Help me go faster than ~60Mbps

xer0x · Oct 1, 2015

Hi,

I think I should be able to go faster than 60Mbps over Wifi from my laptop. I have an RT-AC68, a 100Mbps connection, and a 2013 Macbook. I can get ~90Mbps downloads if I use a USB ethernet adapter.

I'm running Merlin's firmware 378.55_0. Some posts here mention that 55_0 is slower than 54_2, so maybe that could help. I've enabled hardware acceleration, QoS, WMM, and pretty much everything else I could find.

Here's the wifi connection details from my Macbook:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ogdy7jd190hh46e/Screenshot 2015-10-01 14.28.14.png?dl=0

I've gone through the steps listed in the snbforums troubleshooting guide. I've set my nvram using the `
nvram set wl0_reg_mode=h` commands.
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/guide-troubleshooting-wifi-issues.12825/

My RT-N66U running Padavan's firmware had the same speed limit. I've gotta be doing something stupid.

Thanks for any advice,
Stuck.

System Error Message · Oct 1, 2015

If you are using wifi you cant expect to get full speeds. If you have a macbook odds are it'd support a thunderbolt to gigabit ethernet adapter. Try that and see if you get full speeds.

Despite what it says for your wifi bandwidth you will only practically be able to use around 30% of it. If you want to use 90% of it its only possible if you stress out everything to the point of dropped packets and full CPU usage. Remember that the macbook2013 wont have wireless AC unless you upgraded it so even with wireless N thats only maximum of 300Mb/s if you are close to the router.

I really think people should try to observe whats going on with the links before blaming the firmware. AC68U with dual core ARM A9 at 800mhz will do more than 100Mb/s using software NAT.

You said it yourself, you get 90Mb/s using an ethernet to usb adapter so it means you were using wifi for testing which is an obvious reason why you dont see 100Mb/s. Use gigabit ethernet next time.

Deleted member 22229 · Oct 1, 2015

With WiFi there are always problems that can happen but here i get full speeds WiFi or wired no difference at all 90/12 using Comcast Blast at 75/10. With anything RF every environment and settings will be different. It can be a real Beeyach !!

sfx2000 · Oct 1, 2015

Based on personal experience with Macs on 11ac (2014 MacBook Air) things should be very similar between 11ac Wireless and USB-Ethernet (which is a 10/100 adapter), if anything, the wireless connection should be faster... judging from the screen shot, it's a Macbook Pro, not an Air or a Macbook "One", as they are AC867 at 5GHz (2*2:2, the Pro is 3*3:3)

OP's rates are not WLAN to LAN, it's the LAN/WLAN to WAN connection... so even a thunderbolt GIGe adapter isn't going to change things there.

So something's up here... something odd - inside the LAN, one should see about 400 Mbps on 11ac (2-stream, 3 might be faster), around 700 Mbps on GiGE...

The Apple USB-Ethernet adapter is limited to around 90 Mbps - this is all UDP traffic on iPerf, so apps will be different.

Marc66 · Oct 2, 2015

xer0x said:
I've enabled hardware acceleration, QoS, WMM, and pretty much everything else I could find.

Have you tried disabling those settings instead?
HW acceleration is not necessary if your WAN connection is less than 150+ Mbps
QoS can get in the way

How far are you from the router when you test your speed? You should be right next to it to test maximum speed

xer0x · Oct 2, 2015

Thanks for the ideas guys. I'll try toggling some settings and moving my router next.

Wow, sfx2000, good guess yes it is a MacBook Pro.

dlandiss · Oct 2, 2015

xer0x said:
Thanks for the ideas guys. I'll try toggling some settings and moving my router next.

Wow, sfx2000, good guess yes it is a MacBook Pro.

My ASUS laptop gets 135Mbps download speed at Speedtest.net on Wifi, but its USB/Ethernet adapter tops out at 95Mbps. A hard-wired computer not needing the USB adapter gets the same 135Mbps.

