AX88U, GT-AX11000, AX58U - slow upload on wifi only?

[Smallies]

Ok so this one I've been pulling my hair out for days so I'm going to the forums hoping for some help. Reproducing this same problem on 3 different asus routers, on a 1.5gbit/1gbit connection. Tried 3 routers:
RT-AX88U
RT-AX58U
GT-AX11000

The problem:
All AX capable, all producing fast download speeds of 800+ mbps, but upload speeds of only 150mbps-200mbps via wifi on a gigabit connection.

If I connect any of them by wire, I get 940mbps/940mbps download/upload. Distance from router doesn't matter, tests attempted from 2 feet away. Any time I try a speedtest / use the internet, it is limited to 200mbit upload. File transfers through windows or for example iperf3, confirm the networks were capable of transmitting more than 200mbit on the download and upload. Even the iphone 11 pro max for example had a download of 600mbit and an upload of 600mbit.

This is reproducible on multiple devices, including an iphone 11 pro max (2 stream 80mhz AX), desktop computer connected at 1.5gb link rate (2 stream 160mhz AC), macbook pro (3 stream 80mhz AC, link rate 1.3gbps). All of them had upload speeds less than 200mbit.

I've reset every router from factory default, input my username and password for PPPOE, and basically tried toggling every single router setting on or off. I've literally run out of settings to try as I've toggled everything. I've also tried connecting each router over DHCP instead of PPPOE running double NAT just in case.

I've tried firmwares from 3 months ago, 6 months ago, 1 year ago, and 1+ years ago for the AX88U. I've tried the latest merlin firmware. I've tried the latest asus wrt beta firmware RT-AX88U_9.0.0.4_386_41157. I've tried the latest merlin beta firmware RT-AX88U_386.1_beta2.

I've ensured there isn't any overlapping wireless channels using Inssider to confirm the wifi channels had low noise and no neighbouring networks (there is very little wireless activity in my house from neighbouring networks. The channels are mostly clean. I used channels that had no neighbouring networks.)

I even brought all of these routers to another person's house who has 1gb/750mbps internet with a different ISP just in case there was some crazy interference. Same results.

Are Asus routers capable of producing over 200mbit upload over wifi?

 

[Smallies]

I should also note, I have disabled smart connect and explicitly separated networks. I was connecting via 5ghz. I also tried 40, 80, 160mhz only per channel, and tried enabling disabling AX.

 

[Splitayy]

Try the firmware from 9/23 (.6436) it was the last one that I was able to get above 200-250Mbps upload...was able to get like 500+Mbps on my iPhone 11 Pro max. I have been using the latest firmware for stability reasons but yea this issue with slow upload has been for over a year...I don’t understand why it is not fixed yet

 

[alejandrofm1]

I have the same problem too. ax88u merlin 348.19.

With my s10 I have 600mb download, but upload I only get 150-250

 

[brianmsailing]

yes, I have the same problem.

If the ax88u is the primary router the upload is half the download. If the ax88u is the secondary router upload is full speed. When I setup my an ax89x as the primary and several ax88u as part of ai mesh and upload is full speed, if I switch and have an ax88u as the primary and other ax88u or ax89x the upload is capped at 250 Mbbps.

 

[Smallies]

Strange! So this appears to be a problem with Asus in general and has been around for months and months... Wow. I also bought a TP-Link Archer AX11000 and believe it or not the same problem existed! And guess what, it's the same Broadcom chipset as the Asus GT-AX11000 so that leads me to believe it's a problem with the Broadcom chipset?

 

[brianmsailing]

It appears to be a problem with Broadcom and gets propagated via aimesh settings to devices.

 

[Smallies]

For sh#ts and gigabits I tried setting the router as an access point connected to the Bell Home Hub 3000 router (this is the ISP provided router) and I was still limited to 180-200mbit, so apparently even as an access point it would still be limited.

 

[Smallies]

Anyone know if this problem affects the Zenwifi XT8 as well?

