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Faster WiFi - New Router?

peterb
Grafter
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Faster WiFi - New Router?

I am on Unlimited FIbre Extra. My router is ASUS RT-N66U.    My Broadband Speed shows 61.62 Mbps download and 18.70 Mbps Upload.  Within my WiFi network files get transferred around at up to 10 MB/s (according to Windows 10).  I keep my media files etc. on WDMYCLOUD drive.  I do HD video editing on my PC, drawing the files from the WDMYCLOUD via WiFi .  It is certainly works but video projects can take a while to boot up.  I have installed Cat 6 network cables throughout e.g. from the router to the WDMYCloud and the WiFi is now faster.  I prefer to stay with WiFi rather than all network cables but I wonder if a newer router would speed the WiFi further?  Recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks

12 REPLIES 12
Browni
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Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

It's probably not the router which is slowing things down, what WiFi adapter do you have in the PC?
peterb
Grafter
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Thanks for reply.   Wireless adaptor is Killer Wireless - n/a/ac 1535

One thing, I quoted the speeds in the way they are displayed.  The internet download speed was in Mbps (Megabits per second) and the network in MBps (Megabytes per second).   So based on Mbps my 10 MBs network WiFi speed converts to 80 Mbps (I think that's right!). 

Browni
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Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

I had already taken that into consideration and 80 Mbps is still slow compared to what the router can do.
jelv
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Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

What speed is the network card in the WDMYCLOUD running at?

Have you checked the speed you get when using a wired connection on the PC?

jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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peterb
Grafter
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Thanks reply.  Can't find speed of WD MYCLOUD network card at the moment.  Wired connection via router and Ethernet cable shows copying files around to the WD MYCLOUD at just over 100 MBps.  When connected via Ethernet status shows 1.0 Gbps.

WiFi status speed shows 144 Mbps.   WiFi speed doesn't increase even PC is line of site to router.

Browni
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Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?


@PeterB wrote:

 

WiFi status speed shows 144 Mbps.  

There's your bottleneck.

You'll need to experiment with the settings on the router and WiFi adapter to bump that up, unfortunately I haven't used either before.

jelv
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Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Looks like a configuration issue on the PC - perhaps it's not using the 5GHz?

jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
peterb
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Again, thanks for comment.  Regret have set up and running 5 GHz, so not that.  I wonder if something with the WiFi signal?  Maybe antennas not transmitting signal correctly? 

peterb
Grafter
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Now don't think it is the wifi signal.  Even removing antennas merely causes weaker signal, but no change in data transfer rate. 

peterb
Grafter
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Thanks for useful comments.  I have managed to increase router WiFi speed to 300 Mbps by setting so it chooses bandwith 20/40 on 5 GHz.  Files now transfer in my network about 15 MBps,  much better than when I started. 

I believe that my router max speed is 450 MBps.   It is ASUS RT-N66U, a relatively old model.  Would I be able to achieve significantly speed increase with a newer, better performance router? If so, which?

 

ejs
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Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Probably any router with ac wireless would do better.

450Mbps on 11n requires 3 spatial streams, but the Killer™ Wireless-AC 1535 only supports 2 spatial streams, limiting it to 300Mbps with 11n.

peterb
Grafter
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Registered: ‎13-04-2016

Re: Faster WiFi - New Router?

Finally, I now have a PlusNet Hub One router.  My Killer Wireless 1535 Network Adaptor now shows 866.7 Mbps WiFi 

Copying files around the my network is about 40 MBps

With network cable Killer Wireless 1535 runs 1.0 Gbps and files copied about 45 MBps.

I am reasonably happy with this, unless someone tells me how I could achieve significantly higher speeds without too much cost and effort. 

Thanks for the useful posts from contributors to this forum.