topic Re: Variable wireless speed in My Router

Variable wireless speed

philipdp — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:05:41 GMT

I have a Hub 2 with 900Mbps broadband. I appreciate that the maximum wireless speeded I should expect is around 400Mbps but I I'm getting huge swings. On my PC (which never moves ) download speed is sometimes as low as 80Mbps and as high as 450Mbps. Similarly with my phone and laptop, although these move around the house. In all cases , if I disconnect them from Wi-Fi then reconnect I get a fast speed (typically 350+Mbps)

I seldom have more than two or three devices connected at the same time.

If the issue just occurred with one device I would understand that the problem might be with the relevant network adapter, but it's happening with all three. I have tried restarting the router and the problem persists.

Can anyone suggest a cause and possible solution, please? Do I simply need a request a replacement Hub?

Thanks

Re: Variable wireless speed

DJMcKenzie87 — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:29:01 GMT

The wireless speed you experience is contingent upon the link connection speed established between your device and the router via Wi-Fi, rather than the broadband line speeds provisioned from the exchange to your premises.

Re: Variable wireless speed

DJMcKenzie87 — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:32:22 GMT

It appears that a common point of confusion for many individuals is the distinction between Wi-Fi speeds and broadband speeds, a observation I've frequently encountered in various discussions over time.

Re: Variable wireless speed

philipdp — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:39:31 GMT

Thanks. So is there anything I can do to stabilise the link connection speed or establish what is causing the variance?

Re: Variable wireless speed

Dan_the_Van — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:45:29 GMT

@philipdp

The variations off WiFi speed will be directly related to the WiFi frequency the device has connected to.

I see this with my HP laptop speedtest of around 70 Mbps for 2.4GHz with around 350 Mbps for 5GHz

Looking at the Hub management ->Home -->My devices will display which frequency a device has connected

Ideally you need to set the device preference to use 5GHZ where possible..

Re: Variable wireless speed

HPsauce — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:01:08 GMT

The Hub2 is particularly annoying in that it forces the same SSID for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, unlike Hub1.

In the end, for my main desktop PC (which connects via WiFi) I disabled the default (which would switch randomly) and purchased a new WiFi adapter where I could definitely control which band it used.

Re: Variable wireless speed

Dan_the_Van — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:05:28 GMT

@HPsauce

The Hub2 is particularly annoying in that it forces the same SSID for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands

I would point out this is not an issue unique to the Hub two, I occasionally see it with my TP-Link router, it's more likely the network adapter of the device.

In most situations I rarely notice the speed drop.

Re: Variable wireless speed

jab1 — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:11:17 GMT

Not that it helps, but my Fritz!Box 7530 also uses the same SSID for both frequencies.

Re: Variable wireless speed

Jones — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:36:24 GMT

@jab1 ,

I can give the two WiFi frequencies different SSIDs on our FRITZ!Box 4050 in Settings > WiFi > WiFi Network > Additional Settings for the Wi-Fi Network.

It might be possible on your 7530. Yours is a posher box than ours!

Re: Variable wireless speed

jab1 — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:44:38 GMT

@Jones It probably is possible, although my box is a Zen 'special', with some of the 'vanilla' options disabled. However, as it works as expected - picking the correct bands for the attached kit - I have no desire or need to tweak it.

Re: Variable wireless speed

DJMcKenzie87 — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:57:15 GMT

I currently utilize the RT-AX86 Router with an RT-AX59u as a mesh node system, integrated with the RT-AX86 Router. https://www.asus.com/networking-iot-servers/wifi-routers/asus-gaming-routers/rt-ax86u/

Re: Variable wireless speed

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:49:15 GMT

The #1 reason for variable Wi-Fi performance is failure to install enough Wi-Fi Access points.

In our 10 room home we have an ISP Router + 2 Wi-Fi Access Points & Ethernet sockets in 4 rooms.

A few hundred invested in home networking is a bargain vs the cost of his & her iPhone, games consoles, top end TVs & PCs etc etc !