25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
tjlbills
Enthusiast - Level 2

I saw a couple similar posts, but haven't been able to improve my slow connection with some of the suggestions I saw in those posts.  I'm a new subscriber to 25/25 Mbps service.  I noticed that my Internet connection seemed slow (subjectively) and decided to run some speed tests.  Regardless of which test service I use, I connect at between 3 Mbps and 10 Mbps.  Usually around 7 Mbps.   

Some background info:

If I connect to the router with a wire, my speed increases to my plan rate (about 25/20).  

Even if I'm sitting right next to the router, however, as soon as I remove the cable and go wireless, speeds drop to about 7 Mbps.

I don't have any electronic devices that might cause interference with the router.

I've tried changing the channel of the router to each of the values from 1 through 11.  Some of the values seem better than others, but the highest speed I can get is about 10 Mbps.  A few times it reached 13 Mbps.  

Does anyone have any suggestions?  I admittedly know little about how wireless systems work, and trying to trouble shoot this with Verizon has been frustrating.  They told me first to reset the router, then said that my wireless download speeds were normal.  I'm not sure I buy that.  I can connect to a neighbor's router (I live in an apartment building), who I assume is using Comcast, and I get *higher* internet speeds than I do on my own router.  That seems bizarre to me.  

Re: 25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Use a tool such as InSSIDer on a Wireless PC to find and use the cleanest channel possible. Whichever channel has the fewest/no networks on it (1, 6 or 11) or has the weakest signals overall, use that. It might also be worth forcing the ActionTec to use only Wireless G Mode. That option can be found under the Advanced Wireless Options.

Re: 25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
tjlbills
Enthusiast - Level 2

It looks like channel 1 has the least interference, using one of those tools.  Still, I'm only connecting at about 6 Mbps right now.  I also tried forcing the router into "legacy mode" (using b/g only, rather than n protocol).  No dice.  Wireless speeds remain very slow.  

Re: 25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
tjlbills
Enthusiast - Level 2

And it seems like my connection gets worse later in the evening.  I'm now connecting at the blistering pace of .443 Mbps.

Re: 25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
jizaref1
Enthusiast - Level 2

Wireless can have lots of unexpected interference from many things: baby monitor, neighbor wireless signals, land line cordless phones, microwaves, even equipment chargers. Also depending on location of equipment pipes and scaffolding and walls can change signals. 

I have had this same problem a lot. I finally decided to use the Actiontec router as is for addressing and DHCP but I turned off the wireless radio. I instead a dual band Linksys router which has a simulteneous G 2.4 and N 5.0 radio.  Whenever possible I connect N wireless and there is almost no interference.  My PC two floors up from my basement router routinely gets

23-27/22-24 using Speakeasy speed test.  That same PC on G and my laptop on G gets about 15-19/10-14, not bad.

Try also restarting your router, unplug 30 second and plug back in. Sometimes something inexplicable happens and that fixes it.

Re: 25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
tjlbills
Enthusiast - Level 2

I do live in an apartment building; a recently renovated old mill with lots of weird design features.  Perhaps some structural element is to blame.  There also seem to be lots of neighbors with Verizon FIOS.  The odd thing is, I had Verizon in a different apartment in this building last year and it worked well.

Jizaref, could you explain to me how you used the Linksys router with the Actiontec router?  I admittedly have no idea how to do that, but it sounds promising given the various potential sources of interference in my building.  How do I use the Actiontec for only "addressing" and "DHCP"?  

Could you also tell me what model Linksys router you're using?  I have a Belkin N router.  I wonder if that would work.  

I would *really* appreciate your input.  My speed are currently maxing out at 1.5 Mbps to 2 Mbps (out of 25).  Yuck.

Re: 25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds
jizaref1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I used this page as a reference:

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/12506

Basically use the Actiontec router provided by Verizon exactly as is.  For three important reasons:

1. The cable box needs info from the Verizon router, and any fiddling you do can affect either program guide info, on screen caller ID, remote DVR acess, etc etc.

2. If Verizon is going to provide tech support (and I am a very technical person and have found their insight and understanding to actually be pretty darn good) they can do a better job if system is set as default.

3. If something goes wrong with your set up, or you need to do a hard reset on your router or even need to have your router replaced by Verizon, there is no setup or configuring you need to do.

So use Actiontec as is, except for one thing: turn off the wireless radio.  Login to your router at address 192.168.1.1 (probably admin login name and password or password1 as the default password).  Go to wireless tab and turn off.

Now take your alternate router. The Belkin should be fine.  I used the Linksys WRT400N which I really love. It is definitely not the best or most powerful router out there.  The reason I love it is the simultaneous dual band radio with a 5.0 channel.  That way I can have a 2.4 G band for devices like my TiVo and wife's laptop that have no other choice.  But at the same time it transmits a 5.0 N band which I use for my PC and iPad and evey other device that connect.  Simply use an ethernet cable and plug an end into a LAN port on both routers, not the WAN or internet port.  Turn off DHCP by logging into your own router (so that you don't have both routers doing addressing).

Basically your own router works as a plugged in wireless access point with a better radio, the Actiontec does everything else.