Child Item

Site Totals

61264 Questions Answered 267 Categories

25/25 Mbps Plan, Getting 5-10 Mbps Download Speeds

I saw a couple similar posts, but haven't been able to improve my slow connection with some of the suggestions I saw in those posts. I'm a new subscriber to 25/25 Mbps service. I noticed that my Internet connection seemed slow (subjectively) and decided to run some speed tests. Regardless of which test service I use, I connect at between 3 Mbps and 10 Mbps. Usually around 7 Mbps.

Some background info:

If I connect to the router with a wire, my speed increases to my plan rate (about 25/20).

Even if I'm sitting right next to the router, however, as soon as I remove the cable and go wireless, speeds drop to about 7 Mbps.

I don't have any electronic devices that might cause interference with the router.

I've tried changing the channel of the router to each of the values from 1 through 11. Some of the values seem better than others, but the highest speed I can get is about 10 Mbps. A few times it reached 13 Mbps.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I admittedly know little about how wireless systems work, and trying to trouble shoot this with Verizon has been frustrating. They told me first to reset the router, then said that my wireless download speeds were normal. I'm not sure I buy that. I can connect to a neighbor's router (I live in an apartment building), who I assume is using Comcast, and I get *higher* internet speeds than I do on my own router. That seems bizarre to me.

Comments

smith6612

Use a tool such as InSSIDer on a Wireless PC to find and use the cleanest channel possible. Whichever channel has the fewest/no networks on it (1, 6 or 11) or has the weakest signals overall, use that. It might also be worth forcing the ActionTec to use only Wireless G Mode. That option can be found under the Advanced Wireless Options.

tjlbills

It looks like channel 1 has the least interference, using one of those tools. Still, I'm only connecting at about 6 Mbps right now. I also tried forcing the router into "legacy mode" (using b/g only, rather than n protocol). No dice. Wireless speeds remain very slow.

tjlbills

And it seems like my connection gets worse later in the evening. I'm now connecting at the blistering pace of .443 Mbps.

jizaref1

Wireless can have lots of unexpected interference from many things: baby monitor, neighbor wireless signals, land line cordless phones, microwaves, even equipment chargers. Also depending on location of equipment pipes and scaffolding and walls can change signals.

I have had this same problem a lot. I finally decided to use the Actiontec router as is for addressing and DHCP but I turned off the wireless radio. I instead a dual band Linksys router which has a simulteneous G 2.4 and N 5.0 radio. Whenever possible I connect N wireless and there is almost no interference. My PC two floors up from my basement router routinely gets

23-27/22-24 using Speakeasy speed test. That same PC on G and my laptop on G gets about 15-19/10-14, not bad.

Try also restarting your router, unplug 30 second and plug back in. Sometimes something inexplicable happens and that fixes it.

Child Item