Orbi960 and GS110MEX speed slow when using 2.5Gb Ethernets

[checkyourmirror]

When I connect my Orbi to my Netgear switch via 2.5Gb ports, the transfer speed from a wired Mac is about half when I use a 1Gb port between the two. My setup is simple for testing purposes, and I have no other devices and using a Cat8 cable between the Orbi and the Switch.

I run a speedtest from my Mac which is 1Gb wired, and when it transverses over the 2.5Gb connection, I only get ~350Mb but when I move the cable from the Orbi (still using the 2.5Gb port) to a 1Gb port on the switch, the speedtest increases to ~1Gb. I have verified the 2.5Gb connection is actually 2.5Gb and Full-Duplex using the Switch console. This is very perplexing and when I originally installed them last June, I don't recall having this issue and both the Switch and Router are at current firmwares. I have tried a Cat6 cable as well with the same results.

Any thoughts on why I would see such a drop in transfer speeds using 2.5Gb to 2.5Gb versus the 2.5Gb to 1Gb port connections?

[FURRYe38]

Might try a different switch.

Does Mac directly connected to the 2.5Gb LAN port in back of the RBR show a expected 1Gb speed to your PC? 

[checkyourmirror]

I don't have another switch easily available, and I did connect the Mac 1Gb into the Orbi and got the expected 1Gb speed.

[checkyourmirror]

I did some quick tests from my Mac all when the Orbi and the Switch are connected via 1Gb ports. My Mac into the Switches 2.5Gb port (running at 1Gb) and I get the 1Gb transfer rate, My Mac into the Orbi 2.5Gb port and I get the 1Gb transfer rate. I also for giggles plugged the Orbi and Switch to each other via 2.5gb ports and speed tanked to ~350Mbps.

[FURRYe38]

You'll need to test out another switch, if your getting to spec speeds directly to the back of the RBR with your PC and then the switching in the middle at the 2.5Gb port tanks the speed, points to this switch being the issue.

[checkyourmirror]

I agree however is there a reason you are thinking it might not be the Orbi 2.5Gb port?

[FURRYe38]

"My Mac into the Orbi 2.5Gb port and I get the 1Gb transfer rate." Shows the Orbi port is working as expected.

[checkyourmirror]

I replaced the switch, same results and I did some other testing but I'll net it out to the test that seemed to highlight this is a Switch/Router issue. I connected the Orbi to the switch at 2.5Gbps, I connected my Mac to the Switch at 2.5Gbs and got a perfect 1.4Gbps interest speed test. Shows that the 2.5Gbps ports are working on all devices. I ONLY moved my Mac to the 1Gbps port, and the speed dropped to ~350Mbps. If I move the Orbi to a 1Gbs port, I get ~960Mbps speeds so the issue is ONLY when the Orbi is connected to the switch at 2.5Gbps and other devices are connected at 1Gbps that I see the speed drop way down to ~350Mpbs.

However I did for giggles enable flow control on all the switch ports, and the speed shot up to ~650Mbps so clearly there is some issue with the speed disparity of having the Orbi Router on a 2.5Gbps port and the end devices being on 1Gbps. I was hoping this being a Netgear to Netgear connection, this would be easy but seems not....... I have other posts where people have similar issues and they enabled flow control on both devices, however I don't think the Orbi has Flow Control available on the Lan Ports so I think I am out of luck. Seems like a common problem and curious if Netgear is aware of this?

[FURRYe38]

Sounds like something with this particular model switch. 

I have the GS110MX version of that switch. I can check my system out and see if I can reproduce this. 

Seems like something on the MEX variant of this switch being the factor here. 

I recommend that you open up a support ticket and mention this thread and both Orbi and GS models and give all the details.