Rubbish Router

[#1]

I have been through this before, Ive researched it and also various answers on here from the Tech Guys.  I've done all the Channel Swaps and measured each ones WiFi Speed, Ive checked for interference, moved the Router, checked InSider to see if there are any channels that are super crowded and so on and so forth....  Ive event had a new router..... so please, no offers of a fix for all this, been there, done that, hasn't worked, move along.
The Fact remains though that the WiFi Speed from this Router is pathetically slow and the signal weak.  If you read through a LOT of the comments on the Forum relating to WiFi Speed issues, the vast majority of people are saying the very same things so we cannot all be wrong.
I get 49mb Download speed to my PC that is Ethernet wired to the router.  My laptop that is about 8 feet away from the Router gets a wireless download speed of 16mb, similar for various other connected devices that use WiFi.
So...what do I do?
Do I ask PlusNet for a reduction in my monthly tariff as the equipment that they supply is not capable of sending out a sufficient signal to give a decent speed on WiFi ( When you have up to 78Mb/s ability, 16Mb/s although quick is quite a drop)
Do I buy a new Router that IS capable and send PlusNet the bill?
It remains that the Technicolor TG582n router ( with all the latest firmware updates applied) is not up to the job, so why are PlusNet sending out these cheap and nasty items that clearly unable to perform as required?  
The sales of Goods Act 1979 states that an item MUST be "Fit for Purpose", unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case with the Router that PlusNet supply.
dick:red All caps title edited as per forum rule.

[#2]

Are you using WPA2 encryption on the wifi?

[#3]

the answer is you go and buy your own router if you think the supplied one is not good enough for you.
but don't try going down the sales of goods act and "not fit for purpose" route as you will lose. the router does what it is advertised as doing.
it does not guarantee any particular speed, any speeds quoted are an "up to" speed and theoretical maximums.

[#4]

Everyone knows that TG582n is not the best when it comes to wifi performance but I don't think either of your suggestions are going to get you very far. The purchase price of the router is zero so it shouldn't be difficult to get a refund, but the the box acts as a router and provides wifi that meets the needs of many people so, yes, it is fit for purpose. There has been no claim that it will meet the various needs of everyone in their own particular environment.
What most people that don't want to rant do is work out their own solution of better router, access points or whatever and pay for it out of their own money.

[#5]

Apparently the 582n's WiFi is adequately good for many people. You need "N300" or better class devices to get the best performance out of it. Any 11g devices present will reduce the throughput speeds measured by speedtests.

[#6]

Further, wifi speed is SO dependent on environmental factors - particularly how many nearby sources of interference there are (eg other networks), that it would be an impossible case to prove.

[#7]

The sticking point for some people is:

Quote from: jsm51

.... and pay for it out of their own money.

[#8]

yep, some people want everything for nothing.
i remember the days when nothing was provided. you signed up, got your username and were left to your own devices.
the entitlement complex that some people have is quite amusing.

[#9]

Quote from: chenks76

yep, some people want everything for nothing.

It's not a case of " something for nothing", the cost of your Router is incorporated in the price you pay per month, PlusNet or whoever dont " give" you a Router out of the goodness of their hearts.
My point is though, that if you do a little research, you will find plenty of people with the same problem, so obviously a problem exists with the Wifi speed for a lot of people.
Yes, perhaps there are those of you who are quite happy not to rock the boat and accept a poor transfer speed.  Go get a car and be told it "can" go up to 78 mph but in reality, when you get it, it does 16mph, but hey, "lots of other people" are happy with 16mph and don't complain so shut up and accept it.
I'm sure a lot of you would be straight up the garage.....

[#10]

I'll try again...

Quote from: pwatson

Are you using WPA2 encryption on the wifi?

and/or do you have 802.11g devices?

[#11]

Speedtest results around 16Mbps are what could be expected if using an 11g device. 11n devices are also limited to 11g speeds if not using WPA2 security. It's also been shown that the 582n can achieve fast, as in 78Mbps, WiFi throughput speeds.
You can also look at http://192.168.1.254/WIFI_Analyzer.lp and http://192.168.1.254/wlan_device.lp and/or look at this thread.

[#12]

Quote

It's not a case of " something for nothing", the cost of your Router is incorporated in the price you pay per month,

And that is one of the key points. If you think of the engineering reality, it is genuinely impossible to provide a router that will achieve the desired performance for the most demanding customers in all situations. If you provide the most expensive router available it will push up the price for everyone, even those that would be perfectly happy with the 582n. I get a sync speed of 14Mbps at the same price as your 78 Mbps. Is it reasonable that I should pay even more for wifi  performance that I cannot use?
What you are buying from Plusnet is a consumer-grade internet access service not a home networking service. To do that at the price point required to compete in that market means that, of necessity, it comes with a cheap router.

[#13]

I'm on WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK Security settings.  I do not think there are any other 802.11g devices other than the laptop.
Do you think this is adding to the problem then?

[#14]

If the laptop is 802.11g and not 802.11n then little more than 20Mbps is all you'll get tops. 16Mbps is quite possible.
802.11n devices will be limited to 802.11g speeds if the security is not WPA2 and 802.11g devices connected to an 802.11n network will slow the wireless network down.

[#15]

Quote from: Roostie

Quote from: chenks76 yep, some people want everything for nothing. It's not a case of " something for nothing", the cost of your Router is incorporated in the price you pay per month, PlusNet or whoever dont " give" you a Router out of the goodness of their hearts. My point is though, that if you do a little research, you will find plenty of people with the same problem, so obviously a problem exists with the Wifi speed for a lot of people. Yes, perhaps there are those of you who are quite happy not to rock the boat and accept a poor transfer speed.  Go get a car and be told it "can" go up to 78 mph but in reality, when you get it, it does 16mph, but hey, "lots of other people" are happy with 16mph and don't complain so shut up and accept it. I'm sure a lot of you would be straight up the garage.....

Do you complain and take the car back when it can only go 10mph in a traffic jam? Think of radio interference (including microwave ovens as well as other nearby networks, other devices on the wifi etc etc) as traffic.