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I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
Hi. I recently bought an XR500 router from Amazon. Before this, I only had a 100 Mbps router. My ISP plan is 300 Mbps. I configured my router with all the default settings. However, I'm having an issue where I'm getting only up to 100 Mbps speeds with my connection (realistically around 92-94 Mbps).
I browsed around the forums for different solutions and one suggested looking at the Device Manager to look at link speeds. I have attached a screenshot of my link speeds. I have a desktop connected on port 3 and the link speed is 1000 Mbits. I'm assuming this means the cable between my desktop and the router is capable of upto 1000 Mbps speed. In the INTERNET port, it says only 100 Mbits. I'm guessing that I'm only getting upto 100 Mbps through the cable from the ISP. All cables are Cat6.
As far as I understand, I can tell that this could be the reason why my internet speed is being limited to 100 Mbps. But I just want clarification whether this is an issue with the router itself or an issue on my ISP side. If it's an issue with the router, please let me know what I can do to fix it. Otherwise, if I can eliminate the router as a possible cause, then I'll take up the issue with my ISP. Please let me know. Thanks.
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
OK. So, the issue has been resolved. The lineman from the ISP brought in a Gigabit router and tested the main line coming directly from outside from the ISP and it worked. We went back and tested the main line to my router and that also worked. The main line Cat6 cables are perfectly fine. My router is perfectly fine. The internal wiring Cat6 cables of my home are also perfectly fine. The issue was with an RJ45 coupler that was connecting the main line cables with my home cables. He removed the coupler and the two RJ45 ends and directly connected the wires together. Not sure why it was the coupler. I use the same model coupler in a different part of the house and it works fine. Maybe something inside got busted. But now it's back to the desired speeds. Thanks everyone.
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
I actually don't know what modem is connected to it. There is a junction box installed by the ISP in a nearby house from which they send a cable connection to multiple house. They recently put in a Cat6 cable between that junction box and my house as per my request. That's the line that connects to my router and is spread to all the devices in my house.
Can I still rule out the router being at fault here? The lineman from the ISP keeps insisting the router is the problem and tells me to return it and get a refund. Which I really can't and prefer not to do.
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
I don't. But the lineman said that he will try to find one to test it. You still think it could be the router? Without knowing for sure, are you able to say what possible causes it could be if it's the router?
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
> Can I still rule out the router being at fault here? [...]
Simple cable(+port) test: Connect an unknown cable between two (known-good?) LAN ports, to see if the cable's good. Both LAN-port port-status LEDs should indicate a gigabit/s link speed.
Simple (cable+)port test: Connect a known-good cable between one of the router's LAN ports and its WAN/Internet port. Does the LAN port's port-status LED indicate a gigabit/s link speed? If so, then the WAN/Internet port must also be operating at gigabit/s link speed.
> [...] The lineman from the ISP keeps insisting the router [...]
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
Based on nothing. He exhausted his list of solutions so it has to be the variable that's out of his control, according to his logic. In any case, I'm gonna take his words with a grain of salt. Until it's proven with another Gigabit router.
As for the test, currently, in its normal setup, all LEDs are lit up white. I'm guessing this means they are all at Gigabit link speed. Even the WAN port. I can still test and see, though.
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
Thanks for updating us.
Let us know when you've been able to test another router and what the results were. If you were provided with a 100mbps router and a cable only capable of 100mbps, it suggests to me that whatever you're connected to upstream is also limited to 100mbps.
Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look for Documentation. Get the User Manual (at least). Read. Look for the LED descriptions. Compare the significance of the LED color for the "Internet LED" and the "Ethernet LEDs for ports 1-4".
With that difference in mind, re-read those test instructions.
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
OK. So, the issue has been resolved. The lineman from the ISP brought in a Gigabit router and tested the main line coming directly from outside from the ISP and it worked. We went back and tested the main line to my router and that also worked. The main line Cat6 cables are perfectly fine. My router is perfectly fine. The internal wiring Cat6 cables of my home are also perfectly fine. The issue was with an RJ45 coupler that was connecting the main line cables with my home cables. He removed the coupler and the two RJ45 ends and directly connected the wires together. Not sure why it was the coupler. I use the same model coupler in a different part of the house and it works fine. Maybe something inside got busted. But now it's back to the desired speeds. Thanks everyone.
Re: I'm having issues with limited speeds with Nighthawk XR500
> [...] He removed the coupler and the two RJ45 ends and directly > connected the wires together. Not sure why it was the coupler. [...]
Why are you sure that it _was_ the coupler? "removed the coupler and the two RJ45 ends" does not sound to me like a specific test of the coupler.
A gigabit/s connection requires all eight conductors; a slower connection requires only the right four conductors. One sloppy RJ45 installation can cause this sort of problem. Hence, one needs to test all the components in the chain. (Which is only as strong as its weakest link.)
If you saved the pieces, then you might be able to spot the problem visually in one of the cut-off connectors. Otherwise you probably blew your chance to identify the actual problem, instead of guessing.
