Sorry that this will be simple for most of you. I'm trying to determine if I've done everything I can to get the maximum download speed relative to what I'm paying for. The basics are:
Xfinity 1.2 Gbps service
Arris Surfboard S33 modem with 2.5 and 1.0 ethernet ports
Orbi Tri-band Mesh Wifi 6 System AX4200 - router is connected with the Orbi provided ethernet cable from the 2.5 port on the modem.
I have 3 Orbi satellites currently meshed to the Orbi router.
My Orbi app says that my download speed is 937 Mbps
My brand new Dell all-in-one computer (Inspiron 24 5000) is connected wirelessly. It consistently shows download speeds (using Ookla) in the 400s.
Other devices connected wirelessly to my mesh network are a couple of printers, another computer, a handful of Rokus, and a cellphone or two.
P.S. I don't game and don't generally download content to my mobile devices (like movies or things - I just watch via xfinity or roku on my various tvs). I also have a wired house, but connecting my computer via ethernet generally shows marginally slower download speeds.
So, am I as good as I can do?
And I have two more satellites that I can deploy - can I do this without a material degradation to my current set up?
Many many thanks in advance for all replies, especially those that a basic tech guy like me can understand.
My Orbi app says that my download speed is 937 Mbps
My brand new Dell all-in-one computer (Inspiron 24 5000) is connected wirelessly. It consistently shows download speeds (using Ookla) in the 400s.
This is probably normal. I see 400 to 500 Mbps realistic speeds over wireless as measured by speedtest. Wireless speeds are slower than wired due to network overhead, encryption, etc. Do not compare with the link speed (theoretical maximum).
Same here with my 900/400 ISP plan, I get up to 800 on my hard wired Mac, 500 or less when I switch to WiFi. Most I have had on my iphone12 pro is 633 but average is 400.
Your wired is the speed you'll get as the 7 series only has the gigabit ethernet port. that 940mbps (ish) is what it'll max out at unless you upgrade to the 8 or 9 series.
wireless speeds are much more variable. the maximum link speed you'll get from the 7 series is 1200mbps as that's the 5ghz fronthaul it uses in a 2x2 configuration. Again, that's link speed. throughput tends to be around 55-65% of link speed from network overhead/efficiency as @Mikey94025 already pointed out. Plus 5ghz distance drops off quickly. I've seen people hit around that 800+mbps over the 5ghz fronthaul but that's right next to the router without any interference. Add interference/distance, and that 400-500mbps is much more realistic for speeds.
Your satellites are another subject. You might not get the same speeds from them if you're using the wireless backhaul as distance/interference/obstructions can slow that down. so its harder to predict. But I would recommend trying several different locations with the satellites. they should be at least 30 ft apart for roaming to work properly. but try several spots for each satellite because things in the walls/environment (think hvac or certain appliances) can block wifi very well. And sometimes moving a satellite from one side of the room to the other, removes that obstruction and can make the satellite work better. I usually tell people to grab a laptop and connect to the satellite hardwired so when you're positioning, you're just testing the backhaul. When I first moved to a mesh system, it took a couple months trying different configurations of how many satellites and what position to run them in. I've figured out what configuration is best if I'm using 2/3/4 satellites in my home through a lot of trial and error. Plus I just like to optimize. So try different things and test to see how they work.
