router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
rock_doctor
Newbie

Hi All,

 I have 15/5 service.  With my old 424WR E router i was seeing 8 to 9mb down.   Just for fun i hooked up an old router directly to my ONT (I am connected via ethernet to the ONT) and then was seeing 15.5mb down.  So I assumed my old 424WR router was an issue.  I bought a verizon MI424WR Gig E Rev I router off ebay.  Hooked it up and am now seeing close to the same speed as the old Verizon router.  Is there a setting in the router that would be slowing down my service when connected via WiFi? 

Using Speakeasy i get 11mb via WiFi and 3ft from the router.  With my old TrendNet router connected directly to the ONT i get an honest 15mb across the house via WiFi.  I did update the firmware on the actiontec router via the the upgrade button on the interface.  If i connect the computer directly to the Gig E via ethernet i do get the 15mb.  What am i missing?  Why is the actiontec's WiFi slower then the TrendNet.  I did try different channels and hanging the router in different positions.  Thanks for your time.

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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
prisaz
Legend
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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
rock_doctor
Newbie

Thank you i will give it a read.  It turned out that if i turn off MMS i get better through put but don't think this is all there is to it.  Thanks again. 

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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
prisaz
Legend

You would think that I would get a better connection with a Rev I. But I believe the IPHONE4 to be the limiting factor. I have an older laptop that only does 802.11G and it does about the same. I have also heard that if you have slower devices connected to the 802.11N router, it drops the speed for all.

Hardwired

image

Actiontec Rev. I Wifi. No matter what I try with the IPHONE. Perhaps I need to turn off the old laptop up stairs, and see if it would run faster. Perhaps this is the fastest I will see on this phone. Still not bad on a phone.Smiley LOL

image

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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
rock_doctor
Newbie

You know it is a weird router.  If i have my laptop in one spot i will get 7mb but move it 2ft to the right now i get 15.5 and sometimes it will push into the 16s...  The difference...a stereo speaker is in between the router and the computer at the first location.  My strength is full power but obstructions pay a huge part on usable bandwidth via a wifi card.  I also found out that if you install the router antennas up it works better then if you install it the way Verizon wants...antennas down. 

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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
prisaz
Legend

If you sit it flat the antennas should be up. It you have it on the stand bracket sitting vertical and not horizontal, the plugs get in the way of the bottom antenna. I don't recall if they actually sent the stand bracket with the GigE Rev. I, but I have found sitting the router horizontal on the feet with both antennas up, works best. Yes a speakers magnetic field might cause issues. Best not to sit it next to anything, and the worst location for reception would be under the router. Mine is in the basement and works great everywhere upstairs.

I am going to investigate the G and N issue. I have an access point that is a 300N but only has a 10/100 Ethernet port so I know it will not do over 100Mbps. But I will connect it to see how it works, and keep the slower stuff on the Actiontec as a test.

2.4Ghz seems to be the limiting factor for the wireless N connection on the Actiontec Rev. I, and my older 300N access point. I think I need dual band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. Even though the GigE router has two antennas, I believe it is stall at 2.4Ghz. I know the Iphone 4 is only 2.4.. I guess the only way to get better than 20Mbs is to have a nice access point and good WiFi NIC or radio in the portable device. Or non portable device. I have heard of people getting high speeds on WiFi but have not seen it. And yes I have my devices locked at WAP2 AES which is said to be the best security setting for speed.

You could always use your old router as a second access point. Just turn off DHCP, and set router's address where it does not conflict with the Actiontec, then connect it LAN to LAN on the Actiontec, with the WAN port not used. You should have it set on a different channel and also have some distance between the two.

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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
Justin46
Legend

I don't know if this will help anybody or not, but I have the problem that I have several N devices in the house, but I also have a couple of G devices that need to connect. The Rev. I router has a mode that will handle both speeds, but using that option it is a very slow N connection. There is an N-only performance mode (AES encryption must be set to even see this option), but that of course doesn't allow any G devices to connect. So, since I had an unused Actiontec Rev. F around, I hooked them up with the Rev. I connected to the ONT and the Rev. F WAN connected to a LAN port on the Rev. I. This allows all of the devices in the house to connect, yet gives me the best N speed the Rev. I offers.

Here is a picture of my setup (please don't laugh too hard at the cabling/connections/mounting Smiley Very Happy 😞

image

The Rev. I is on the bottom, the Rev. F on the top. Note they are mounted vertically, with all antennas vertical (well, the second antenna on the Rev. I is about as vertical as it can be with the coax connection in the way).

This setup up gives me significantly faster N speed on the Rev. I than I had when I had it set to B/G/N compatibility, yet gives reasonable performance for the G devices.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.1
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
rock_doctor
Newbie

I like it!

I'm stealing this idea.  I have one wireless print server that is G by using the old Rev E for the G and making the Rev I, N only that may make the N connection a little faster.  Not really necessary for my 15/5 connection but i have the old router so why not make the setup as complicated as possible.  Thanks for the idea. 🙂 

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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
MarioS1
Enthusiast - Level 2
Love this idea. Question. Does the older router broadcast a different SSID or repeat the one from the Newer router?
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Re: router limiting bandwidth GigE Rev I
eljefe2
Master - Level 1

I would suggest you configure each router with a different SSID.  They can both be the same but if they are the same you won't be able to easily tell which router a device is actually connected to.

I have two routers and I configured the SSID's as mywifi and mywifi2.

I also suggest that you configure the two routers on different channels, spaced well enough apart so the signals don't conflict.  If there are no other nearby networks using channels 1 and 11, those would be the best choices to use, one router on channel 1 and the other on 11.