Reduced Wired Download Speeds RBR 750

[msilagy]

I was wonderfing if others using the RBR750 have seen significantly reduced wired connection speeds through the router.  Our ISP is Spectrum Cable 1GB.  When I do a speed test, it routinely indicates 900MB+ speeds between the Spectrum modem and the Orbi router, but devices with wired connections to the router routinely return speed test results half that or less.  I've tested connecting my laptop with different ethernet cables right next to the router and get the same result as with devices connected through a powered network switch.  Are my performance expectations out of line?  Shouldn't my wired connections be routinely seeing speeds of 750MB+?  Our WiFi connections are typically getting speeds in the 350MB - 450MB range so I don't seem to be getting much benefit paying for the 1GB service.  

[msilagy · Accepted solution]

Update - A Spectrum technician came onsite today.  Prior to his arrival, I ran additional speedtests and of course, everything was working beautifully with 800Mbps + speeds on the wired connections through the RBR750, which hasn't happened for over a month.  He ran diagnostics and everything checked out.  He also advised that there had been another issue in the area that Spectrum resolved yesterday, so it's possible whatever that was, it cleared what was impacting my wired speeds.

For now, I'll consider the issue closed.  Thanks to those who responded with resolution suggestions!

[Mikey94025]

If your ISP modem isn't in bridge mode then you probably have Double NAT which accounts for the speed drop.  You have two routers doing the same work in series.  See the suggestions in: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Community-FAQ-My-Orbi-speeds-are-slo... (e.g., you can put your modem into bridge mode or setup your Orbi in Access Point mode).

[msilagy]

Mikey, Thanks for your reply and recommendations on how I might solve my issue.  Spectrum is coming onsite tomorrow to check the modem, so I'll review what you sent with the technician. 

My equipment configuration with Spectrum is a separate modem and wireless router (2 devices) with the Spectrum wireless router removed and replaced with the RBR 750 base station.  Unless I'm mistaken, that eliminates the conflict of Double NAT since the Spectrum modem cannot function as a router.

I ran the wired connection speed test to the RBR 750 base station with my laptop connected with a short ethernet cable to the RBR 750 in addition and got the same speed test results that typically range from a low of 250 Mbps to a high of just over 500 Mbps as I was getting when the laptop was connected in a another room using a longer ethernet cable connected through a powered switch to the RBR 750.  The powered switch also connects another PC to the network and several TVs.  When I ran the speed tests through the powered switch connection, none of the TVs were turned on.

What was interesting is that when testing with Spectrum technical support remotely, my laptop was unable to access the Internet when plugged directly into the ethernet port on the Spectrum modem with the RBR 750 disconnected from the setup.  That is why Spectrum is sending a technican onsite to evaluate.  When the RBR 750 is connected to the modem, the speed test through the Orbi App indicates a typical download speed of 900-950Mbps.  I tried disconnecting the RBR 750 and replacing it with the Spectrum provided Wi-Fi router to see if I'd obtain different speeedtest results through the router, but I wasn't able to get the router to work with the modem again (wireless or wired connections) despite running through setup so perhaps there is a problem with the modem.

Does the inability of the laptop to connect to the internet with a wired connection to the Spectrum modem suggest anything to you?

Thanks again for the advice.

[Mikey94025]

One suggestion - Try running your speed tests using speedtest.net's website/app and do not rely upon the Orbi app or admin website's speed test.  Then we can be sure it is not something to do with how Orbi is measuring speed.

It is a good idea to verify your wired speeds in this consistent way from your laptop wired directly to the modem vs. laptop wired to Orbi RBR wired to modem.  That result will narrow down where the wired speed drop is occuring.  I think you should be able to get close, e.g., 800Mbps+, with devices wired directly to your Orbi RBR (omitting any network switches or other hardware).  Make sure you have parental controls, etc. turned off.  What other settings have you changed, if any, from the Orbi default settings?

Wireless speeds will be limited by many other factors and will not be close to 1Gbps like you should be able to see with wired.  I think your best devices with wifi 6, e.g, iPhone 11 Pro or later, will regularly see 400Mbps to 600Mbps under ideal conditions even if your upstream connection supports 1Gb.

I cannot explain why your laptop could not access the internet when connected directly to the Spectrum modem.  Did it get an IP address via DHCP?  Are there any MAC restrictions or configurations that need to be set on the Spectrum side or reset?  I have Xfinity so don't know.

It doesn't sound like you have Double NAT but you can verify it by conparing your IP displayed by canyouseeme.org against http://orbilogin.com... Advanced... Internet Port... IP Address. They will be the same if you do not have Double NAT.  If your Orbi's IP address is different, often something like 10.*.*.* or 192.*.*.*, then there is Double NAT.  My Orbi's Internet IP address using Xfinity is like 73.63.*.*.

[msilagy]

Thanks for the reply.

I have run many tests using speedtest.net and the results I indicated in my messages except for the speed from the modem to the RBR750 are the results from those tests.  Unfortunately, I've been unable to run speedtest.net on the download speed directly from the modem as I'm unable to get the laptop to connect to the Internet when using an ethernet cable connection between the laptop and the modem.  That's why Spectrum has dispatched a tech tomorrow to come onsite as I should be able to do that.

I didn't change any settings on the Orbi router from the default settings.  They all remain as originally configured.  If any changes were made, it was as a result of the firmware upgrade but I didn't make the changes.  The firmware upgrade was done automatically while we were out of town.

I'm not technically proficient enough to answer the questions about the Spectrum modem.  The laptop never registered an Internet connection when connected to the modem.  I'll wait for the Spectrum tech to come onsite tomorrow to run those checks but when I was on the phone with their tech support, the individual I spoke with said on his end he was seeing things that indicated something is wrong so perhaps the settings for the modem are incorrect.

Thanks for the great feedback and suggestions.  I really appreciate it.  Hopefully when Spectrum is onsite tomorrow we'll be able to determine what's wrong.

[msilagy · Accepted solution]

Update - A Spectrum technician came onsite today.  Prior to his arrival, I ran additional speedtests and of course, everything was working beautifully with 800Mbps + speeds on the wired connections through the RBR750, which hasn't happened for over a month.  He ran diagnostics and everything checked out.  He also advised that there had been another issue in the area that Spectrum resolved yesterday, so it's possible whatever that was, it cleared what was impacting my wired speeds.

For now, I'll consider the issue closed.  Thanks to those who responded with resolution suggestions!