Netgear R7800 slower than R7000

[phenetas]

Hi,

I recently came accross a discount on Amazon on netgear stuff and thought it would be a good thing to upgrade my R7000 to R7800.

Now I have both routers set up, but the R7800 provides a weaker s5G signal than the R7000.

At my desktop spot, I get around 150Mbps with the R7000 vs 80/90 with the R7800.
Also, I noticed the upload speed is 2 times more than the download speed. Around 200Mbps upload on R7800.

The gain attenuation is like -70/75 with the R7800 vs around -65 with the R7000.

What I have tried on the R7800 :
-change the antenna orientation
-test multiplme firmware, stock and custom
-resetted the router after each firmware upgrade

Thing I was not able to try :
-disable mu-mimo because I get an error when clicking on "apply" settings, impossible to apply ...

I am a bit lost and desperate. I would like to get this R7800 to work, but it just seem it does not want.

Any advice ?
Thanks

 

[microchip]

Try disabling Beamforming and 160 MHz

 

[phenetas]

Hi microship, thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, nothing better with beamforming and 160 (which was already off) turned off.

And I just can't understand how the upload can be twice better than download.

 

[microchip]

Do you have some kind of QoS enabled? Also try some other speed test site to confirm

 

[phenetas]

Nope, QoS is off. I tried with Google's speedtest, but same results.

Also, when I test speedtest.net with the R7000, I get better results and down>up

 

[avtella]

You shouldn’t have to disable anything in the wireless section. Your R7800 could be defective if you tested them separately at the exact same location and with the same 5Ghz channels. Only other thing it could be is that you have a picky client. Broadcom MU-MIMO clients drop to a 1x1 mode with MU enabled as Broadcom has a terrible MU implementation.

In my use The R7800 has a significant advantage in range and performance on that band. Actually IMHO the best 5Ghz consumer unit out at the moment.

 

[microchip]

Beamforming lowers throughput with clients that don't support it. Tested here on various smart phones. Each time Beamforming is on, my devices report lower test speeds than when off. I'm unsure about the 160 MHz option but I have it disabled

 

[SwampKracker]

My R7800 is better on both bands for my clients in terms of range and throughput. Implicit beamforming is off and so is the 160Mhz option.

 

[phenetas]

You shouldn’t have to disable anything in the wireless section. Your R7800 could be defective if you tested them separately at the exact same location and with the same 5Ghz channels. Only other thing it could be is that you have a picky client. Broadcom MU-MIMO clients drop to a 1x1 mode with MU enabled as Broadcom has a terrible MU implementation.

In my use The R7800 has a significant advantage in range and performance on that band. Actually IMHO the best 5Ghz consumer unit out at the moment.

Hi avtella,

I use an MSI laptop, with as far as I know, this wireless card :

Also I thing to notice is that my iPhone performs well with the R7800. A bit better than with the R7000.

Also, if I move closer to the router, I find download rates better witht he R7800. It really looks like the issue is linked to the range.
All my comparison tests R7000 vs R7800 were done using under the same conditions :
-same router location
-same 5Ghz channel
-same laptop


Bellow you will find my wireless settings from my router interface. Mimo deactivated as well as QoS and HT160 :

 

[avtella]

Kinda ironic since both client and router are Qualcomm based.

The Killer 1435/1535 which are rebranded Qualcomm QCA6174/A did have driver issues which Qualcomm seems to have fixed so make sure your on the latest update of the QCA Atheros driver and ensure that Killer Suite stuff isn’t enabled.

Most of my testing is on a Intel 9260ac/8265ac. I left HT160 on since the 9260ac supports it. Also left on in my case as MU is supported by 4 devices at home (2 8265, 1 9260, 1 Nexus 5X)

 

[kamoj]

You can run this command on both routers and see what output power you have: iwconfig

 

[phenetas]

You can run this command on both routers and see what output power you have: iwconfig

Thanks, how do I do that ? My windows computer does not know that command.

I know ipconfig but it does not tell anything about WiFi power

Do I run that on the router itself ?

 

[kamoj]

Yes, you have to login to the router.
For the R7800 you can login with a program called telnet. You need to enable/install this in your Windows. Google it!
Then you enable telnet in the R7800 at this page: http://www.routerlogin.net/debug.htm
Then open a DOS-prompt and run: telnet 192.168.1.1 (If you use standard address for the R7800)
The password is the same as for admin at the Netgear WebGUI.
Finally at the Linux prompt you issue the command: iwconfig
(Also in Linux it is ifconfig instead of ipconfig...)

Thanks, how do I do that ? My windows computer does not know that command.
I know ipconfig but it does not tell anything about WiFi power
Do I run that on the router itself ?

 

[phenetas]

Yes, you have to login to the router.
For the R7800 you can login with a program called telnet. You need to enable/install this in your Windows. Google it!
Then you enable telnet in the R7800 at this page: http://www.routerlogin.net/debug.htm
Then open a DOS-prompt and run: telnet 192.168.1.1 (If you use standard address for the R7800)
The password is the same as for admin at the Netgear WebGUI.
Finally at the Linux prompt you issue the command: iwconfig
(Also in Linux it is ifconfig instead of ipconfig...)

Hi Kamoj, many thanks for the tip

I was able to run the command on R7800, but unfortunately the R7000 does not seem to have an easy way to activate telnet connections. Google did not really helped with that.


So here is the only result I got, from the R7800.