Conclusion: the USB adapter will not pass 100Mbps.

faur · Oct 2, 2015

These are my rates over wifi 5Ghz AC, using galaxy s5 and ac87u with 9177 firmware...

I'm sure that a macbook pro could do more...but on wifi aria there are so many variable...

Try to stop any traffic analyzer, qos and check the connection speed. Do some test with basic configuration of the router to have a refference point. AC68U should have even better stability on 5Ghz than ac87u so you should have close to 95Mbs...

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

dlandiss · Oct 2, 2015

faur said:
These are my rates over wifi 5Ghz AC, using galaxy s5 and ac87u with 9177 firmware...

Nice! I have no 802.11ac hardware, and my "100Mbps" Charter Cable connection tops out at about 135Mbps -- unlike some companies that only deliver about 80% of what they advertise.

faur · Oct 2, 2015

dlandiss said:
Nice! I have no 802.11ac hardware, and my "100Mbps" Charter Cable connection tops out at about 135Mbps -- unlike some companies that only deliver about 80% of what they advertise.

For my desktop PC, hard wired with ac87u through an ac68u (used in AP mode), the last result is:

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4713116936

I have a problem with the upload but..anyway, i can do my job...

Back on topic, try to establish a refference point related to wifi speed and after that play with the router configuration in order to improve it..things like changing the channel, reducing usb3.0 interference etc

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

L&LD · Oct 5, 2015

[QUOTE="Marc66, post: 208672, member: 37915"How far are you from the router when you test your speed? You should be right next to it to test maximum speed[/QUOTE]

That is not right. Most routers will give their best throughput between a dozen or more feet away from the tested device. Twenty feet or more is even better and it is different for 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band.

Putting a device right next to the router will give weaker throughput than at a more optimal distance.

xer0x · Oct 5, 2015

Thanks for the tips. I've toggled most settings on the router now. Most of my changes made it slower.

Thanks L&LD, I've been testing at about 12 feet.

dlandiss · Oct 6, 2015

L&LD said:
Putting a device right next to the router will give weaker throughput than at a more optimal distance.

This link should lead to nice chart, compliments of Mr. Higgins, that suggests that speed is pretty much the same for a given model until signal attenuation (think: distance, walls, whatever) gets to around 20-30dB.

L&LD · Oct 6, 2015

dlandiss said:
This link should lead to nice chart, compliments of Mr. Higgins, that suggests that speed is pretty much the same for a given model until signal attenuation (think: distance, walls, whatever) gets to around 20-30dB.

Those charts are great for comparative analysis in an (mostly) interference free chamber.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ac1200-usb-wifi-adapter-roundup,4241-6.html

The above is more like what I see in real world use of various routers and even more varied clients.

The transfer rates at 2.4GHz were at their fastest from 25 to 50 feet away from the router, and they dropped off from five feet away (too close) or 75 feet away through an interfering obstacle. While it is intuitive that performance suffers from greater distances, it's less obvious that being too close to your router can cause issues as well. This phenomenon was reproduced by every adapter except Netgear's, and the lesson is that if you're five feet away, plug in via Ethernet rather than use a Wi-Fi adapter.

In a perfect world (i.e. theoretical), the charts you linked would be gospel.

But we understand WiFi at less precision than that in our imperfect model(s) of the world we live in.

dlandiss · Oct 6, 2015

My living room is 40 feet long with the router at one end. Measuring at the router, and at 5 foot intervals along the length of the room, I see no repeatable change in bandwidth (ca. 100Mbps) until I reach the 25 foot point, where it begins to fall off.

The test you cited was for a particular set of USB WiFi adapters. I do not know the reputation of Jonas DeMuro, but I do trust the methodology of Tom Higgins.

YMMV.

Thread starter	Title	Forum	Replies	Date
F	Got some routers, need help.	ASUS AC Routers & Adapters (Wi-Fi 5)	4	Mar 11, 2024
	Need help with restoration of AC66u B1 + last Merlin	ASUS AC Routers & Adapters (Wi-Fi 5)	12	Jan 18, 2024

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Help me go faster than ~60Mbps

xer0x

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