Router Setting for FibreX throttling speed?

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Ulairi

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#229163 10-Feb-2018 12:05

I've been in FibreX for about 6 months. I'm on a plan with 200 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.

Using my own routers (Linksys EA8500 and Netgear Orbi) the best download speed that I can get over Ethernet (plugged directly into the routers) is only 75 Mbps down. I do get the full 20 Mbps up. This happens all the time (independent of time of the day) and seems to consistently peak out around the 75 mark (sometimes only 37 Mbps, which is suspiciously half of 75).

When using the Vodafone supplied HG659 speed tests get the full 200Mbps down and 20Mbps up. This suggests that there's a setting somewhere in the after-market routers that needs tweaking to unleash the full speed. The only setting that I've changed in the routers is VLAN taging to '10'.

Any ideas gratefully received. Thanks

michaelmurfy

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#1954750 10-Feb-2018 12:24

Moved to correct subforum.

Something not clear is are you using the Orbi as a router on its own? This is very capable and should be able to route even Gigabit fine.

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Ulairi

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#1954786 10-Feb-2018 13:12

Hi michaelmurfy

I posted in the Vodafone forum because I think that this potentially relates to special settings that are required for Vodafon's FibreX service. There have been other similar posts in that forum (albeit for the faster FibreX service):

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=205229

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?topicid=207494

These posts hint at the need to tweak routers to open the pipeline on FibreX.

Yes, for both the Linksys EA8500 and the Netgear Orbi, the router has been set up as the main router (i.e. not as an access point downstream of the HG659). Yes, in both cases these are high performing routers and there's no reason for them to plod along at 75Mbps over Ethernet. It defeats the purpose of moving to an Orbi system (at considerable expense) if the entire network is choked to 75 Mbps. Because it affected two completely different, but highly capable routers, then it's got to be a setting that's required to configure for FibreX.

Sticking with the HG659 (or the new Ultrahub) and using a wireless AP eleswhere to improve signal is not feasible because the convoluted construction in our multi-story house means that I can't run Ethernet cable to an AP.

michaelmurfy

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#1954793 10-Feb-2018 13:24

I've set up many routers on Vodafone's FibreX (even on the Gigabit plan) and have never had issues. You have not enabled QoS on any of the routers right?

Ulairi

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#1954832 10-Feb-2018 15:18

I did initially have 'media prioritization' on with the Linsys EA8500, but turned it off.

There is no QoS option on the latest Orbi Firmware (v 2.1.2.18). It may be embedded and therefore always 'on' in the firmware? The Orbi QoS page only has a singlr thing on it - a speedtest button. This reports 200Mbps down, but any computers downstream only get 75 Mbps.

michaelmurfy

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#1954870 10-Feb-2018 16:42

You're not just testing over WiFi right? This is Ethernet?

mdf

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#1954898 10-Feb-2018 19:00

What sort of cable are you using to test the ethernet connection?

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#1954914 10-Feb-2018 20:04

Also just make sure everything else is unplugged from the router when you're testing. I've seen a weird scenario where a LAN-connected stereo dragged everything else on the network down from 1Gbps to 100Mbps connections. Or for another theory, maybe your setup is doing something weird with IPv6, like Teredo tunnelling to the US - disable v6 on your PC for a test.

Ulairi

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#1955498 12-Feb-2018 08:59

Thanks, all, for helping.

Yes - this is solely testing over Ethernet.

These tests used both Cat 5E and Cat 6 cables. The same cables were used to obtain the 200Mbps result with the Vodafone HG659 router, so I'm confident that the cables are not dodgy.

Thanks, gadman, for the tip to disconnect everything else. I've got Ethernet to our main computer, a NAS, and a switch that feeds two TVs and a PS4 (the latter via a powerline adapter). I'll give disconnecting everything else a go (I have to pick my time because the teens in the house scream blue murder when their 'digital oxygen' supply is cut off for testing). I'll also switch the Orbi satellite off (it has Ethernet to another PC in the house, but the router-satellite connection is via the Orbi's dedicated wifi backhaul channel).

michaelmurfy - your initial queries about QoS and the fact that the Orbi reports full speed have got me thinking. The Orbi's firmware does not have any ability to adjust QoS parameters, which has me wondering if QoS is baked in and automatically working on the connection. I'm doing a bit of www research to investigate further. I'll have to set up the EA8500 again to look at what it was doing with its 'media prioritization'.

