Help Wifi Issues

[recDNA]

I have noticed that even though the router is in the room I sit my note 3 is much slower on 5 gHz band than 2.4 gHz band. This is frustrating because every other device in the house (10 devices) is connected to 2.4 gHz band since they are further away from router. Theoretically I should get much faster service on the 5 gHz band that is unused by any other device and less prone to interference from other local wifi routers (none close enough to even give 1 bar anyway but they do show up on list so I assume some interference is possible).

I have a Linksys ea4500 dual band router. My speed we connected to ether net through router is a little over 50 mbps. My wifi speed on my Motorola Razr Maxx HD is about 20 mbps even though it is upstairs and at the other end of the house. My wife's Ipads are about the same as my note 3 about 8 mbps on 2.4 gHz. On 5 gHz my note 3 only downloads at about 3 mbps although it's upload speed is about 8 mbps.

Any suggestions? Xfinity and Linksys customer service are useless.

 

[Rukbat]

When you mix bands, the router operates at the slower speed. It doesn't matter that there's a faster device connected - the slower devices would see the signals from and to that faster device and not understand them, so they'd keep retrying and you'd be lucky to get dial-up speeds. Set all your devices - including the router - to only use the protocol of the slowest device and you'll get the best overall speed.

That's why companies don't jump on the bandwagon as soon as a faster protocol is announced - they'd have to replace all their hardware to take advantage of it.

Segmented Ethernet is one thing, unsegmented wifi s another.

 

[recDNA]

I don't understand you

 

[Rukbat]

If you have your router set to run both G and N, it'll run at G speed, even though it's talking N protocol to N devides - but at G speed. That's why there's a setting to force it to use a single protocol.

As far as companies - if I buy new Z routers that go at 4 times AC speed, but 2 of the computers in my company are still running G, the whole network runs at G speed. So the gain is absolutely nothing until I replace all my computers. And by the time a company replaces a computer (I'm talking companies with hundreds of boxes, not an office with 3 desktops), it's good for scrap metal and maybe 10 cents worth of (just barely) usable parts. You don't throw out 5,000 computers that still do what you need because someone came out with a faster protocol.

So in your case, I'd turn off the 5GHz system and see if the speed improved.

 

[recDNA]

My system has two different SSID with 2 different passwords. My slower devices are only programmed to Connect to the 2.4 gHz band. My laptop and Note 3 only the 5 gHz band. Are you saying the router itself is refusing to put out N speed? The only band open at 5 gHz is N. N band is turned off in 2.4 gHz band. Only G, B, A active. It's like 2 separate routers.

I did it this way because laptop and Note 3 are in the same room as router and 5 gHz is short range. My slower devices operating at G only are upstairs. It's funny that although peak speeds are higher at 5 gHz I get a smoother graph at 2.4 gHz. My Razr Maxx HD gets the smoothest signal at 2.4 gHz upstairs consistently flat line at about 23 mbps. The Note 3 and Zenbook get speeds up to 60 mbps but in spurts. Very uneven bandwidth graph. I have tried connecting the Note 3 to 2.4 gHz but get even slower speeds.

The odd thing is the system worked great as is for months now for no apparent reasons my bandwidth is inconsistent. I am better off than some however because I never get the weak signal warning and all of my devices stay connected.