I am getting slow wifi speeds whe using the EX3110 extender. Speedtest.net is showing like 0.5Mbps download. Yet the config screen shows 3 bars signal strength, and 39Mbps capability (See file attachment for phone screenshot). Anyone have any suggestions on how to improve speed? Thanks in advance for a reply.
The EX3110 has the potential for a 300mbps link speed over 2.4ghz. That's link speed. Link speed isn't the same as throughput*.
You're link speed it 39 mbps.
The other thing I notice is the 5ghz isn't connected. 5ghz is much much faster thatn 2.4ghz but doesn't broadcast as far or through as much materials.
these 2 things make me think that either you're to far away from the router or your have to many obstructions in the way.
*throughput is actual speed. It is usually 55-65% from a router.
Its even worse off an extender because of the very nature of how they have to work. Reason why is an extender has to recieve from the router and then rebroadcast to devices using the same chip and it can't do both at the same time. This cuts its speed in half of what its getting from the router.
so if you're already at such a weak link speed (39mbps) back to the router and you add in the throughput hit it takes, you're speeds could be what you'd expect.
Things you can try?
1. move it closer. If you're 5ghz isn't even linking because of distance/obstruction, then you're to far away.
2. move it laterally. If its obstructions in the walls, sometimes a lateral move can help.
3. try changing wifi channels. maybe the one you're on has interference. Potentially changing which channel you're broadcasting on can help with interference
Plemans, your assumptions are correct! The extender is in a separate building from the router, so the signal goes a couple hundred feet, and there are some trees too. I can't really move it closer, and since it plugs into a wall outlet (no power cord), I can't move it to the top of the building either. I haven't tried other channels, but since there are no other wifi signals around, I don't expect that to help either. The router is Linksys, does this matter?
I expect that the extender will slow the speed some, and 50% of link speed would be great--I'd be happy with 10%. A couple of questions:
1. Would a newer model work better? This one is probably 5yrs old.
2. Would a firmware update help? Again it has never been updated.
3. Would an extender with external antennas work better? I could wire an additional outdoor antenna to this. Any experience with these?
If you or anyone else would comment further, I'd be most grateful.
Thanks for your reply, and advice. I'm not ready to go with either of those solutions yet, I'd like to try to eek out a few more mbps with an extender. Right now I'n getting only 1% of link speed, if I could get another 1% that would double my speed. Appreciate any tips to make that happen.
You're caught in a catch-22. You need another extender in the middle somewhere. But if you add another extender, it suffers from the same fate of the first one (50% throughput reduction and so by the time you get to the extender in the building, its running at 25%) unless you go with a triband extender which are quite a bit more expensive.
Once you start getting to the more expensive options, its better to invest the little extra and do it right.
You might have luck if you have an old router with external antennas around that could be re-purposed as a wireless bridge or extender. Or Potentially an extender with extenrnal antenna would help. But it might not help much.
