Need help - 8 Nest Cameras / 30+ Connected Devices = Slow Internet

[smlplee199]

Hi I need advice. I have a 1GB internet plan with my ISP. Router is an Asus AX6000 WiFi 6 (RT-AX88U). With my 8 Nest cameras, two Nest thermostats, and many connected devices/phones/ipads/computers - my internet is now incredibly slow. Looking for recommendations on what I can do. 1GB is the maximum speed offered in my zip code. Wondering if I should go to a Mesh system? Would a NetGear Orbi WiFi 6e help? House has three stories, each being the same square footage. Total is ~2,400 square ft (with lots of concrete and steel). Thanks for any recommendations.

 

[sfx2000]

my internet is now incredibly slow. Looking for recommendations on what I can do. 1GB is the maximum speed offered in my zip code

Is it slow over ethernet and wifi, or just wifi?

 

[tgl]

I seriously doubt that your ISP connection is the bottleneck; it's the router and/or the clients. While there's not a hard and fast rule, I've seen various people state that 30-ish clients is about the most that a consumer wifi AP can manage. You might need a better AP, or more than one.

I'm also suspicious about whether your wifi coverage is good enough. One AP can probably cover 2400 sqft under ideal conditions, but "lots of concrete and steel" doesn't sound ideal. The reason this could explain your problems is that clients that are just barely hanging onto the signal can degrade performance for all other clients, by eating airtime due to lots of forced retransmits. This again leads to the idea that you might need more APs, but for signal coverage reasons not to reduce the clients-per-AP count. (Making a signal strength map with some app like NetSpot would be a relatively inexpensive way to find out whether this is your problem, before you spring for more APs.)

It could also be that you're saturating the router's CPU. A cheap thing to try before investing in more hardware is to turn off CPU-eating features such as QoS and parental controls, and see if performance improves significantly. (If it does, but you really want those features, now you know you need a beefier router -- which might be better separated from the wifi AP.)

 

[sfx2000]

It could also be that you're saturating the router's CPU.

Might be running out of air time on the WLAN - hence the question about wired vs wireless - as this would suggest a path forward...

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @smlplee199.

Are you using all eight ports on the RT-AX88U? What firmware are you running on it? When was the last time you flashed the latest firmware and performed a full reset to factory defaults, without using a saved backup config file to secure the router and connect to your ISP? And, without plugging in a USB drive you used for amtm/scripts (if you're on RMerlin firmware)?

You may want to do an electrical reset. But before you do, I suggest you unplug anything you have in Ports 5-8 of your router. Now, unplug the power plug from the router and from the AC wall plug. Wait a few minutes and then power up the network again. After waiting for at least 10 to 15 minutes after the router has booted up, test. Are the speeds any better?

If the above made a difference, I suggest you buy a $30 8 Port switch and plug it into Ports 1-4 of your router. And then, plug in whatever else you need into the switch and Ports 2-4. Do not use Ports 5-8 at all.

If the above didn't make a difference and you haven't performed a full reset in a while, you may want to see if that helps first, before considering the final option.

[Wireless Router] When Standard Reset Isn’t Working: Hard Factory Reset - Models list | Official Support | ASUS USA

Merlin on ASUS ax86U Question

I have an ASUS AX86U and contemplating the installation of Merlin firmware. The DDNS settings on the AX86U are limited to select dns providers. If I install Merlin, will I have more flexability (choices) with the DDNS Settings? Thanks in advance!

www.snbforums.com

Am I all set to start fresh with the latest stable release? And a request for L&LD...

After creating the checklists two weeks ago to save the pages with settings, I've made all the screenshots (I think at least) of all the relevant guides written by @L&LD and the very useful tip by @netware5. The only thing is, those guides are great, except when you'll be offline at least for a...

www.snbforums.com

L&LD

www.snbforums.com

If none of the above suggestions work (please explore all the links I've provided), you may need a new router to handle your current network. The GT-AX6000 is a very stable and more powerful model than what you have now. You may use your old router as an AiMesh node, or, in Media Bridge mode (to connect as many distant wired capable client devices as you can, to take some load off the wireless side).

