[SOLVED] WiFi link speed doesn't match speed tests

[jakehardware]

Hello,
I have 400Mbps plan.
Most of my devices reach that speed over WiFi.
However, on my pc WiFi, with different speed test websites I get 30-40 Mbps. With ethernet I get 430.
In my network settings, the link speed shows 144Mbps so I would like to know if I can increase my download speed to the 144 somehow.

My network card has 2 antennas, 802.11n which can reach up to ~300 in theory but realistically it's about half of that, according to my quick google search. So half is 150 which would make sense for my link speed that is 144 but I'm not getting that.

My windows 10 PC is updated with latest drivers including network card driver (latest driver being from 2015, Microsoft 5.0.57.1).

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[popatim]

Which network card do you have?

 

[bill001g]

I am somewhat surprised you get 400mbps on wifi most people get much less.

Those numbers are not actually speeds they represent the way the data is encoded not actual real world data transfer rates. The ignore important real world facts like wifi is half duplex and there is a lot of overhead in the encoding. You will be very lucky to get even 1/2 the connection rate.

Now 802.11n can get a MCS value of 300 but partially what that means is you are running 2x2 mimo and you are running 40mhz data bands. When you use a MCS of 144 to encode the data it means you are only using 20mhz data bands.

This generally means you are running on 2.4g radio on your router. Many routers will drop to 20mhz if they detect another persons router also using 2.4g. There is only 60mhz total and 2 40mhz radio bands will not fit. Some routers are too smart for their own good.

The only way you get 400mbps is you have a wifi card that can run 802.11ac on the 5g radio using 3x3 or higher with 80mhz data bands. This has a mcs value of 1300 and getting about 1/3 of that is about all you can expect.

You have to find a way to get your connection to run at 40mhz radio bands. Most times it is only a setting on the router most end devices do not have any settings.

 

[jakehardware]

I am somewhat surprised you get 400mbps on wifi most people get much less.

Those numbers are not actually speeds they represent the way the data is encoded not actual real world data transfer rates. The ignore important real world facts like wifi is half duplex and there is a lot of overhead in the encoding. You will be very lucky to get even 1/2 the connection rate.

Now 802.11n can get a MCS value of 300 but partially what that means is you are running 2x2 mimo and you are running 40mhz data bands. When you use a MCS of 144 to encode the data it means you are only using 20mhz data bands.

This generally means you are running on 2.4g radio on your router. Many routers will drop to 20mhz if they detect another persons router also using 2.4g. There is only 60mhz total and 2 40mhz radio bands will not fit. Some routers are too smart for their own good.

The only way you get 400mbps is you have a wifi card that can run 802.11ac on the 5g radio using 3x3 or higher with 80mhz data bands. This has a mcs value of 1300 and getting about 1/3 of that is about all you can expect.

You have to find a way to get your connection to run at 40mhz radio bands. Most times it is only a setting on the router most end devices do not have any settings.

Thanks for the explanation, the network card I have is older, I will look at buying a newer one that supports 802.11ac 5g.
Cheers