R7800 :

root@R7800:/# iwconfig
ifb0 no wireless extensions.

ethwan no wireless extensions.

qca-nss-dev0 no wireless extensions.

wifi0 no wireless extensions.

lo no wireless extensions.

br0 no wireless extensions.

qca-nss-dev3 no wireless extensions.

sit0 no wireless extensions.

qca-nss-dev2 no wireless extensions.

ath1 IEEE 802.11ng ESSID:"NETGEAR53"
Mode:Master Frequency:2.427 GHz Access Point: 8C:3B:AD:BA:26:F6
Bit Rate:800 Mb/s Tx-Power:19 dBm
RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Encryption key:34B6-0DFE-EE0A-56E9-A77F-C037-39DF-E0DC [2] Security modepen
Power Managementff
Link Quality=0/94 Signal level=-95 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:699 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

pas0 no wireless extensions.

brwan no wireless extensions.

ifb1 no wireless extensions.

qca-nss-dev1 no wireless extensions.

ath0 IEEE 802.11ac ESSID:"NETGEAR53-5G"
Mode:Master Frequency:5.22 GHz Access Point: 8C:3B:AD:BA:26:F8
Bit Rate:1.7333 Gb/s Tx-Power:20 dBm
RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Encryption key:872D-627F-D0E4-72AB-DE59-A107-7409-CA67 [2] Security modepen
Power Managementff
Link Quality=0/94 Signal level=-95 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:143 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

wifi1 no wireless extensions.

ethlan no wireless extensions.

bond0 no wireless extensions.​

 

[kamoj]

Seems OK to me.
Then it could be a HW/physical thing.
Maybe one or more antennas are not connected ok.
Either the internal antenna connectors are not proper, or the antennas misplaced.
Then it would work not much worse if you unscrew them - to test which one is failing.
If the connectors/cables inside the box are lose, it will transmit inside the router and disturb
e.g. the USB-functions.
Unscrew all antennas and be sure to put them back at their specific positions (they are numbered).
Then I'm out of ideas for now.

Hi Kamoj, many thanks for the tip
I was able to run the command on R7800, but unfortunately the R7000 does not seem to have an easy way to activate telnet connections. Google did not really helped with that.
So here is the only result I got, from the R7800.
R7800 :

root@R7800:/# iwconfig
ath0 IEEE 802.11ac ESSID:"NETGEAR53-5G"
Mode:Master Frequency:5.22 GHz Access Point: 8C:3B:AD:BA:26:F8
Bit Rate:1.7333 Gb/s Tx-Power:20 dBm​

​

 

[phenetas]

Sorry I will not be able to bring a solution to this thread.
I gave up on trying to set this router right.

Maybe it is faulty, but I will never know.

My observations are :
-on ALL my devices (iphone 6S, nexus tablet, 2 laptops) good transfer rates when close to the router, average of 10/20% better than the R7000. But need to be really close range, in direct sight of the router
-after I passed one wall (concrete), download rate drops to like 50% of the rate I have with the R7000. The upload rate is fine and approx the same as the R7000.

I tried different stock firmware, different customs. No improvements.
I tried to toggle QoS, H160, 5Ghz channels. No improvements.
I checked all 4 antennas. No improvements.
I moved the router to different places (in the same room). No improvements.
I checked that the router is not surrounded by cabled and electromagnetics. No improvements.
I swapped power supply unit. No improvements.

I finally gave up and sent it back to Amazon. Speedtest was fine at close range but horrible when going a bit further away, I wonder if this is the normal behavior of this router.

Thanks all for your help.

 

[e38BimmerFN]

What FW do you have loaded on the R7800? Been some known issues in recent versions of FW. Might try reverting back to v.38

 

[phenetas]

I had the last one (49 I guess) and 45 tested. One was from March 218 he other one December 2017.
I did not go back enough to test v.38

 

[avtella]

Sorry I will not be able to bring a solution to this thread.
I gave up on trying to set this router right.

Maybe it is faulty, but I will never know.

My observations are :
-on ALL my devices (iphone 6S, nexus tablet, 2 laptops) good transfer rates when close to the router, average of 10/20% better than the R7000. But need to be really close range, in direct sight of the router
-after I passed one wall (concrete), download rate drops to like 50% of the rate I have with the R7000. The upload rate is fine and approx the same as the R7000.

I tried different stock firmware, different customs. No improvements.
I tried to toggle QoS, H160, 5Ghz channels. No improvements.
I checked all 4 antennas. No improvements.
I moved the router to different places (in the same room). No improvements.
I checked that the router is not surrounded by cabled and electromagnetics. No improvements.
I swapped power supply unit. No improvements.

I finally gave up and sent it back to Amazon. Speedtest was fine at close range but horrible when going a bit further away, I wonder if this is the normal behavior of this router.

Thanks all for your help.

Range and performance should be better on the R7800 over the R7000/R8000/R8500 in my experience and in most reviews. It could be faulty. Since you returned it, I suppose you could try the Asus 86U as its performance is close to the R7800 on 5Ghz.

 

[e38BimmerFN]

Might keep that in mind next time. Were hoping that NG fixes a few of these outstanding issues.

You could try the NG XR500. Has better wifi range than the R7800 has. Router is awesome.

Good Luck.

I had the last one (49 I guess) and 45 tested. One was from March 218 he other one December 2017.
I did not go back enough to test v.38