Orbi slow device to device in LAN, but device to internet fine

[icegunner]

My Setup

I have an RBR20 connected to an ATT Uverse gateway (BGW210). The gateway is bridged so that the RBR20 has an external IP. The gateway also has its WiFi disabled. The RBR20 is the only thing connected to it. I then have the RBR20 connected to a Netgear 8 port unmanaged switch (GS108). From the switch, I have a few other devices connected (e.g. desktop, Synology NAS, etc.). Most devices are connected through WiFi. I also have a satellite tied to the RBR20.

The Problem...

From any wired device (e.g. desktop), getting out the internet is perfectly fine. Speedtest reports are as expected. From a wireless device, getting out to the internet is also fine. Again, speedtest reports are as expected (with some lower numbers due to WiFi of course). Now, when trying to access a wired device from a wireless device (e.g. stream a video from my NAS or desktop to my iPad), that's when the throughput is absolutely horrendous. Buffering is crazy slow. Here's the catch through: this is most of the time, but every so often, it all works perfectly.

I haven't figured out how consistent this is yet. I'm actually going to test this over the weekend. I believe (though not sure yet) that this only happens during the week. On the weekends, everything works. Last week: issues. Last weekend: all good. All this week: issues. Again, I'm not sure this is the case yet. If it is, I'm sure I have something somewhere running on a schedule that's killing things. Though I have absolutely no idea what that might be. I suspect this is not the case. And here's why: I also have a Google router (not the new hockey puck ones, but the older Echo looking ones). When I hook up the Google router (and make the obligatory changes in the BGW210 for bridging), there is never a problem. None. Ever. Only with the Orbi does this problem exist. And I've run out of ideas for troubleshooting/fixing this.

Some additional info

Currently running latest firmware (2.3.1.58) even though this has been happening on older FWs as well.

Have tried turning off/on WMM, MIMO, BeamForming, and Daisy Chaining to no avail.

Have tried to go back to an older FW version (210).

Have tried changing channels for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz in several ways.

Have tried rebooting router, desktop, NAS, iPad, iPhone, MacBook, etc.

Have tried "rebooting" switch.

Have tried moving devices to different ports.

Have tried new network cables.

Have checked in several devices to see if something is running on a schedule of any kind and can't find anything of note.

And, as mentioned earlier, when using a different router, the issue goes away.

So, if anyone could please help, I'd be very appreciative. Normally, I'd have called support by now, but that ship has sailed. And before anyone asks, this has been happening almost since the begining. I didn't call when I could because I wasn't home much and I had the backup router if it really got on my nerves. Especially since the vast majority of the time, usage is device to internet which has always worked great. But, I have more of a need for device-to-device lately and it's becoming head-bashingly annoying.

Please help.

[icegunner · Accepted solution]

Okay, so after further testing, it appears that my problem the whole time was... The switch. 🤔

So, in my testing, I noticed that the transfer of wired-to-wired was actually not as fast as it should've been. It was still pretty fast, but when transfering large files, it was only hitting about 200Mbps. When I noticed this, it struck me that this is a 1Gbps network (NIC in desktop, NAS, GS108 switch, and RBR20). I should be getting closer to 1Gbps speeds going wired-to-wired. So, I tested with connecting my desktop directly to the RBR20, bypassing the switch altogether. When I did that, I was suddenly getting full 100Mbps internet speeds. When I put the GS108 switch back into the mix, I was back to 30Mbps speeds. So, it looks like the switch. Unmanaged switches are fairly simple and are rarely the problem. So, it never occured to me that it could be the issue.

So, I went out and bought a new GS108. The new one is a v4 where my problem one is a v2. Still, same switch for the most part. When I swapped them out, all of a sudden I have full 1Gbps transfer speeds between the desktop and the NAS. Also, now getting close to 100Mbps internet speeds from the desktop. Also, wireless-to-wired and vice versa all working great. Wireless internet speeds also went up.

