RT-AC3200 slow transfer speeds on local network

[AndreiV]

But both of those require a wired connection to the router or the client which he said is undesirable.

From the OP :

All devices have Gigabit ethernet and are connected with Cat7 cables. The wifi devices are connected to 5G.

Reading the thread again, the router is downstairs, the PC is upstairs and 5GHz WiFi signal is not going to be particularly strong which would result in lower transfer speeds.

 

[Aron]

From the OP :



Reading the thread again, the router is downstairs, the PC is upstairs and 5GHz WiFi signal is not going to be particularly strong which would result in lower transfer speeds.

Correct. Now that I understand it is signal related, not an issue with router settings. I need to figure out the best approach to boost signal upstairs, mostly in the office where the desktop is which has the poorest signal.

 

[L&LD]

Thanks for all the input everyone!

@ColinTaylor - I am using the built-in WiFi adapter on my motherboard which is Gigabyte Aorus Z370.

I gained about 40-50mbit by moving the antenna off the top of the desktop tower. I read that USB 3 can cause interference and it was sitting near some USB 3 ports at the back of the tower. So I am getting around 110mbit now which is better but not great. My laptop gets poor transfer speed in the same room. If I put the laptop just outside the doorway (which is about 6-7ft away) then it can get 250mbit/s. I am starting to think maybe a new antenna/adapter with a long cable routed to the top of the doorway might solve/improve things enough.

The only other room I need to boost signal in is a bedroom, and doing the laptop test in there showed speeds of about 120-150mbit/s, which is better then the office but I can't really solve that with antennas. Maybe I can mount the router that is downstairs onto the wall which would raise it up maybe 3-4ft - I'll have to test and see if its worth making that change.

Glad to see the suggestion to play with antennae placement helped.

Forget about a new antennae/adaptor with a long cable... the wire losses will net you worse than what you are now getting if you're thinking about putting the adaptor/antennae 6-7 FT or more away from the desktop computer.

Moving the router though is worth pursuing.

As you can see, the adaptor on the desktop is much more powerful than the laptop's WiFi RF implementation. Can you move the desktop computer closer to the router? Or, move other equipment/furniture out of the 'antennae to the routers' way?

Don't forget that rotating the router about its center may help too. In addition to slightly angling one or two antennae so they are (more) perpendicular to the office room upstairs.

Once you have determined the optimum positions of the desktop computer and its antennae and the router's position, orientation and antennae too, test each channel one by one (don't rush, take your time and keep good notes) to see if you can further optimize the throughput or the responsiveness (or both) from the one that is in use now.

 

[dlandiss]

I have a two story house and the router is downstairs as that is where the cable connection is. My desktop is upstairs and connected to 5Ghz wifi

One thing free to try, and informative in any event, would be to orient the router antennas to be perpendicular to a line drawn between the router and the upstairs computer. In other words, "tilt the donut."

 

[L&LD]

@dlandiss I did suggest that in the post above, but that diagram is great!

 

[Aron]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I can't really move the desktop any closer to the router but I can mount the router (which is behind a TV and on a low to floor TV unit) up a little higher and play with the orientation and antenna angles.

I am surprised that extending the desktop antenna 6-7ft would actually make things worse! Good to know.

 

[Aron]

A random thought if adjusting router doesn't work - the staircase wall is right where my router is and there is a light in the staircase on the same wall. If I could run an Ethernet cable up this wall and piggy-back off the power running to the light, would something like this be the best option to solve signal issues upstairs?

 

[L&LD]

@Aron, possibly. But if you could run Ethernet cables there I would move the main router, not add an AP. Assuming it doesn't degrade coverage too much in currently covered areas, of course.

 

[Aron]

Moving the router would mean moving the other devices that are conveniently connected via Ethernet to it, which means more cables to manage. I am also restricted by the Cable modem as that is where the coax port is. There are wifi connected devices downstairs and outside the front door (doorbell) which would suffer if I moved router upstairs Tough situation hah

 

[L&LD]

Not necessarily! That is what switches are for.

And will only need an additional Ethernet run.

 

[Aron]

You're suggesting moving the router into the staircase and run cables down to where the router previously was and add a switch? That covers part of the case but then likely creates the inverse problem for the WiFi devices downstairs now having poor signal, one of these being 4K streaming TV and a doorbell camera outside.

 

[L&LD]

Like I said if it didn't degrade current coverage by a lot.

Also; you don't need to move it all the way up the staircase, either.

 

[Grisu]

Or just get a cheap 5GHz-Wifi repeater and locate it upstairs placed where it gets best connection (link speed) to the router.

 

[Aron]

I think someone mentioned a repeater would half the bandwidth though.

 

[Grisu]

Only in worst case it could.
If up and downlink are at same speed, if uplink to router is much faster maybe 1.2Gb/s and downlink to client only 400Mb/s than you wont see much difference as data on 1.2Gb/s link needs only 1/4 of the radio time, and 3/4 will remain for client, so it will go down to 300Mb/s only.
As long as your ISP uplink is not more you wont see any differences!

Its a typical myth which will live forever because much easier to explain 'it halves your speed' than to tell the whole truth about.