NetGear R6700v3 Slow speed

[alchle]

I've seen this issue in other posts and web, but with no resolution.  Scenario: I have R6700v3 router with firmware V1.0.4.122_10.0.95.  I pay for 750mbps and only get 250mbps download max with this router. I tried reinstalling firmware followed by factory reset. Tried removing power to everything and powering everything back up (with time delays) in proper order from modem, router, to computer.  Still no luck.  I know the IP modem (optical fiber - Nokia G-010G-A) is good because I have another older router (Asus RT-N66R) that atually gets 750mbps. Also tried disabling QoS (disabled by default), turn off Access Controls (disabled by default), turn off Traffic Meter (disabled by default). I am at a loss. Very frustrated with this router now. Loved it, now hate it.  Not noticable in my last house because IP speeds were 200mpbs.  New house is 750mbps and now I see the limitation.  Fully hardwired setup. I've turned off all other devices and still no go with the R6700v3 router. What is interesting, is if it is set as an Access Point it actually gets the 750mbps! But when it is in router mode it does not.  I downgraded firmware to V1.0.2.66_10.0.48 and it now gets to around 550mbps - not what it should be and now living with security vulnerabilities. 

Any other ideas out there?  

Thanks

[mattfinley12 · Accepted solution]

Seems like the new Firmware Version 1.0.4.128 is holding up so far with me getting 475mbps on a 500mbps plan for wired..

[plemans]

Are you testing wired or wireless? 

If any of the qos, access control, parental controls, or traffic monitoring were enabled, try factory resetting the router. 

During the reinstall don't use a backup configuration. And make sure to leave the 4 services disabled. 

When they're enabled, they disable CTF (cut through forwarding) which is needed to hit gagabit speeds. And I"ve seen it not get re-enabled unless a factory reset was done. So try that first. 

[alchle]

Thank you for the reply. Yes. Everything is hardwired. Those were the steps I did. Still did not work. Did not use old configuration file and did factory reset twice.

How does one see and set this CTF (cut through forwarding)?

[DexterJB]

Hi @alchle, if you are still experiencing the issue, we recommend contacting the support team for further troubleshooting. You can start on the link below.

https://www.netgear.com/home/contact-us/default.aspx

Dexter

NETGEAR Team

[dpmoore]

I have the same issue and I am using a an Xfinity CM1000V2 modem.  Paying for 1200Mb and wasting my $$ because of this router.  I tried submitting a support ticket, but says I am past the 1yr mark.  

[alchle]

I have not found a solution yet either. Only think that helps is that I downgraded firmware to V1.0.2.66_10.0.48 and it now gets to around 550mbps (out of 750 mbps) still not what it should be. I have another router (ASUS) I think I will switch to, but I’ll miss the USB 3.0 flash drive shared across the network. The R6700 does get full bandwidth if used as an access point. But you don’t want that directly off your modem, it would become an extension of your ISP’s network and thus open to everyone. If you can put another device between the two and get it inside your own LAN then it would work great as a wifi access point. But as a stand-alone devise… NetGear has some work to do.

[alchle]

@DexterJB. I tried contacting support as one of my first steps, however, technical support ended for me around 9 months ago. Hardware warranty is still good until end of this month, but it is not a HW issue. If you would be so kind and take this case to higher levels that would be outstanding! It seems to be a common problem with other users and not just an isolated issue. Probably a much larger issue too except only prevalent with those that have fast internet and cat5e/cat6 wired connections. It won’t be noticeable with wifi. Thank you. -alchle

[alchle]

Well, I finally gave up on my speed-restricted-Netgear R6700v3 router which replaced my older N300 Wireless Router WNR2000v3.  I was proud to stay with Netgear, but now have new thoughts.  As crazy as it is, I found an Asus RT-N66R router at goodwill for $9 at few months back to simply use it as a 1gigbit switch. However, it has now replaced the R67000v3 as my primary router. Here is proof that the R6700v3 has issues with speed limitations.

I know it is not the answer most folks want to hear. But maybe if Netgear reads this then they will research why this is happening and release a new firmware. I can live with USB2 ports on the Asus for now.

[wombatwarrior]

I'm having the same issue. I tried factory reset and I will get 700 Mbps on ethernet however the moment I set up the router, it resorts back to less than 200 Mbps. I tried rolling back the firmware but same issue. I believe once the router updated to the new firmware, something happened to the hard coding. I've been a big supporter of Netgear my entire life but this recent issue is frustrating. I will have to try another router brand.

