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I just bought this router thinking that it would provide faster speed and better coverage in my 2000 sq ft (one level) house, but this is the worst wireless router I have ever had When I connect directly to the modem, I get 120 mbps, when I connect via the Netgear router wirelessly, I get 60 mbps. The range is just as bad, it doesn't reach to the back bedrooms like previous routers (not Netgear) routers I have had. I have no other option to move the router and modem but where it is at. I have spent hours researching what could be wrong and have confirmed the MTU is the correct value; confirmed that QOS is disabled, traffic meter is disabled; and changed channel. We live on a rural farm, so interference is not an issue.
Not a modem router that can cause local conflicts.
@grahamfa wrote: 3) Clients - I tested with Windows laptop, ipad, iphone, and android
The killer. These things are capable of better speeds than you see.
@grahamfa wrote: 4) Router Firmware Version - V1.0.2.98 - I did check for the latest firmware version and the one shown is the latest
These things rarely arrive with the latest firmware, which suggests that you may have updated it yourself. In which case, did you reset the router to factory settings after the firmware flash?
New firmware sometimes introduces changes that are not compatible with the old configuration.
So while it isn't guaranteed to fix problems a factory reset is the first thing to try if you have issues with new firmware. And wifi seems to be prone to these post-flash issues.
The range thing is something else. The WNDR4300 doesn't claim to be a long range device. Are you connecting at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The latter is faster but has shorter range. Paradoxically, you may get better speed using 2.4 GHz when you are not near the router.
Having said all that, if there is a way to return the device at no cost to you and replace it with something more capable, and probably more expensive, that is what I would do. Your call.
Is it really an WNDR4300? That's a pretty basic box. (Is it the original v1 or the newer v2?) Note the lack of antennae that come on flashier Nighthawk kit. But they cost a heck of a lot more.
When I connect directly to the modem, I get 120 mbps, when I connect via the Netgear router wirelessly, I get 60 mbps.
Remember wifi depends on the transmitter (router) and the receivers (wifi clients). 60 Mbps is the top speed that you will get for some wifi clients. You don't say what clients you are using.
Not a modem router that can cause local conflicts.
@grahamfa wrote: 3) Clients - I tested with Windows laptop, ipad, iphone, and android
The killer. These things are capable of better speeds than you see.
@grahamfa wrote: 4) Router Firmware Version - V1.0.2.98 - I did check for the latest firmware version and the one shown is the latest
These things rarely arrive with the latest firmware, which suggests that you may have updated it yourself. In which case, did you reset the router to factory settings after the firmware flash?
New firmware sometimes introduces changes that are not compatible with the old configuration.
So while it isn't guaranteed to fix problems a factory reset is the first thing to try if you have issues with new firmware. And wifi seems to be prone to these post-flash issues.
The range thing is something else. The WNDR4300 doesn't claim to be a long range device. Are you connecting at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The latter is faster but has shorter range. Paradoxically, you may get better speed using 2.4 GHz when you are not near the router.
Having said all that, if there is a way to return the device at no cost to you and replace it with something more capable, and probably more expensive, that is what I would do. Your call.
For the range all I can advice is to set up the router in a central location of your property. For the speed, the 5.0 ghz you must the set the password security to WPA2-AES TKIP, and also the same for the 2.4ghz to reach the fastest speed on your router's ability.
And there is no other place for connecting the modem/router but at the far end of the house
There are legal limits on how much power wifi is allowed to deliver. Some properties are just too big, or built with materials such as steel reinforced concrete that shield the wifi, for it to go from one end to the other.
If that is the case then there are other ways of bridging the gap. You can use a wifi extender that sits in the middle of the space, repeating the wifi from the source. Or there is Powerline Ethernet that uses your mains circuits as a part of the network.
I was able to return the router. I purchased a different brand of wireless router which is working great - great speed and reaches the end of the house. I appreciate the education on why the router I chose wasn't as good as described.
