Gigabit router limits LAN speed

[m911]

Hello everyone,

I would like to ask something about internet speed:

Is it possible that router limits the LAN speed of the ports? This is my home configurations:
ISP-1Gbps (dynamic IP) - Router TL-WR1042ND -2 pc (wired connection cat5 cable)
When i test with the cable directly from ISP - 960-970 mbps

When i plug the cable in to my router TL-WR1042ND, it gives me 350-360 mbps on each PC.
Since the router has Gigabit LAN port I though the speed will be 450-460 (960/2), but it is not.

So my question is it normal that this router limits the speed of the traffic through it? And why it is such when the one PC is not always turned on?

Waiting for your reply!

 

[failboat]

Assuming your cables are good. The router could have a slow cpu and not able to handle the traffic. You could buy a non-wireless one that is has good reviews for business use on 1Gb and then use that as a wireless access point. ubiquiti has some good ones for $50. sometimes you can install dd-wrt or tomato on your router and increase it's speed. this might burn it out or not work and brick it.

$40 for a wireless router is not much i bet its just slow. it looks like it has QoS too. it might not be very good. turn that off and see if it's better.

 

[why_wolf]

It's a cheap router with poor reviews. Like failboat said it likely has a weak CPU that just can't handle the load.

 

[RealBeast]

Disagree. No, it is not normal. While that is an inexpensive router, routing one device takes almost no CPU power and I have worked on networks with that particular router and not had any issue getting 850-900 Mbps to multiple wired devices.

The only way that your gigabit speed "gets split" and is down around 450Mbps is if another machine is already using half the bandwidth -- otherwise any machine just being on network make no difference to your speed on one machine that is active.

*Assuming* that your cables are tested and good, then either the router needs to be reset and all the QoS type controls removed or it is defective.

I would therefore try resetting the router and insure that the firmware is updated. And yeah, not the best router around but its not like you are really taxing it with 2 wired devices.

And I do agree that if you decide to upgrade you can still use it as an AP, and would suggest an ASUS router, like an RT-N56U (if you don't need AC wireless) or an RT-AC-66 or 68 (or Netgear R-7000 if you do). And if you REALLY want to mess with a lot of settings for total control ASUSWRT-Merlin is the firmware to use, and Merlin is available to help but has massive numbers of posts on all details that you might want to know.

 

[m911]

Disagree. No, it is not normal. While that is an inexpensive router, routing one device takes almost no CPU power and I have worked on networks with that particular router and not had any issue getting 850-900 Mbps to multiple wired devices.

The only way that your gigabit speed "gets split" and is down around 450Mbps is if another machine is already using half the bandwidth -- otherwise any machine just being on network make no difference to your speed on one machine that is active.

*Assuming* that your cables are tested and good, then either the router needs to be reset and all the QoS type controls removed or it is defective.

I would therefore try resetting the router and insure that the firmware is updated. And yeah, not the best router around but its not like you are really taxing it with 2 wired devices.

And I do agree that if you decide to upgrade you can still use it as an AP, and would suggest an ASUS router, like an RT-N56U (if you don't need AC wireless) or an RT-AC-66 or 68 (or Netgear R-7000 if you do). And if you REALLY want to mess with a lot of settings for total control ASUSWRT-Merlin is the firmware to use, and Merlin is available to help but has massive numbers of posts on all details that you might want to know.

I think my router doesn't support QoS. Disabled the WMM setting as suggested, but the difference is minimal. Do you think that the speed will be slow, even on new router (my router could be defective somewaht? It is in fact cheap, but I didn't knew that this would happen. It is not so big trouble, but it'd be good to use the full potential on my network speed.

 

[RealBeast]

Your current router certainly could be defective, but first try another reset and then 30/30/30 reset and insure that you have the latest firmware.

30/30/30 reset: With the router power on, press and hold the reset button on back of unit for 30 seconds;
without releasing the reset button unplug the router and hold reset for another 30 seconds;
plug the router back in still holding the reset button a final 30 seconds -- so 90 total seconds of reset while going from power to unplugged to power without letting up the reset button (never do this on the newest generation of routers, only on older models like the one you have).

If it still is cutting your wired speed then consider getting a new router -- any of those I mentioned, or any other units that are contemporaries of them will deliver full throughput.

 

[m911]

Your current router certainly could be defective, but first try another reset and then 30/30/30 reset and insure that you have the latest firmware.

30/30/30 reset: With the router power on, press and hold the reset button on back of unit for 30 seconds;
without releasing the reset button unplug the router and hold reset for another 30 seconds;
plug the router back in still holding the reset button a final 30 seconds -- so 90 total seconds of reset while going from power to unplugged to power without letting up the reset button (never do this on the newest generation of routers, only on older models like the one you have).

If it still is cutting your wired speed then consider getting a new router -- any of those I mentioned, or any other units that are contemporaries of them will deliver full throughput.

Done the 30/30/30 reset - still arround 300 mbps. Thanks for answer!