"How Fast Can Your Wi-Fi Go?" Article

[andykn]

Sorry, couldn't find a discussion thread on this article:

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/basics/wireless-basics/32175-how-fast-can-your-wi-fi-go

My router needs replacing and I thought, to go with the new router, I'd get a new Intel AC 9260 wireless adapter for my Dell laptop, which claims up to 1733 Mbps:

https://ark.intel.com/products/99445/Intel-Wireless-AC-9260

Now I'm assuming that this is on the 5GHz band and they don't mention the 2.4GHz band but according to the article, if it's 600Mbps the device is AC2350 and will only get 1733 link rate with an AC2350 router (600+1733) but not an AC2600 router (800+1733).

So I get why an AC2350 (600+1733) client won't link at 1733 with, say, an AC3200 router (600+1300+1300) but why not with an AC2600 router (800+1733)? What am I missing?

 

[thiggins]

This is why we abandoned the Wi-Fi "class" system.
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-features/33077-goodbye-to-wi-fi-router-classes

The Intel spec says it's a 2x2 adapter. It also says it supports 160 MHz bandwidth. The 160 MHz bandwidth part is how they can artificially inflate the spec.

The maximum you will see from most routers, which do not support 160 MHz bandwidth, is 300 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 867 in 5 GHz.

 

[andykn]

This is why we abandoned the Wi-Fi "class" system.
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-features/33077-goodbye-to-wi-fi-router-classes

The Intel spec says it's a 2x2 adapter. It also says it supports 160 MHz bandwidth. The 160 MHz bandwidth part is how they can artificially inflate the spec.

The maximum you will see from most routers, which do not support 160 MHz bandwidth, is 300 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 867 in 5 GHz.

Thanks for the reply. Having pored over your website, the "How to buy a router" and "Router Ranker", I was thinking of getting a Netgear R7800, which does support 160MHz but, according to the "How fast can your wifi go" article, if the Intel 9260 has a max 2.4 GHz speed of 600MHz it will only get 1733Mbps with a 600+1300 router; with a 800+1300 router the max 5GHz link rate will only be 1300Mbps. This was the bit I don't quite understand.

 

[Internet Man]

Thanks for the reply. Having pored over your website, the "How to buy a router" and "Router Ranker", I was thinking of getting a Netgear R7800, which does support 160MHz but, according to the "How fast can your wifi go" article, if the Intel 9260 has a max 2.4 GHz speed of 600MHz it will only get 1733Mbps with a 600+1300 router; with a 800+1300 router the max 5GHz link rate will only be 1300Mbps. This was the bit I don't quite understand.

The article was last updated in 2015 and SNB has since abandoned the Wi-Fi class system that the article seeks to explain. Non-standard features like 160MHz bandwidth and 1024-QAM have severely muddied the waters since that article was last updated.

 

[thiggins]

A Wi-Fi adapter connects to only one band at a time. So the total "class" number is useful only for marketing purposes.

 

[andykn]

Sorry I made a mess of the previous post, I meant to say "I was thinking of getting a Netgear R7800, which does support 160MHz but, according to the "How fast can your wifi go" article, if the Intel 9260 has a max 2.4 GHz speed of 600MHz it will only get 1733Mbps with a 600+1733 router; with a 800+1733 router the max 5GHz link rate will only be 1300Mbps. This was the bit I don't quite understand."

I get that the adapter will only only connect to one band at a time but the article suggests that the max speed of the 5Ghz band is affected by the 2.4GHz speed rating of the adapter. As my proposed STA is theoretically capable of 1733 with 160MHz bandwidth I'd hat to lose some of that.

 

[thiggins]

There may be a typo in the article. Show me where and I'll fix it.

One band doesn't affect the other. Max 3x3 5 GHz link rate is 1300 Mbps. Max 4x4 is 1733. Slowest device (AP or STA) sets the maximum rate.

I would not get hung up on maximum rates anyway. You will seldom see them since you'll get them only with strongest signal conditions.

 

[andykn]

There may be a typo in the article. Show me where and I'll fix it.

One band doesn't affect the other. Max 3x3 5 GHz link rate is 1300 Mbps. Max 4x4 is 1733. Slowest device (AP or STA) sets the maximum rate.

I would not get hung up on maximum rates anyway. You will seldom see them since you'll get them only with strongest signal conditions.

Table 2, Client Class AC2350 (600+1733) only gets a maximum 5GHz link rate of 1733 with router class AC2350 (600+1733) but not AC2600 (800+1733) where it's only 1300.

The only reason I'm concerned about max rates is that 50% of 1733 is better than 50% of 1300.

 

[thiggins]

Table 2, Client Class AC2350 (600+1733) only gets a maximum 5GHz link rate of 1733 with router class AC2350 (600+1733) but not AC2600 (800+1733) where it's only 1300.

The only reason I'm concerned about max rates is that 50% of 1733 is better than 50% of 1300.

That's a typo.

With your 2x2 client, neither max link rate applies. You'll see 867.

 

[andykn]

That's a typo.

Ah, thanks, that explains it.

With your 2x2 client, neither max link rate applies. You'll see 867.

Even with the client supporting 160MHz?

 

[thiggins]

Ah, thanks, that explains it.

Even with the client supporting 160MHz?

You might see a higher link rate, if the router also supports 160 and you're right next to it. But if any of the eight channels needed to support 160 MHz are busy, your effective link rate will be reduced on a frame by frame basis.

Again, I would not lose sleep over it.

 

[andykn]

You might see a higher link rate, if the router also supports 160 and you're right next to it. But if any of the eight channels needed to support 160 MHz are busy, your effective link rate will be reduced on a frame by frame basis.

Again, I would not lose sleep over it.

OK, thanks for all your help and the great website.