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Poor download speeds over WiFi

MikeBz
Rising Star
Posts: 196
Thanks: 17
Registered: ‎14-09-2012

Poor download speeds over WiFi

I'm frequently seeing much slower download speeds over WiFi than over a wired connection.  This is happening across a range of WiFi devices, i.e. when one is slow then they all are.  I also see web pages stall when trying to load quite regularly, something which didn't happen before I switched to Fibre recently.

 

It's a PlusNet hub, supplied this year.  Typical wired speed tests give around 52Mbps download speed.  Via WiFi there are times when I'm getting much the same, and times when I'm getting 18-35Mbps.

 

I've tried playing with the WiFi channel setting in the hub (5Ghz) (it was set to Automatic) but selecting channels 36, 40, 44 and 48 doesn't seem to make any difference.

Upload speeds are the same via wired & WiFi.

 

Anyone got any suggestions? 

 

7 REPLIES 7
Andrue
Pro
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Registered: ‎12-01-2015

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi


@MikeBz wrote:

I'm frequently seeing much slower download speeds over WiFi than over a wired connection.  This is happening across a range of WiFi devices, i.e. when one is slow then they all are.  I also see web pages stall when trying to load quite regularly, something which didn't happen before I switched to Fibre recently.

The best Wifi is always going to come second against the best wired connection. If performance is a major consideration then wireless should always be ditched in favour of wired. It was less of a problem with ADSL because ADSL rarely provides a connection speed that taxes ADSL. But VDSL can quite easily exceed what is capable on the original 2.4GHz band and mandates the use of 5GHz.

But on 5GHz it should be better and I 'd expect 52Mb/s to be within the capability of 5GHz wifi. I believe the PN router is a rebadged HomeHub so the following might be relevant to you:

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/44798/~/i-have-problems-connecting-5ghz-and-dual-band...

also here:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/networks/1403054/bt-home-hub-5-settings-guide-how-to-make-it-faster-a...

JonoH
Hero
Posts: 4,346
Thanks: 1,596
Fixes: 157
Registered: ‎29-09-2011

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi

Hi Mike,

I'm really sorry that you're recieving slower WiFi speeds but it is normal for a faster connection to be obtained via a wired connection. There are a number of things outside of our control that can impact the speeds you recieve wirelessly including interference from other networks, large solid objects & the thickness of your interior walls, this may be more noticible now you've upgraded to fibre.

 

Hope that explanation helps.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
MikeBz
Rising Star
Posts: 196
Thanks: 17
Registered: ‎14-09-2012

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi

Thanks for the links.

I appreciate that WiFi may be second best to wired, but the thing with the WiFi is that some of the time it's as fast as wired (give-or-take) and sometimes it's in a mode where it is massively slower.  It rarely seems to be anywhere in between, just locked onto one or the other (and all WiFi devices behave identically in this respect).  I've restarted the router and WiFi speed is now matching wired again.  I'll try that again next time it is degraded and see if there is a pattern there.

MikeBz
Rising Star
Posts: 196
Thanks: 17
Registered: ‎14-09-2012

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi

Message overlap there since I was replying to Andrue's post when I typed the above.

As I have reiterated this isn't the obvious issue of it being 'normal for a faster connection to be obtained via a wired connection'.  The issue is that for periods of time the WiFi is in the same ball park as wired, and then there are periods when it's only giving 40-50% of the wired speed.  It is generally in one 'mode' or the other.  It's not a range issue, I see it even when I'm in the same room as the hub standing right next to it.  I'll monitor it further and try rebooting the hub every time it's on a go-slow and see if that consistently fixes it.

I should also reiterate this it's only download which is affected, upload is consistently the same for WiFi as for wired.

Andrue
Pro
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Registered: ‎12-01-2015

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi


@MikeBz wrote:

As I have reiterated this isn't the obvious issue of it being 'normal for a faster connection to be obtained via a wired connection'.  The issue is that for periods of time the WiFi is in the same ball park as wired, and then there are periods when it's only giving 40-50% of the wired speed.

Is there any particular pattern to this? If it occurs at certain times of day it could just be that one of your neighbours is using their wifi at that time. Or possibly some other interference from a machine that only runs part of the time. It doesn't much like a router issue so sporadic interference of some kind seems more likely.

MikeBz
Rising Star
Posts: 196
Thanks: 17
Registered: ‎14-09-2012

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi


@Andrue wrote:

Is there any particular pattern to this? If it occurs at certain times of day it could just be that one of your neighbours is using their wifi at that time. Or possibly some other interference from a machine that only runs part of the time. It doesn't much like a router issue so sporadic interference of some kind seems more likely.


I agree that's what it smells like.  I tried changing the channel in case it was a neighbouring hub on the same channel which was causing the problem.  It does look like interference - using a speed tester app which has a 'speedometer' type dial, when it's in 'go-slow' mode the speed is very erratic, but when it's 'happy' (50-53Mbps) it's very steady.  We're in residential area.   I'll have to ask my immediate neighbour how his (EE) broadband is behaving.

Andrue
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Registered: ‎12-01-2015

Re: Poor download speeds over WiFi

Maybe also run a scanner see what else is in the area. Last I looked from my detached 3-bed house there were well over a dozen networks visible on 2.4GHz. Amazingly I still manage to get over 40Mb/s on it. But most of the time I leave my laptop wired in. It's mostly only used from one chair anyway. On wired I get over 65Mb/s Smiley