I am having an issue - I pay for 500 Mb down internet and historically have received it. Recently I noticed that I was only getting about 150 Mb down.
After a LONG investigation involving the ISP, I learned that the issue is with my router, the R6400v2. If I connect directly to my modem, I receive the advertised speeds of 500 Mb.
I first tried turning off my wireless radios and unplugged everything from the router, excepting my PC, yet still only had about 150 Mb down.
I did some further research on these forums and found somebody who had a problem that sounded very similar to mine:
I just downgraded my firmware to the same version OP was using, and sure enough my internet speeds rebounded back to 500 Mb down.
Is this a known issue? Is there a way to contact Netgear about this? What is the general consensus regarding the security risk of running an older firmware version? I'm assuming that if I'm running the latest Netgear firmware, that's the same version that a new unit would ship with. That has to mean that new R6400v2 routers would have the exact same issue.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. For what it's worth, I'm connecting my router through a Netgear CM1000 modem.
Let me add that I've done a bit of digging and have found references to this exact issue on other community posts, Reddit, and other forums. I have to think Netgear is aware of the issue, and is choosing to ignore it - probably because the devices are getting old at this point.
I am adding my voice to this as well. I have found multiple threads, here and elsewhere, describing slow WIRED ethernet connection with my R6400v2. (Many "Expert" comments devolve into bashing the user for Wi-Fi setup, I will not go into that here).
So, I have 1Gbps connection over fibre using the provided ONT from Nokia. Speed tests showed ~950 Mbps this summer. After a firmware update to fix Security issues, we started noticing hitches in video streaming and a retest showed WIRED ETHERNET speed was 'capped' around 180 Mbps. (OK, I'll dispense with the caps). Upgraded firmware to with same results.
Troubleshooting:
Direct connection PC to Modem/ONT showed speed was still >950 Mbps
All Cat 6 connections were tested by adding each wire and switch while bypassing the Netgear. All combinations maintained >950Mbps
Multiple reboots of router and ONT/modem
The only slowdown occurred when the R6400v2 was back in the circuit.
QoS was NOT enabled.
Disabling Traffic Meter improved Upload speed to ~350 but download remained <200
The *Best* recommendation of multiple Forum members and experts, for several Netgear models, devolved to "Roll back your firmware to factory, then step forward until you hit one with a problem."
Do not enable any optional settings except LAN setup and WiFi.
Then consider another manufacturer (this last one is mine)
Netgear seems to be remaining silent on this and don't waste your money signing up for tech support.
I've used several netgear products over the past decade or so. Reconsidering that.
Hi Steve, I agree with you 100% - thanks for sharing your experiences. I don't think I mentioned in my post here but I believe the root cause is that Netgear likely only maintains a handful (at most) of different firmwares. I'm guessing most of their products get the same firmware with features enabled/disabled depending on the price point, the CPU, and the board features.
There were probably changes made that are not compatible with these older routers. I'm guessing most customers won't ever be aware because (a) most users won't notice things like this and (b) most users won't have internet fast enough to expose the issue. I'm frustrated because I only bought this router 2 years ago, and to have a router become almost worthless after only 2 years is not an acceptable business practice.
After careful consideration I decided to jump ship and bought an ASUS GT-AX11000. So far I've been happy with it, but I noticed that even with the Asus, if I enable QoS, my speeds get capped at around 300 Mb/sec (I upgraded my connection to gigabit, so this was a substantial change).
All of this makes me wonder if I wouldn't be better off running DD-WRT, or getting a used PC and throwing a few network cards into it to run my own Linux router.
I'm not sure who would want to use QoS, but I wouldn't. It was turned on by default when I configured the router.
Was it second hand?
Then again, it is a pretty basic router that dates back to 2016.
Enabling QoS can nuke your connectivity speeds, and it is worth calling out because a lot of routers seem to have this issue.
Using QoS, along with traffic metering, is one of several features that require the router's processor to inspect the traffic it processes. This can slow things down. So "turn them off" is a regular suggestion for people with speed issues.
The usual advice on QoS – even Netgear suggests it – is to disable it when you have an Internet service that is over 300 Mbps. Some say even lower. If your speed is that good you would have hard time overloading the bandwidth.
Seems that turning off features to maintain speed runs counter to advertising nifty features to boost sales.
I agree, Netgear seems to count on mundane users not noticing the speed has dropped. Or, as my wife asks, "Who has time to spend figuring this all out?"
I am not Amish, but do come from a family of western Kansas farmers who fix broken things rather than throw them away and buy new ones.
