Question Nighthawk R700 won't exceed 20gbs wifi on a myriad of devices - ethernet is 1Gb down

[ScrawnyHercules]

Router Firmware Version: V1.0.2.82

I've had this Nighthawk R700 for 2 years without issue, and suddenly my Wifi download speeds won't exceed 20mbs on any device. Weeks ago I was getting a steady 80mbs down at the minimum.

• Power cycled modem and router multiple times
• Connection on all devices is stable, but downloads are sluggish
• No matter how close I am to the router the Wifi tests remain the same
• Recently added an EX7000 and extended networks return same speedtest results

My only thought is that there are too many devices connected? I've added Wifi light bulbs, so maybe the raw number of 10 active devices is too much.

What do you think?

 

[tech.kyle]

Many network extenders will gain coverage but hurt wireless performance since it typically retransmits on the same frequency as your existing wireless. It's unlikely this is the cause of your issues but it may be good to make sure you've placed it in a location that has good wireless coverage already since it will need a strong connection back to the router or access point.

Likely there is another device nearby such as wireless cameras or another router/access point that is causing interference on the channel you're using. If so, you could try changing the wireless channel your network operates on. This may take some experimentation to see which channel performs best. If you have an Android phone or tablet, you could try using a utility such as Ubiquiti's WiFiman (Android) to look for a free wireless channel that you could move your wireless network to. I don't believe iOS gives apps the appropriate permissions to do this functionality but perhaps someone else could comment otherwise.

 

[ScrawnyHercules]

I've tried switching the channels (currently on 7 & 48) with no change - was hoping a 5ghz channel <50 could fix it, but no luck.

The extender is within range, and if I hardwire into the extender (EX7000) I get the same slow speeds. I just powered off my extender, and tested my Wifi again (sitting inches from the router) and my speeds are the same

 

[tech.kyle]

That's a bit odd. Do you have any devices hardwired into the router that you could test from? If so, do you see the same slow speeds? If so again, it may be worth bypassing the router and plugging a device directly into your modem to test from there.

How are you performing testing? When you test, are you seeing speeds pretty consistently at 20 Mbps or does it jump around from test to test? I'm leaning towards either your internet connection itself being limited to 20Mbps (if your speed tests are consistently 20 Mbps) or perhaps there is another device behind your router constantly using your connection (if speeds are erratic).