’t be configured as a bridge.
Message 3 of 9
antinode
Guru

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

> Not sure why ATT would choose a device that (apparently) can't be
> configured as a bridge.

   Ask AT&T?  My quick Web search found a suggestion to use "DMZplus
mode", which might be the best you can do with that box:

      https://forums.att.com/t5/x/x/td-p/5290058

Message 4 of 9
drengfer
Tutor

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

Thanks for your suggestions. I have posted on the ATT forums as well as here, so maybe I'll hear back from someone over there. As I noted in my initial post, I have configured the Pace with DMZ+ for the R6400. No real change in R6400 throughput in the A/B test on that front. Shrug.

Message 5 of 9

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber


@drengfer wrote:
“Why? Better wireless coverage, or some other reason?”

Better security; more control over configuration; lack of confidence in ATT to keep device firmware updated; (presumably) better functionality (though that’s clearly not working out for me at this point). Setting up R6400 as an AP doesn’t really address this concerns.



Worse, it actually removes some of these controls:

 

Disabled Features on the Router when set to AP Mode | Answer | NETGEAR Support

 



Not sure why ATT would choose a device that (apparently) can’t be configured as a bridge.

 


ATT is  not alone in this. ISPs demand increasing control over things that we put on "their" networks. BT does the same in the UK. (Some even tried to ban third-party hardware from their networks, until the regulators kicked in.) This creates a market for simple modems that allow us to say goodbye to the junk that most ISPs like to foist on us.

 

Apart from that, you seem to have tried just about everything.

 

If it isn't too much hassle, you could try a simple experiment with the R6400 in AP mode, just to see if it helps. Save its router configuration first, then you can quickly recover the settings. If that does the trick, then persevering with the "bridge" approach might work.

Message 6 of 9

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

Message 7 of 9
drengfer
Tutor

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

Again, I’d like to thanks folks for their constructive suggestions.

 

Apparently, ATT quite recently figured this out - it’s a problem with the Pace gateway (their term! I realize that the device is a modem/router). See this thread on the ATT forums: https://forums.att.com/t5/AT-T-Fiber-Equipment/PACE-11-1-0-531418-DMZ-Issue/m-p/5745153#M7940

 

Now, this only solves things for that particular Fiber configuration, but at least it’s a start. Hope this helps other folks.

 

(Apologize for the double post - I initially posted in the Nighthawk section before realizing that the post “belongs” here. Thanks, @michaelkenward for cross-linking to avoid further duplication.)

Message 8 of 9

Re: Disappointing network speeds using Netgear R6400 with ATT Fiber

Thanks for the report back, perhaps it will help fellow victims.

 


Apparently, ATT quite recently figured this out - it’s a problem with the Pace gateway (their term! I realize that the device is a modem/router).


The "gateway" description sometimes denotes something more than a modem/router.

 

It can also include stuff like phones and/or "video and voice". So there may be other sockets on the back then the usual LAN/WAN holes. Not sure if that applies in this case.

 

 

 

 

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