What's more is that it also fixed another issue I had that I assumed was in Windows itself. That issue was my network constantly going offline. I mean that the network icon in Windows 10 was always getting an explanation mark on it and was having to be reset. Swapped out network cards and it only got slightly better. This issue is very similar to when the power saving feature in Windows is applied to the NIC and it keeps going into a power save mode. So, the new switch actually fixed that too. Again, would've never occured to me.

Resolution

So, I swapped out the switch and all of my problems have seemingly disappeared. I am good to go now. I called Netgear to have the GS108 switch replaced since it has a lifetime warranty. Even the tech on the phone thought it was pretty odd and had to go to his manager for approval on the RMA. All in all, a very strange issue and solution.

[Fl1ntstone]

Hi,

Have you checked whether any of your wired interfaces are connected at half duplex?  I would go onto the settings of the devices connected to your un-managed switch and check that they are speed - 100/1000, duplex - full.  Also check the Orbi LAN ports?

Good luck 🙂

[icegunner]

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@Fl1ntstone wrote:

Have you checked whether any of your wired interfaces are connected at half duplex?  I would go onto the settings of the devices connected to your un-managed switch and check that they are speed - 100/1000, duplex - full.  Also check the Orbi LAN ports?

---

Interesting thought. I don't think this would be an issue given that wired devices can get out to the internet fine and wireless devices can also get out fine. It's just talking between the two. However, I did check. Everything is at full duplex.

Though, it did give me an idea for a couple more tests. I've tried changing out the ethernet cable going from the RBR20 to the switch. Turns out, that actually broke everything. And, when I did it, I had turned off the switch and the RBR20 when I made the swap. I turned on the switch first and then the RBR20. When I saw that everything broke for a while, I went back to the "old" ethernet cable while everything was still powered. As soon as I did that, everything was back up and running.

Also of note, it appears that wired-to-wired isn't having a problem. When I copy large files from my wired NAS to my wired desktop and back, everything looks fine. Maybe running a bit slower than I'd expect. But 100s of Mbps seems fine and still better than wired-to-wireless or vice versa.

It also appears that DLNA discovery is super slow too. DLNA devices are taking a long time to show up, if at all.

[icegunner · Accepted solution]

Okay, so after further testing, it appears that my problem the whole time was... The switch. 🤔

So, in my testing, I noticed that the transfer of wired-to-wired was actually not as fast as it should've been. It was still pretty fast, but when transfering large files, it was only hitting about 200Mbps. When I noticed this, it struck me that this is a 1Gbps network (NIC in desktop, NAS, GS108 switch, and RBR20). I should be getting closer to 1Gbps speeds going wired-to-wired. So, I tested with connecting my desktop directly to the RBR20, bypassing the switch altogether. When I did that, I was suddenly getting full 100Mbps internet speeds. When I put the GS108 switch back into the mix, I was back to 30Mbps speeds. So, it looks like the switch. Unmanaged switches are fairly simple and are rarely the problem. So, it never occured to me that it could be the issue.

So, I went out and bought a new GS108. The new one is a v4 where my problem one is a v2. Still, same switch for the most part. When I swapped them out, all of a sudden I have full 1Gbps transfer speeds between the desktop and the NAS. Also, now getting close to 100Mbps internet speeds from the desktop. Also, wireless-to-wired and vice versa all working great. Wireless internet speeds also went up.

What's more is that it also fixed another issue I had that I assumed was in Windows itself. That issue was my network constantly going offline. I mean that the network icon in Windows 10 was always getting an explanation mark on it and was having to be reset. Swapped out network cards and it only got slightly better. This issue is very similar to when the power saving feature in Windows is applied to the NIC and it keeps going into a power save mode. So, the new switch actually fixed that too. Again, would've never occured to me.

Resolution

So, I swapped out the switch and all of my problems have seemingly disappeared. I am good to go now. I called Netgear to have the GS108 switch replaced since it has a lifetime warranty. Even the tech on the phone thought it was pretty odd and had to go to his manager for approval on the RMA. All in all, a very strange issue and solution.