Question about how to connect cable modem, router, and computer for optimal speed

[Scott_M1]

Today I got 1Gb internet service - YAY! The first thing I did was go to speedtest.net and test the speed. It showed 289 Mb/sec download speed, well below the 1 Gb speed of my service. I know that the actual speed is hardly ever the advertised speed, and I understand that, but I would expect more than 289 Mb from a 1 Gb connection.

I checked the obvious things:

1) My new cable modem (provided by the cable company) is 1Gb certified.
2) My Netgear R6300 router is 1Gb certified.
3) My computer's network card is 10/100/1000 certified.
4) I'm using Cat6 ethernet cables from the modem to the router and from the computer to the router.

Here's how I have everything connected:
1) Coaxial cable from the cable connection in the wall to the cable modem.
2) Cat6 ethernet cable from the modem to the router, plugged into the port marked "Internet" on the router.
3) Cat6 ethernet cable from the computer to one of the ethernet ports on the router.

With this setup, everything works. I am connected to the Internet and I get a wifi and Internet connection with my tablet. No problems, except for the speed issue.

As a test, I connected the ethernet cable from my modem directly to my computer (instead of to the router). With this arrangement, I successfully connected to the Internet, did a speed test, and got 926 Mb/sec download speed. So now I know that my connection is working properly. But this method of connecting the components supplied an Internet connection to only the computer. To get the connection from the computer to the router, I used a Cat6 cable from the 2nd ethernet port on my computer and plugged it into the "Internet" port on the router. Result: my tablet detects and connects to the wireless signal sent out by the router, but there is no connection to the Internet via the wireless signal. It's at this point that I'm stumped

It seems the only way to get the speed of my 1Gb service is to connect the modem directly to the computer, rather than to the router. But if I do that, I can't figure out how to get the Internet connection from the computer to the router, and then out wirelessly from the router to my tablet and other mobile devices. See the diagrams below for the setup configurations that I've tried.

So, my question is, how do I set things up so that I get the full speed of my 1 Gb connection, AND with the computer, router, and wireless devices all connected to the Internet?

[TheEther · Accepted solution]

 Your 1st setup is the correct one. I would suggest that you perform a factory reset of your R6300. If you don't have the latest firmware, upgrade first, then do the factory reset.

Leave everything at stock settings except for the following:

1. Change the admin and Wi-Fi passwords
2. Use WPA2-PSK [AES] security
3. Adjust the LAN IP address, subnet and DHCP settings, as necessary
4. Do not enable QoS, but leave WMM on
5. Do not use block sites or Access Control

If you have AT&T U-verse service, then you'll want to enable IP Passthrough (it's a pseudo-bridge mode). This article will tell you how to do it. The instructions are written for a NVG589. You likely have a NVG599, but the instructions are the same.

Then, redo your speed test.

[TheEther · Accepted solution]

 Your 1st setup is the correct one. I would suggest that you perform a factory reset of your R6300. If you don't have the latest firmware, upgrade first, then do the factory reset.

Leave everything at stock settings except for the following:

1. Change the admin and Wi-Fi passwords
2. Use WPA2-PSK [AES] security
3. Adjust the LAN IP address, subnet and DHCP settings, as necessary
4. Do not enable QoS, but leave WMM on
5. Do not use block sites or Access Control

If you have AT&T U-verse service, then you'll want to enable IP Passthrough (it's a pseudo-bridge mode). This article will tell you how to do it. The instructions are written for a NVG589. You likely have a NVG599, but the instructions are the same.

Then, redo your speed test.

[Scott_M1]

Thank you very much for the suggestions.

I reset my router to the factory default settings and connected everything according to Diagram #1 in my original post. Speedtest.net now shows my download speed around 780-810 Mb/sec. This is exactly in-line with what I expected I should get, and is about the same as others in my city get from their 1 gig service with the same cable company as I'm with. So, problem solved.