Folks, for every change you make to your router there is a "COST". Meaning it may provide an increase in speed but at what loss. Routers are a balancing act. By MAXing out your CTS/RTS, you are telling your wireless router WITH satellites to just PUSH data through like a bulldozer. If two systems ask for data at the same time, who cares let them collide and destroy each other and eventually retransmit. Small data that may be ok, but larger data submissions will keep trying until it is successful. What that equates to is when pushing larger data your network will actually slow down. It would have been better to say something like, ok let the small data collide and retransmit if needed, but lager cars "request" a pause so it gets a turn without colliding. This is what CTS/RTS does. Setting it to 2347 or 2346 is the same, that means let the traffic flow at a four way intersection with no stop signs and no lights, may the luckiest survive. Usually the end result is slower network (unless everything you transmit is small). So what is the magic number? Experts says “it depends” on your network and size of data. However most people are not going to look into micro logs and see how many packets are colliding. A “SAFE” number is 500. So you ask yourself who did Netgear Orbi put 64. They did that so there would be few problems as possible. Almost ever data stream would request a stop light, then flow. Problem is that slows down the network too much. Maxing it at 2346 is CHAOS, so listen to the experts, choose around 500. I think that is the happy medium.
For those who are interested in this and want one more reason to NOT use 2347 (Max), lets suppose you are on a PC and connected to a orbi satellite. You are downloading a larger file, oddly enough it is slower than ever! Why? Well your house is probably busy, lots of little data files are at the cross road intersection with no stop sign or light and is retransmitting when they collide. It is probably a busy time on the network and your BIG data request has to compete and hopefully finds a time where it can slip in between every little chaotic packet (kind of like driving an 18 wheeler in a motorcycle fest on a narrow highway). Odds are you will complain that your network is too slow. BUT if you had, say, a CTS/RTS setting of around 500, then when that big packet is requested, it magically creates a four way light at the intersection, gets the instant green light, goes through, and once passes allows the CHAOS to continue after it is done.
I believe NG said they put 64 in use for there environment. Not sure why of if they intended to push it to the public. I was told that users should use 2347 or default settings based on there experiences and its up to users to make the change. I had noticed bad behaviors with one of my NEST controllers. Since changing to 2347, I haven't seen any issues since.
Most NG wifi defaults to these values on most of there products anyways:
Fragmentation Length (256-2346):
CTS/RTS Threshold (1-2347): 2347
Has worked for most of there products for years.
The values should be used as default setings and if users experience issues, then try making changes to the CTS/RTS values. Changing of the values is a valid troubleshooting step.
I guess we'll see if these values change upon next FW update.