[mattfinley12]

Same problem as everyone else.. when they upgrade the firmware to V1.0.4.122_10.0.95 it dropped my speed from 480 down to now 135 or so and 5G now doesn't work.. ridiculous.  The old 1.0.366_10.0.50 version gave me the best speeds and no 5G problems, but now I can't roll it back and get it to work.

I am going to try a few downgrades to see if it will fix it and if not, in the trash it goes and I will switch to another brand.

[Hoonod]

Same issue here. I "upgraded" my internet speed from 200 to 400 Mbps service (cost savings actually) but my router R6700v3 tapped out at ~ 180 Mbps with a low end of 80-100 Mbps with a firmware of a V1.0.4+. After hearing what has been posted here I decided to try the downgrade the firmware to R6700v3-V1.0.3.66_10.0.50 and low and behold the speed jumped up to 360 Mbps wired and 330 wireless. Netgear please fix this issue if you can. It is obvious to all that are on this forum that the latest firmware above R6700v3-V1.0.4... slows this router down well below 200 Mbps. This is unacceptable for a router that is "supposed" to have gig speed. I've even tried out the highest rev of the available software to no avail. Shame on you Netgear for not addressing this issue. Time to shop for a different warless router.

[alchle]

Hello all,

So, I've been working with NetGear ever since this post began.  They sent several test firmwares that I tried and glad to say (after multiple long nights of testing, submitting debug log files and resetting network) they came up with one that is giving me the 750mbps!  Screenshot below as proof.  Hopefully, they will be releasing it soon so you all can enjoy the fast speeds.  The test version that worked was V1.0.4.129_22.9.24.  I cannot share it as I signed an NDA.

One thing I learned is that whenever doing a firmware update, always, always do a factory reset after updating.  I know, it sounds weird and like it should only apply when downgrading, but after many many updates and reverting back to V1.0.3.66_10.0.50... factory resets are needed in both directions.  It's painful to re-add all my static IP addresses and settings, but it is needed.

Kudos to NetGear. They came through!

Speed on -- alchle

[michaelkenward]

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@alchle wrote:

One thing I learned is that whenever doing a firmware update, always, always do a factory reset after updating. 

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That is not the best advice around. It can case unnecessary hassle for most updates.

A reset is not need most of them time. It is, though, something to try if you have problems. If your router is not delivering the expected speeds for example.

[Donf99]

Xfinity/Comcast offered to upgrade my Internet speed to 300Mbps from the previous 100 Mbps at $15.00 USD less than I had been paying. This started an interesting cascade of upgrades to my home networking infrastructure. My older DOCSIS 3.0 modem didn’t have enough bonded channels to support the new speed, so I upgraded to a newer 32x8 DOCSIS 3.1 modem to allow for future speed upgrades.

Although the 5GHz WIFI was now faster, I needed to upgrade my wired Ethernet network from 100 Mbps to 1000. My house was wired with older CAT5 cable. I was cheating and using 2 of the 4 pair in the cable for data and the remaining 2 pair for two traditional phone lines. 1000Mbps wired Ethernet needs all 8 wires, so I sacrificed the phone lines in most rooms of the house. This required rewiring the patch panel in the basement and many of the outlets in each room. Old CAT5 is rated at 100MHz, the same as Cat 5e, so handles 1000Mbps just fine on shorter runs.

All of the Ethernet switches needed to be upgraded, as I was using ancient Cisco Catalyst Fast Ethernet units. I replaced these with a new Cisco unmanaged switch designed for small businesses. Finally, I needed to move the wireless router upstairs from the basement to improve wifi coverage. This involved running 2 new CAT6 cables upstairs, one for the WAN connection from the modem, another for the “backhaul” to the new Ethernet central switch in the basement. Whew! 

Transfers to the Internet through the Nighthawk r6700v3 (running the latest V1.0.4.128_10.0.104 firmware) were now very fast over the wired connection, but nowhere near the 400Mbps promised, although transfers within the LAN were >= 500 Mbps. Comcast then offered to bump my speed to 400Mbps at no charge. The Internet speed still maxed out at ~200Mbps over the wired connections.