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#1955510 12-Feb-2018 09:21

This is a long shot / probably obvious point, but I've found speedtest to be pretty bad at detecting the right server on fibreX. Were all tests done to the same server? You might need to manually select the Vodafone server closest to you (in Wellington, I've also found the ACS Data server to be pretty good).

Ulairi

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#1956011 12-Feb-2018 20:50

Thanks for continued advice.

I did further testing and I think I have proven that it's the Orbi systems doing the throttling. I was wrong, the Linksys EA8500 wasn't slowing the speed down at all. All tests were with the same Cat 6 cable from modem to router and the same Cat 5E cable from router to PC. Unless noted below, I had all other Ethernet wired devices disconnected. I also used the same local Vodafone server in Wellington, apart from the one time, noted below, where I used the 'ACS Data' Server. Here's the test sequence:

Linksys EA8500.

No other devices connected. Media Prioritization (QoS) 'off'. Got 200 Mbps. Turned Media Prioritization 'on' and got 175 Mbps, then 200 Mbps.

Summary: Minimum speed = 175 Mbps. Maximum speed = 200Mbps.

Orbi System.

Orbi satellite unit turned 'off' and no other Ethernet devices plugged in. Got 100 Mbps, then 75 Mbps. Connected the test computer by wifi (but left Ethernet connected) and got 37 Mbps, then 72 Mbps. Turned WiFi connection on test computer off again and got 102 Mbps. Did the speed test to the 'ACS Data' Server and got 77 Mbps, then 105 Mbps. Reconnected to the Vodafone server for the remainder of the testing and got 39 Mbps, then 107 Mbps then 100 Mbps. Plugged the Other Ethernet devices into the router and got 77 Mbps, then 107 Mbps and 10 minutes later, 75 Mbps, 38 and 74.

Summary: Minimum speed = 37 Mbps. Maximum speed = 107 Mbps.

Vodafone HG659.

No other Ethernet devices plugged in. 200 Mbps and 200 Mbps. Plugged the other Ethernet devices in and still got 200 Mbps.

Summary: rock solid on 200 Mbps.

Linksys EA8500.

No other devices connected. 202 Mbps. connected the other Ethernet devices and got 201 Mbps.

Summary: Minimum speed = 201 Mbps. Maximum speed = 202 Mbps.

Orbi System.

Orbi satellite unit turned 'off' and no other Ethernet devices plugged in. Got 78 Mbps, then 76 Mbps. Changed the Ethernet port on the Vodafone Technicolor Modem from #2 to #1. Got 39 Mbps, 95 Mbps, 76 Mbps, then 75 Mbps. Reverted the Ethernet port on the Vodafone Technicolor Modem from #1 back to #2 per all other testing. Got 73 Mbps, then 74 Mbps.

Summary: Minimum speed = 39 Mbps. Maximum speed = 95 Mbps

This all seems to conclusively prove that the Orbi system is doing the throttling. Irrespective of which server I connect to, whether there are other Ethernet devices connected, whether a Wifi connection is present or not, and which port on the Modem I use, I consistently get much slower speeds from the Orbi versus the other two routers. The orbi's own built in speed test function reports a 200 Mbps connection.

I'm going to try posting on the Netgear forum to see if anyone has any ideas for settings specific to the Orbi.

michaelmurfy - please feel free to change the title of this thread to "Netgear Orbi throttling speeds on Vodafone FibreX network" because that's a much better description of the problem and it may help others.

Thanks again for your contributions.

djtOtago

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#1956025 12-Feb-2018 21:15

Have you got another device / computer you can use for testing.

It maybe due to some weirdness your computer and the Orbi are not negotiating their net work connection speed correctly. ie they are connecting to each other at 100Mbps in stead of 1000Mbps.

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Ulairi

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#1956027 12-Feb-2018 21:20

djtOtago:

Have you got another device / computer you can use for testing.

It maybe due to some weirdness your computer and the Orbi are not negotiating their net work connection speed correctly. ie they are connecting to each other at 100Mbps in stead of 1000Mbps.

Yes - I also tested it with a reasonably good spec laptop and got the same results.