Router is affecting my ISP Speeds

[paulbasel]

I saw a thread where the responses to this same question indicated that a router should not affect the ISP speed.

I have cable service and they just doubled our speed for the same price. My upload speed is now 5.0 mbps and the download should be 50 mbps but is still only half that.

I did a test and disconnected the router and just used the modem. Sure enough, the download speed was now 50 mbps and 5 up. I reconnected the router and the download speed dropped back to 25 mbps.

My router is a 7 year old Linksys WRT54G but it should be capable of passing 50 mpbs in my opinion.

Any thoughts

Paul

 

[nuix0923]

when you hook up a router, no matter what, you are going to loose speed. Router is a layer 3 networking device, when the data come from your PC down all the theological 7 osi layers, the data gets embedded with something called "overhead", increasing the amount of the ACTUAL data. It is just one of those things that you will have to accept if you want to use a router. Technologies have increase tremendously over the 7 years...try getting a newest router and see if that can make a difference. But, you will not get the same speed as the modem -> PC in comparison to modem -> router -> PC

 

[ex_bubblehead]

...My router is a 7 year old Linksys WRT54G but it should be capable of passing 50 mpbs in my opinion....

Opinion doesn't enter into it. You have a 7 year old piece of equipment that doesn't have a WAN port capable of 50Mbps. Time to upgrade to a router with at least a 100Mbps WAN port.

 

[paulbasel]

when you hook up a router, no matter what, you are going to loose speed.

Thanks for the reply. I understand that one will lose speed with a router connected, however, not 50% of what is expected. Can you explain why I receive the new expected upload speed of 5 mbps and not any where close to the new expected download speed. That doesn't make sense to me but I know little of how routers are expected to function.

I am trying to avoid buying a new modem but I will if the Linksys is not working properly at these net speeds.

Paul

 

[paulbasel]

ex_bubblehead, many thanks for the clear, concise, sharply worded answer. I'll look into buying a new modem although I already did about 6 months ago, a Asus RT56U which never worked. It was replaced by Asus support and they worked for days trying to find a solution as to why it wouldn't work with my system. They finally gave up and I returned it. Any suggestions other than an Asus?

Paul

 

[Kewlx25]

...My router is a 7 year old Linksys WRT54G but it should be capable of passing 50 mpbs in my opinion....

Opinion doesn't enter into it. You have a 7 year old piece of equipment that doesn't have a WAN port capable of 50Mbps. Time to upgrade to a router with at least a 100Mbps WAN port.

Just for future reference, what you meant by "50mb WAN port", I think you mean "50mb WAN throughput". Most of the time, "port speed" just means "link speed". But yes, what you said.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

....Just for future reference, what you meant by "50mb WAN port"....

Are you sure you meant "millibits"?

Remember your big "M" vs small "m"

 

[paulbasel]

...My router is a 7 year old Linksys WRT54G but it should be capable of passing 50 mpbs in my opinion....

Opinion doesn't enter into it. You have a 7 year old piece of equipment that doesn't have a WAN port capable of 50Mbps. Time to upgrade to a router with at least a 100Mbps WAN port.

I just installed a new TP-LInk Archer C7 AC1750 wireless dual band router and it works like a champ. On several tests I got over 60 Mbps even though my service is only 50 Mbps. Thanks again for your response and to the others who replied as well.

Paul