ASUS router muti-user speed 2.5g wan

[airlung]

Hi, I previously used a 1G isp connected to the ASUS ax86u and a Lan connection to my 2 computers (max network speed of the computer is 1G). I ran a speed test on one computer and got a speed close to 1G. Then, I ran the speed test on 2 computers at the same time, the 2 computers got a speed of around 500m each which is perfectly fine. I then upgraded my isp to 2.5G connected to the ASUS 2.5G wan port and ran the same test with 2 computers at the same time and now , the 2 computers get the speed of around 1G each which I am very happy with. However, my question is in the wifi mode. With the same 2.5G isp connected to the ASUS 2.5G wan port. I have 2 Wi-Fi 6 iPhones connected. I did the same speed test with one iPhone and the speed is around 850m which is good imo. However, when I do the speed test with 2 iPhones together at the same time, I got a speed of around 400m for each iPhone. Is this normal? I thought I should be getting a speed of around 850m for both iPhones… like how the Lan connection is giving around 1G to both computers with the 2.5G iso. pls assist thx.

1G ISP (Ethernet)
One device: around 1G speed
Two devices: around 500 speed each

2.5G ISP (Ethernet)
One device: around 1G speed (ok)
Two devices: around 1G speed each (ok)

1G ISP (Wi-Fi 6)
One device: around 700m speed (ok)
Two devices: around 350m speed each (ok)

2.5G ISP (Wi-Fi 6)
One device: around 850m speed (ok)
Two devices: around 400m speed each (???)

 

[L&LD]

Handheld devices aren't a great way to test maximum WiFi speeds. Use two PCs plugged into AC power and in different rooms (i.e. at least a 90-degree difference between them and the router) with their power settings set to 'Performance' mode.

Even then, WiFi isn't a guaranteed connection. The usual caveats apply; neighbor AP interference/utilization, government/weather and airport interference, and last but certainly not least, environmental interference.

Your Ethernet tests prove that the ISP and router are doing what they're supposed to. Anything extra on the WiFi side is just gravy, and not to be expected in all situations.

You may want to use 3 or more wired clients when doing your Ethernet testing to see what the actual limits are for your setup, overall.

You may also want to test several locations of the main router including height (z-axis), the orientation of the router, and antennae placement too. Don't forget that even minute changes (a few inches) can bring about big gains in WiFi performance.

With the above optimized as much as possible, the last thing you want to do is test different Control Channels for your environment. Don't chase the fastest download speeds (rather, note how responsive the network is overall, for each Control Channel). Don't use any 'app' to see which channel to choose either (waste of time). Just choose each, one by one, test, keep great notes, and after all are tested, choose accordingly.

Almost all L&LD Links

 

[airlung]

Thx so much for your time. I understood what u said. The main issues is that the Lan connection can take the full advantage of the 2.5g wan, but however, the Wi-Fi clearly is not gaining any advantage at all…. It just splits the max speed of one iPhone into two… just like to know if this is normal at all

 

[L&LD]

Unless and until you try the suggestions above, it is normal (for your WiFi environment, client devices, and router setup).

 

[frequenzy]

Thx so much for your time. I understood what u said. The main issues is that the Lan connection can take the full advantage of the 2.5g wan, but however, the Wi-Fi clearly is not gaining any advantage at all…. It just splits the max speed of one iPhone into two… just like to know if this is normal at all

Take note that wireless is half-duplex. so what you are seeing is normal.

 

[airlung]

Thx for the useful reply. I am new to this and I like to learn some more. Let’s put aside the external variables and interference. In theory, I learned that if I am not getting a desired Wi-Fi speed with 2 phones working at the same time, I must identify the bottleneck that prevent the 2 IPhones from getting speed of 850mbps each when they are downloading at the same time. Let’s put it this way.

1) I upgraded the ISP to 2.5G and I checked the Asus router is receiving and outputting the 2.5G flawlessly with it’s 2.5G Wan/Lan ports so there should be no bottleneck with the wan/Lan port (see the results in original post).

2) The Asus Ax86u is a 4x4 mimo wifi6 router and can deliver 2400mbps speed at 80mhz channel bandwidth. No bottleneck here.

3) The 2 phones both are linked up perfectly to the router with link speeds of 1200mbps for each phone. No bottle neck here

So my question is, in “Wi-Fi mode” when one phone is operating, I get a speed of 850mbps (which I am happy with), but when I have two iPhones operating at the same time, each iPhone gets only 400mbps speed. Given that my setup have no bottlenecks at all, when 2 phones are operating together at the same time, in theory I shall get a speed of 850mbps speed on each phone since 2x 850mbps = 1700mbps which is well within the threshold of my setup. Pls correct me if I am wrong.

 

[glens]

If your 4-stream router radio used streams 1&2 to the first phone and streams 3&4 to the second phone, then you might get what you're looking for. If both phones use only streams 1&2, then you're where you find yourself: two devices sharing the same two available streams while the second pair go unused. Welcome to the world of how it is as opposed to how we want it to be.

 

[Tech9]

Pls correct me if I am wrong.

You're wrong.

The total throughput with 2-stream at 80MHz is about 800Mbps and the router is serving the clients one at a time allocating time slots for each device. It's not 800Mbps to each device, but to all of them. Two only active clients will get 400Mbps each, four will get 200Mbps each. If you have 4 active clients and all of them support Beamforming and MU-MIMO there is a theoretical chance for 400Mbps to each with 4x4 radio router. iPhones don't have MU-MIMO.

 

[airlung]

If your 4-stream router radio used streams 1&2 to the first phone and streams 3&4 to the second phone, then you might get what you're looking for. If both phones use only streams 1&2, then you're where you find yourself: two devices sharing the same two available streams while the second pair go unused. Welcome to the world of how it is as opposed to how we want it to be.

Thx all finally got this out of my head But why the router never uses the 3&4 streams to the other phone given that the 2 phone are the only devices I connected to Wi-Fi?

 

[Tech9]

Because this is not how Wi-Fi works and certain conditions apply for MU-MIMO and OFDMA, not present in your experiment.

 

[glens]

But why the router never uses the 3&4 streams to the other phone given that the 2 phone are the only devices I connected to Wi-Fi?

Because neither phone "knows" streams 3 and 4. They each only "know" streams 1 and 2 so that's what they latch on to.

Not much different than if the router is broadcasting a 160 MHz capability but a client which can only do 80 MHz will only get the first 80 of that 160.

 

[airlung]

Now I got it! So only a 4x4 mimo client will use recognize stream 3&4 is that right ?

 

[Tech9]

Now you start understanding the marketing behind AX5700. Good luck finding 4x4 MIMO client.