I spotted this thread and checked that QoS, Parental Controls, Metering, and Access Control were disabled. I found that Access Control was "on", although no rules had been set. I switched it off and rebooted the router. Bingo! Almost 500Mbps on the wired LAN over old-skool CAT5 with my new 400Mbps Xfinity plan. No factory reset was needed.

I left WMM "on" on both WIFI bands, as it did not seem to affect throughput.

Interesting that the Netgear r6700v3 device is unable to perform to spec when any feature needing Deep Packet Inspection is enabled. There is no warning about this anywhere. As Internet speeds get faster, one needs to carefully study infrastructure requirements, as the bottleneck choke point can shift around unexpectedly.

Best regards,

Don

[Donf99]

I checked that QoS, Parental Controls, Metering, and Access Control were disabled. I found that Access Control was "on", although no rules had been set. I switched it off and rebooted the router. Bingo! Almost 500Mbps on the wired LAN over old-skool CAT5 with my new 400Mbps Xfinity plan. No factory reset was needed.

[mattfinley12 · Accepted solution]

Seems like the new Firmware Version 1.0.4.128 is holding up so far with me getting 475mbps on a 500mbps plan for wired..

[Whatarussh]

I have the latest firmware V10.4.128_10.0.104 with all the suggested setting but still speeds never above 250. This sucks!!

[Kitsap]

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@Whatarussh wrote:
I have the latest firmware V10.4.128_10.0.104 with all the suggested setting but still speeds never above 250. This sucks!!

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Recommend you start a brand new thread and in the very first post answer the basic setup questions for your specific setup.  This will make it easier for people to help you with your specific issue.

What is the brand name and model number of the modem/ONT that is connected in front of your R6700v3?  Have you connected directly to the modem/ONT and tested the throughput capacity?

How are you connected to your R6700v3, wired or via Wi-Fi?  If Wi-Fi, what frequency band?

How are you testing throughput capacity?  With a web browser connected to a web site or a stand alone application like Ookla?

What device are you using to test the throughput capacity?  Windows computer, Mac computer?

[michaelkenward]

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@Whatarussh wrote:
I have the latest firmware V10.4.128_10.0.104 with all the suggested setting but still speeds never above 250. This sucks!!

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If that is wifi speed, congratulations. It is faster than many systems can deliver. Sadly, Netgear cannot change the laws of physics.

[Whatarussh]

No it is NOT over Wifi it is a wired connection. my speeds wired direct out of the modem are around 450 mbs. So it appears that Netgear cannot change the laws of physics but they can change a lot of their customers 6700v3 routers into speed throttled hunks of junk! I suppose the next step is to do a factory reset and start clean. Netgear firmware updates wreck the router performance and the burden of repair falls upon the customer. Is there a law of physics that applies to crappy software releases and poor customer service Mr Guru?

[t0md0]

Following this thread to just keep up with the updates. Funny how I've had this router for years and I too have noticed that the only one that would work and give me my 400MB dl speeds from my ISP was the v1.0.3 that everyone here mainly spoke of. I rolled back and bam. But of course comes the security issues.

But here's another kicker I've noticed.. not sure if it's my setup or whatever but I have to unplug and replug (restart) it once a week because the 2.4ghz speeds would tank. Anyone else experience this?

And lastly are you guys saying that the latest firmware works now v1.04.128? I've been holding off on every update until I can get confirmation. Do I need to do a factory reset? If so, how? Just press the little button on the back?

[JSebek]

I have a Gigabit fiber connection and with any new firmware past 1.03.66, my max speed test is around 180mbit. The firmware update after that which integrated the Armor software kills/throttles LAN wired speeds. Instead of giving us an option for a new firmware version without the Armor code, they are forcing it on us and don't seem to care that they're slowing down people's connections. It amazes me that with technology and Internet speed continuing to trend upward that they seem to think this is acceptable. People reported since 2019 that the Armor code severely limited download speeds but they won't offer a fix. I've pretty much given up hope at this point and will probably buy a router from a different brand. It amazes me that I'm still reading this years later and they are oblivious to their customer's needs. Word of mouth and reputation goes a long way, you need to do better Netgear or you're going to keep losing customers. The tech who installed my fiber was shocked when I downgraded my firmware and showed him the difference in speed.

Netgear needs to offer a firmware that's secure and modern without the Armor code that decimates wired throughout.

I'm very disappointed.