 

[brianmsailing]

It appears its a Broadcom problem with settings that are not configurable from the UI. However if the router is acting as a mesh from a non Broadcom router such as ax89x then the upload speed is not affected.

 

[alejandrofm1]

I have the same problem too. ax88u merlin 348.19.

With my s10 I have 600mb download, but upload I only get 150-250

I quote myself. I have done tests in my house. With the ISP router configuration (FG824CD) and behind the ax88u the upload via wifi is bad.

Today I got an ONT and configured the ax88u directly to the ONT. and both the rise and fall are close to 600/600

Comment that with both cable configurations it always gives the 600/600

 

[ChristianC]

Same for me. I have done exactly the same steps as Smallies and having the same results. I have bought a brand new GT-AX11000 from Asus. I also have the RT-AC68U and never had any issue with this router.

I was using AI mesh to boost my signal in the attic, but I have experience some internet disconnections and random reboot from the router, so I have disabled this feature for now. And for speeds, using wifi, I am able to reach the full gigabyte speed (~945mbps), but for download it is topped to ~240mbps. I have all the latest drivers for my wifi card (intel Wifi 6 AX201) on Windows 10. Using wired connection, I am able to reach full speed in download/upload.

The only thing I haven't tried is to run a Linux OS on my HP spectre x360 laptop to see if it is related to the OS or the router.

 

[L&LD]

Has anyone in this thread tried a full reset?

Fully Reset Router and Network

 

[ChristianC]

I have just tried. I have followed your procedure, also done a factory reset from the UI, and also a hard reset using the reset button on the router. Same result.

 

[brianmsailing]

From my testing of the Broadcom routers, after the change from .6436 fw they all have slow upload. The AX89x is not a boadcom router and does not have this problem. If you put a Broadcom router as a node behind a non Broadcom router then the upload speed is equal to the download. If the Broadcom router is used as an access point then the upload is reduced again. Some setting on the upload channel is incorrect, however we do not have access to the needed setting.

 

[ChristianC]

I have just tried a wifi speed test on 5gz AX band using the Samsung Galaxy S20, and the result are almost the same 700mbps download, and 250mbps upload. So it confirm that it is not an issue with my wifi configuration on my laptop.

I've just stumble an a very interesting website explaining in details Wifi specs vs Routers speed claims :

Understanding Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7 (802.11 n/ac/ax/be)

I think my next step my 5gz band on a free DNS channel, even if I have no conflict with surrounding neigboorhood routers channel.

@brianmsailing : I did try the firmware .6436, and the speed was the same. Maybe I should go beyond that, but I would be affraid to have more stability issues with an older firmware.

 

[alejandrofm1]

It appears its a Broadcom problem with settings that are not configurable from the UI. However if the router is acting as a mesh from a non Broadcom router such as ax89x then the upload speed is not affected.

I have an rt-ac66u B1 behind the ax88u as a router and I get speeds close to 400/400. and if I'm not wrong 66u b1 is broadcom.

everything was solved by putting ont --- ax88u --- 66u b1.

From there. climb without problems. both with 384.19

 

[ChristianC]

Just done a wifi speed test with the latest firmware on my old RT-AC68U, and I was able to achieve greater upload speed than my GT-AX11000. Here is the result from the AC68U:
download 475mbps / upload 310mbps.

On the GT-AX11000, when doing the wifi speed test, it look like if the upload speed was throttling at 240mbps.

 

[ChristianC]

I finally done an upload test using wifi 6 on my GT-AX11000 router, using a file transfert on the local network, and I was able to achieve an average of 840mbps upload speed. So the issue seems to be related using an speed test with wifi thru the WAN. Depending on the server I am using for the speed test, I am able to reach upload speed of ~500mbps, so that is not so bad. Since the router is able to get a ~900mbps transfert speed on the local network using wifi, I will consider that this issue is not related to the router, but maybe due to a latency or the capacity with the server being used for the test.

Using the speed tests, I also observed in all these tests that I am able to achieved greater speed using Microsoft Edge than in Chrome browser.

 

[djjsin]

Anyone ever find a fix for this? I have the same issue on an RT-AX86U