Speed issues with a MikroTik hEX PoE (RB960PGS) router

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Speed issues with a MikroTik hEX PoE (RB960PGS) router

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#300651 25-Sep-2022 16:47

I am a router junkie. 🙃

I use an assortment of Synology, Ubiquiti, and MikroTik routers, on a Voyager 300/100 fibre connection (PPPoE, VLAN 10).

Testing with the Ookla app via ethernet, all of these give maxed-out (300+/100+) speed tests EXCEPT for the MikroTik hEX PoE, which only gives 150+ downstream and 100 upstream speeds.

My other two MikroTik routers - Hex S and hAP ac2 - both give full speeds, using the same router settings.

The hEX PoE has a single-core processor; the Hex S has a two-core processor; the hAP ac2 has a four-core processor. Is this relevant?

All three are using the latest RouterOS firmware.

Settings are as in Michael Murphy's setup guide.

Is PPPoE + NAT + VLAN too much for a single-core CPU?

Is the hEX PoE just old and slow, like me, or can you suggest any tweaks to the settings? 😶

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meow
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#2972779 25-Sep-2022 18:05

It doesn't have the CPU to route anything more than ~200Mbit on PPPoE I'm afraid. It is a pretty old CPU these days.

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cyril7

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#2972812 25-Sep-2022 21:18

Hi single core old MIPS processor, what did you expect.

Cyril

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#2972813 25-Sep-2022 21:31

cyril7: Hi single core old MIPS processor, what did you expect.

... advertised as "a very powerful 800MHz CPU, capable of all the advanced configurations that RouterOS supports." 🙄

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RunningMan

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#2972816 25-Sep-2022 21:45

Should be more than capable of saturating a PPPoE 300/100 connection. Test results show approx double the CPU bound performance of an RB2011 (or other 600MHz MIPSBE variants) which can easily saturate a 300/100 connection with the CPU load at under 50% (fasttrack enabled).

The limiting point for simple CPU bound stuff will be the 1Gb link between the CPU and switch chip, as it has to cross that link twice.

EDIT: Above OK for ROS 6.49.6 - can't vouch for 7.5 if you're using that.

RunningMan

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#2972839 25-Sep-2022 22:23

If you are using ROS 7.x, that could be the reason for a sudden issue - some discussion here but decreased throughput and increased CPU load under some conditions between 6.x & 7.x.

anatokidave

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#2972846 25-Sep-2022 22:53

I'm in CHC on Voyager ( Enable fibre 300/100 ), also using a MikroTik hEX PoE (PPPoE, VLAN 10).

Testing thru Ethernet, I'm getting the expected results on both Ookla and fast.com

- Should add that I'm using routerOS v7.5

RunningMan

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#2972896 26-Sep-2022 09:13

@anatokidave would be intersting to know CPU utilisation when doing the speedtest.

The other thing is the linked config guide is a few years old now, and there's been changes in bridge configs/hardware offload/default firewall rules as different ROS versions have been released since it was written. Might be something to keep in mind.

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nztim

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#2972899 26-Sep-2022 09:18

RB960PGS can get up to about 500mbps if you setup all your fast track rules correctly but that's about it (the test results on the Mikrotik Website lie)

There is no direct replacement for it which is a bit of a shame as 4x POE all in one with a router is nice

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cyril7

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#2972955 26-Sep-2022 10:02

Hi, as mentioned there is a single GigE link between the CPU and switch chip, so this will always be an issue. That said due to the non symetric nature of speedtests it is possible to achieve decent speeds. See link below, similar MIPSBE chip albeit running high CPU speeds which is critical when PPPoE and the vlan tag. To be honest I would expect it to achieve 300/100 so something is not right.

The v7 upgrade could be an issue, I have refused to make that move as yet, keeping an eye on the Mikrotik forums re v7 issues should scare you off that move.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=291857&page_no=1#2829464

Cyril

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#2972960 26-Sep-2022 10:31

cyril7:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=291857&page_no=1#2829464

If that RB2011 @ 600MHz can get in excess of 800 Mb/s on a speedtest, then the RB960 should be able to squeeze a fraction more, until the limit of the CPU-switch link is hit. Of course, relying on the various hardware offload and fasttrack configs being correct for the specific hardware so that it doesn't have to do everything in software.

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#2972970 26-Sep-2022 10:57

Bingo!

After at least 8 failed attempts, I have done a default build that actually achieves 300/100.

I am using Router OS v7.5.

The difference this time is that I accepted the default IP address of 192.168.88.1, instead of my (strongly) preferred 192.168.1.1.

All attempts to build with 192.168.1.1, or convert to it from 192.168.88.1, have failed or have given me low speeds.

I'll keep trying to change the IP address, because I have quite a complex SOHO network that uses fixed IP addresses.

Tiny steps ... 🤨

Thank you all for your support and advice. 🙂

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RunningMan

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#2972981 26-Sep-2022 11:41

That shoudn't make any difference. Is that a quickset config, or DIY? Something else must be changing in the background too - hardware offload on the bridge / fasttrack etc.

nztim

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#2973009 26-Sep-2022 13:52

My guess is the default config has all the hardware offload and fast tack loaded in

if you want to use the default config for the base od your own config export it and change the ip addresses in notepad and re-upload

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#2973206 26-Sep-2022 16:55

nztim: My guess is the default config has all the hardware offload and fast tack loaded in

if you want to use the default config for the base of your own config export it and change the ip addresses in notepad and re-upload

You are right!

The config file for the default 192.168.88.1 Quick Set version is three times longer than for the 192.168.1.1 Quick Set version.

I have been able to export and edit the config (.rsc) file, but I can't persuade it to re-upload. 🙁

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RunningMan

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#2973214 26-Sep-2022 17:18

Just go with the quickset config and manually edit it to what you want. At minimum you'll need to change address, DHCP server and Pool.

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