[michaelkenward]

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@JSebek wrote:
I have a Gigabit fiber connection and with any new firmware past 1.03.66, my max speed test is around 180mbit. The firmware update after that which integrated the Armor software kills/throttles LAN wired speeds. 

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These toys and other things that eat into your router's processor power, such as QoS and traffic metering, are known to slow them down.

You should be able to disable Armor and prevent that hit.

Try asking for help here:

NETGEAR Armor - NETGEAR Communities

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It amazes me that with technology and Internet speed continuing to trend upward that they seem to think this is acceptable.

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Another way of putting it is that someone who has a gigabit Internet service shouldn't expect too much of a router that dates back to 2014. While R6700s claim to be Gigabit, that'll be at the top of their operating window.

Technology and Internet speed do indeed trend upward, so does router technology. You might like to look into getting a router that matches your Internet service.

[JSebek]

Telling me to buy a new router is completely missing the point of the reply/reason other people are complaining/upset.

If you were referring to the wireless performance then the age of the router not getting sustained Gigabit speeds, your point might be valid but I'm not referring to WiFi performance. I'm referring to the fact that my wired connection is cut to 20-25% of what it should be. It's like you buying a car that's supposed to go 120 and the company releases a recall issue that you have done and your car maxes out at 30. You could drive it but why would you want to? You'd likely demand the company fix the issue or revert it. If they left it, you'd probably not do business with them ever again.

Basic switching/pass through for wired LAN gigabit connections has been available for far more than 10 years (probably more than 20 since Europe has had Gigabit connections to home for longer than that even). It's also proven that this router CAN handle proper speeds by downgrading the firmware. Netgear themselves have caused this problem with their firmware when they added the Armor code to the firmware basically breaking/throttling the LAN port. Even if you disable it in settings, the code still throttles the connection. It amuses me that you think this is an acceptable thing to do to customers who pay for one of your products to do a specific thing.

The purpose of Firmware is to IMPROVE performance and stability, not make the user experience terrible.

You have a right to your opinion but any router in the last 10-15 years should be able to do basic switching to a wired connection/LAN port without requiring someone to buy a new router.

I have a $40 router from 2010 that doesn't harm my LAN throughput but isn't up to spec in terms of WiFi or I'd throw this in the trash.

Why should I have to buy a new router when the company themselves released software that hurt the product's performance. I don't understand how anyone could think that's a good or acceptable practice.

To anyone else having this speed issue, the only solution I'm aware of is to downgrade your firmware to the version I mentioned unfortunately.

[michaelkenward]

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@JSebek wrote:
Telling me to buy a new router is completely missing the point of the reply/reason other people are complaining/upset.

I made several points, including that you should be able to get your ageing router to deliver much better speeds.

I also explained how you could go about that. Here it is again:

• Armor will slow things down because, as a security service, it has to inspect the traffic on your network
• If you want to turn it off, ask the right people
• NETGEAR Armor - NETGEAR Communities
• How do I turn NETGEAR Armor on or off using the Nighthawk or Orbi app? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

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The purpose of Firmware is to IMPROVE performance and stability, not make the user experience terrible.

Not really. Firmware can do next to nothing to improve the performance of your hardware. The clue is in the name, hardware.

Firmware updates are there to fix problems and, as you said, to improve stability. They are there to improve security. Most of Netgear's updates fall into that category.

I don't know what you mean by "performance". Better Stability is certainly improved performance. But so is an added feature, like Armor.

Another firmware improvement on the performance front was when Netgear added better parental controls.

Users have asked for both better security and controls, both of which are performance enhancements brought about by new firmware.

That these enhancements are also a way of Netgear making money is, of course, a sideshow.

Netgear will sometimes warn people that new firmware will change things and that they might like to skip an update if it is going to break something important.

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Basic switching/pass through for wired LAN gigabit connections has been available for far more than 10 years (probably more than 20 since Europe has had Gigabit connections to home for longer than that even).

Again, it is more subtle than that. A decade ago, a Gigabit router would have  no problem handling the traffic on most Internet services. In most places, Gigabit speeds are relatively new. Here in the UK they are still rare.

A router designed for a Gigabit connections will happily process anything thrown at them. But now Internet speeds are hitting the limits of the hardware's capability. That's why newer hardware is designed for faster Internet.

The choice is yours. But it helps to base it on an understanding of what is going on.