Hope this helps.

 

[smlplee199]

Is it slow over ethernet and wifi, or just wifi?

Thanks for the response. It's actually both. Just tried and am getting about the same speeds.

I seriously doubt that your ISP connection is the bottleneck; it's the router and/or the clients. While there's not a hard and fast rule, I've seen various people state that 30-ish clients is about the most that a consumer wifi AP can manage. You might need a better AP, or more than one.

I'm also suspicious about whether your wifi coverage is good enough. One AP can probably cover 2400 sqft under ideal conditions, but "lots of concrete and steel" doesn't sound ideal. The reason this could explain your problems is that clients that are just barely hanging onto the signal can degrade performance for all other clients, by eating airtime due to lots of forced retransmits. This again leads to the idea that you might need more APs, but for signal coverage reasons not to reduce the clients-per-AP count. (Making a signal strength map with some app like NetSpot would be a relatively inexpensive way to find out whether this is your problem, before you spring for more APs.)

It could also be that you're saturating the router's CPU. A cheap thing to try before investing in more hardware is to turn off CPU-eating features such as QoS and parental controls, and see if performance improves significantly. (If it does, but you really want those features, now you know you need a beefier router -- which might be better separated from the wifi AP.)

Thanks for the response. I will try to turn off some of the CPU-eating features. If performance doesn't improve - have any recommendations on systems that have more than one AP / or a better AP?

Welcome to the forums @smlplee199.

Are you using all eight ports on the RT-AX88U? What firmware are you running on it? When was the last time you flashed the latest firmware and performed a full reset to factory defaults, without using a saved backup config file to secure the router and connect to your ISP? And, without plugging in a USB drive you used for amtm/scripts (if you're on RMerlin firmware)?

You may want to do an electrical reset. But before you do, I suggest you unplug anything you have in Ports 5-8 of your router. Now, unplug the power plug from the router and from the AC wall plug. Wait a few minutes and then power up the network again. After waiting for at least 10 to 15 minutes after the router has booted up, test. Are the speeds any better?

If the above made a difference, I suggest you buy a $30 8 Port switch and plug it into Ports 1-4 of your router. And then, plug in whatever else you need into the switch and Ports 2-4. Do not use Ports 5-8 at all.

If the above didn't make a difference and you haven't performed a full reset in a while, you may want to see if that helps first, before considering the final option.

[Wireless Router] When Standard Reset Isn’t Working: Hard Factory Reset - Models list | Official Support | ASUS USA

Merlin on ASUS ax86U Question

I have an ASUS AX86U and contemplating the installation of Merlin firmware. The DDNS settings on the AX86U are limited to select dns providers. If I install Merlin, will I have more flexability (choices) with the DDNS Settings? Thanks in advance!

www.snbforums.com

Am I all set to start fresh with the latest stable release? And a request for L&LD...

After creating the checklists two weeks ago to save the pages with settings, I've made all the screenshots (I think at least) of all the relevant guides written by @L&LD and the very useful tip by @netware5. The only thing is, those guides are great, except when you'll be offline at least for a...

www.snbforums.com

L&LD

www.snbforums.com

If none of the above suggestions work (please explore all the links I've provided), you may need a new router to handle your current network. The GT-AX6000 is a very stable and more powerful model than what you have now. You may use your old router as an AiMesh node, or, in Media Bridge mode (to connect as many distant wired capable client devices as you can, to take some load off the wireless side).

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the response. I am using zero ports on the RT-AX88U. I have never flashed or performed a full reset and have no idea what firmware is running. Unfortunately given where the router sits - I cannot run any wires to it. Mind sharing a bit more on what AiMesh node is? I will take a look at the GT-AX6000.

