Recently I deployed two WAX620 wireless access point for a client, in his newly constructed house. The house has 1 Gb/sec synchronous Internet service from AT&T. All Cat 6 cable is new and has been certified. I have a pfSense router with gigabit interfaces and gigabit Netgear switches running the LAN. The WAX620 units are running the latest firmware version. I can speed test from the WAX620 units and they show about 920 Gb/sec up and down. Then when I connect anything (PC, Android phone, iPhone, etc.) wirelessly the best speed test numbers I can get are about 250 Gb/sec. I would have expected a little less than 920, but only 250? I have gone through the settings pretty thoroughly and can find nothing that should be throttling the bandwidth this way. Anyone have any ideas that might be helpful?

Are you testing over the 2.4ghz or the 5gh? How far from the access point are you? What device are you testing on? do you have any bandwidth control setup at all? Is it both access points with the lower speed?

There are many variables in these Wi-Fi speed equations.... Biggest one comes from the wireless clients and it's capabilities. Are these 11ac or 11ax clients? Many 11ax mobile clients are 2x2 only Next is the environment and the config of the AP for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. On 2.4 GHz there is not much channel headroom due to the limited bandwidth available. On 5 GHz band there can be other channel wasters like video or HDMI transmission systems. Are the WAX620 configured to use 80 MHz bandwidth, or at least 20...80 MHz automatic? Are there other 5 GHz APs on air in the wireless reach on the 80 MHz wide channel set active? The WAX620 is built on a AX3600 dual-radio platform. 2,4 GHz at the limited bandwidth of the band (72 MHz on Channels 1..11 or > 80 MHz on Channels 1..13) does a max link rate of almost 1,2 Gb/s (AX1200), on 5 GHz AX2400 it allows max link rates slightly above 2400 Mb/s. Deducting the protocol overhead, this allows higher throughput than what the installed 1 GbE Ethernet allows, sill much more than what the ISP does provide.

Good thoughts. Thanks. Both WAX620s are set for automatic bandwidth on both 2.4 and 5. The clients are not the issue, I don't think. All the devices we have tested have speed tested at 900 plus, when tested on the AT&T router. We have WiFi turned off on the AT&T router. the AT&T router is in pas-through (bridge) mode, so it does nothing but act as the passive gateway device. I will look for rogue signals. Thanks.

Are you testing over the 2.4ghz or the 5gh? Both.How far from the access point are you? 20 feetWhat device are you testing on? PC, iPhone and Samsung Android phonedo you have any bandwidth control setup at all? I assumer you mean rate limiting ... no.Is it both access points with the lower speed? Yes.

When more than AP is having the same issue, it makes me suspiscous of the device testing with and the router they're connected to. What model devices are you testing on. You listed pretty generic devices. Its important to know what wireless cards are in them. And when you say you tested on both 2.4ghz and 5ghz, what speeds did you get for each? I don't have any of the business class equipment (other than a SRK30) so i'm not sure how to check the wireless settings/configuration on them. schumaku would be a lot more knowledgeable about those than I would.

Wax620 very slow | NETGEAR Communities

17 Replies

plemans
Guru - Experienced User
Oct 20, 2022
Are you testing over the 2.4ghz or the 5gh?

How far from the access point are you?

What device are you testing on?

do you have any bandwidth control setup at all?

Is it both access points with the lower speed?
- BobSimmons
  Aspirant
  Oct 21, 2022
  Are you testing over the 2.4ghz or the 5gh? Both.
  How far from the access point are you? 20 feet
  What device are you testing on? PC, iPhone and Samsung Android phone
  do you have any bandwidth control setup at all? I assumer you mean rate limiting ... no.
  Is it both access points with the lower speed? Yes.
  - plemans
    Guru - Experienced User
    Oct 21, 2022
    When more than AP is having the same issue, it makes me suspiscous of the device testing with and the router they're connected to.
    
    What model devices are you testing on. You listed pretty generic devices. Its important to know what wireless cards are in them.
    
    And when you say you tested on both 2.4ghz and 5ghz, what speeds did you get for each?
    
    I don't have any of the business class equipment (other than a SRK30) so i'm not sure how to check the wireless settings/configuration on them. schumaku would be a lot more knowledgeable about those than I would.
schumaku
Guru - Experienced User
Oct 21, 2022
There are many variables in these Wi-Fi speed equations....

Biggest one comes from the wireless clients and it's capabilities. Are these 11ac or 11ax clients? Many 11ax mobile clients are 2x2 only

Next is the environment and the config of the AP for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. On 2.4 GHz there is not much channel headroom due to the limited bandwidth available. On 5 GHz band there can be other channel wasters like video or HDMI transmission systems. Are the WAX620 configured to use 80 MHz bandwidth, or at least 20...80 MHz automatic? Are there other 5 GHz APs on air in the wireless reach on the 80 MHz wide channel set active?

The WAX620 is built on a AX3600 dual-radio platform. 2,4 GHz at the limited bandwidth of the band (72 MHz on Channels 1..11 or > 80 MHz on Channels 1..13) does a max link rate of almost 1,2 Gb/s (AX1200), on 5 GHz AX2400 it allows max link rates slightly above 2400 Mb/s. Deducting the protocol overhead, this allows higher throughput than what the installed 1 GbE Ethernet allows, sill much more than what the ISP does provide.
- BobSimmons
  Aspirant
  Oct 21, 2022
  Good thoughts. Thanks. Both WAX620s are set for automatic bandwidth on both 2.4 and 5. The clients are not the issue, I don't think. All the devices we have tested have speed tested at 900 plus, when tested on the AT&T router. We have WiFi turned off on the AT&T router. the AT&T router is in pas-through (bridge) mode, so it does nothing but act as the passive gateway device. I will look for rogue signals. Thanks.