 

[sfx2000]

Thanks for the response. It's actually both. Just tried and am getting about the same speeds.

So it's likely not WiFi - which means LAN/WAN side, with focus on the WAN...

Investing in a new Router/AP likely will not be a benefit here...

Tell us more on the WAN connectivity - is this 5G-Fixed Wireless, Fiber, Cable - are you directly connected to the WAN or going thru a bridged device?

Probing queestions, yes - but not making assumptions here...

 

[smlplee199]

So it's likely not WiFi - which means LAN/WAN side, with focus on the WAN...

Investing in a new Router/AP likely will not be a benefit here...

Tell us more on the WAN connectivity - is this 5G-Fixed Wireless, Fiber, Cable - are you directly connected to the WAN or going thru a bridged device?

Probing queestions, yes - but not making assumptions here...

Interesting. It's 1GB Fiber via Optimum. On the latter - the wire from the wall is going directly to the Modem, Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 which then is wired to the Asus.

 

[Smokey613]

What speeds are you getting with a computer plugged directly into your AX88U?

What speeds are you getting on your various wifi devices?

 

[smlplee199]

What speeds are you getting with a computer plugged directly into your AX88U?

What speeds are you getting on your various wifi devices?

Plugged in getting 80mpbs. iPhone getting 50mpbs. Computer near the router 150 mpbs (varies a lot throughout the day - sometimes 10-20mpbs). Also depends on how many cameras I have turned on. I would note that my performance got significantly worse once I added back a few older gen nest cams that run 24/7 along with a Nanit cam... so the speeds I mention include me turning a few of them off when I don't need them. If they're all on - call it 30mpbs tops. Before all these cameras - I would get somewhere in the 500mpbs range (but never near 1gbps).

 

[tgl]

If you disable wifi entirely on the Asus, and then measure download speed with your wired device, does it go back to something reasonable?

 

[smlplee199]

If you disable wifi entirely on the Asus, and then measure download speed with your wired device, does it go back to something reasonable?

Yes just tried and got to 900 mbps!

 

[ATLga]

There was another discussion recently and the question was asked about the resolution the cameras were set to. The higher the resolution the higher the bandwidth. Multiply that by number of cameras.

 

[smlplee199]

There was another discussion recently and the question was asked about the resolution the cameras were set to. The higher the resolution the higher the bandwidth. Multiply that by number of cameras.

All the cameras are set to the lowest resolution.

 

[tgl]

OK, so my money is on the "overloaded router CPU" theory. I'll predict that if you gradually add back wireless clients, performance as measured from a wired client will decrease a little --- until it falls off a cliff at some point that corresponds to not having any spare CPU cycles anymore.

Depending on where that point is relative to the number of clients you wish to run, you might be able to fix this by disabling some of the more CPU-intensive options like QoS. If that answer isn't attractive, I think you should be in the market for an SMB-grade router --- think Cisco if you have money or don't mind buying used equipment, else maybe Omada or Ubiquiti. Asus does not sell anything that is likely to fix your problem; although you might be able to repurpose the RT-AX88U as a plain AP sitting behind a wired router.

 

[ATLga]

Is aiprotection on

 

[ATLga]

38 devices should not be a problem for this router. There are people here that run many more clients than that without issue. Granted it is a lot but not unheard of. How much active streaming and whatnot is going on for each of those connected devices at the same time.

 

[tgl]

38 devices should not be a problem for this router. There are people here that run many more clients than that without issue. Granted it is a lot but not unheard of

30-plus low-bandwidth devices, sure. But those security cams are going to produce a significant number of packets-per-second. I'm thinking it's the aggregate per-packet CPU overhead that is breaking things here.

 

[ATLga]

how are SSID’s configured? One or two? If one, maybe change that to two and force the cams to 2.4 only and see if it makes a difference. The thermostats as well.

 

[ATLga]

Still curious if aiprotect is on or off