Question Will my WiFi speed change?

SerbianGuy211

Honorable
Jul 27, 2016
103
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10,685
I am paying for a 300mbps download package + cable TV. Now my agreement is out of date, and I am to choose do I want to keep the same package or change it up.

Testing my WiFi speed on my laptop with no other devices connected (only laptop) and no other tabs open on the laptop, I get 120mbps.

So I can change to 150mbps with more or less same channels for a lot smaller price, so I'm wondering if I take the lesser bandwith package will my speed still be 120mbps (since I'm paying for it) or will it be smaller in comparison to the new agreement I would sign. Thanks for advice in advance.
 

Aeacus

Titan
Ambassador
so I'm wondering if I take the lesser bandwith package will my speed still be 120mbps (since I'm paying for it)

For the most of the times, it will not be same.

The 300 Mb/s you currently have, is maximum download speed. But for average, you get 120 Mb/s (60% less than max). So, if you'd get cheaper package, with maximum of 150 Mb/s, from same ISP, you can expect the same average speed vs max speed difference as with faster package, roughly 90 Mb/s.

E.g i'm sitting on a 500 Mb/s down and 50 Mb/s up cable connection, while on average, i get 300 Mb/s down and 33 Mb/s up.

If you want the same average speed as you currently have, take the same package. Now, different ISPs may have different average speeds where max speed is same, but none offer the max speed as average.
 
You need to test on ethernet.

Wifi tends to run much slower than the connection speed you get from the ISP. If you were to test with ethernet you likely would get much closer to 300mbps you pay for.

If you drop to 150mbps plan from the ISP it should still test at 120mbps on wifi since the bottleneck is the wifi not the internet connection.

When I had 300mbps I used to get 350mbps. The current 1gbit plan gets 950mbps. Of course I am testing this on ethernet you are not likely to ever get those type of speeds on wifi.
 

SerbianGuy211

Honorable
Jul 27, 2016
103
2
10,685
Now I'm not sure, your answers are different if I got you correctly? One says my wifi will be slower by the same amount, other says it will be the same because it's wifi bottlenecking the speed?

For the most of the times, it will not be same.

The 300 Mb/s you currently have, is maximum download speed. But for average, you get 120 Mb/s (60% less than max). So, if you'd get cheaper package, with maximum of 150 Mb/s, from same ISP, you can expect the same average speed vs max speed difference as with faster package, roughly 90 Mb/s.

E.g i'm sitting on a 500 Mb/s down and 50 Mb/s up cable connection, while on average, i get 300 Mb/s down and 33 Mb/s up.

If you want the same average speed as you currently have, take the same package. Now, different ISPs may have different average speeds where max speed is same, but none offer the max speed as average.
You need to test on ethernet.

Wifi tends to run much slower than the connection speed you get from the ISP. If you were to test with ethernet you likely would get much closer to 300mbps you pay for.

If you drop to 150mbps plan from the ISP it should still test at 120mbps on wifi since the bottleneck is the wifi not the internet connection.

When I had 300mbps I used to get 350mbps. The current 1gbit plan gets 950mbps. Of course I am testing this on ethernet you are not likely to ever get those type of speeds on wifi.
 
I normally don't recommend putting much faith in the rating this site has but if you were to click on my id and then look at where I post and look at where the other guy post you will see I almost 100% post in networking and he makes very few in networking.

I have worked for more the 20yrs in networking. I can't see why wifi speed which is between the router and your pc inside your house would have anything do with the ISP package you buy. Maybe he means something else.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I am paying for a 300mbps download package + cable TV. Now my agreement is out of date, and I am to choose do I want to keep the same package or change it up.

Testing my WiFi speed on my laptop with no other devices connected (only laptop) and no other tabs open on the laptop, I get 120mbps.

So I can change to 150mbps with more or less same channels for a lot smaller price, so I'm wondering if I take the lesser bandwith package will my speed still be 120mbps (since I'm paying for it) or will it be smaller in comparison to the new agreement I would sign. Thanks for advice in advance.
The WiFi performance between your PC/laptop and the router should not change if you changed providers or internet speed.

It is not a percentage.
 

Aeacus

Titan
Ambassador
The WiFi performance between your PC/laptop and the router should not change if you changed providers or internet speed.

The bandwidth speed between PC and router remains same, yes. But any further bandwidth speed, namely router to/from internet is established by the ISP (what internet package you have).

In example;
PC <-> router - 500 Mb/s
router <-> internet - 90 Mb/s average, 120 Mb/s max

Resulting in a situation, where the actual internet connection speed is still defined by ISP and internet package. In case of my example: 90 Mb/s average, 120 Mb/s max.

I normally don't recommend putting much faith in the rating this site has but if you were to click on my id and then look at where I post and look at where the other guy post you will see I almost 100% post in networking and he makes very few in networking.

I have worked for more the 20yrs in networking. I can't see why wifi speed which is between the router and your pc inside your house would have anything do with the ISP package you buy. Maybe he means something else.

  1. Making an argument that relies arguments from authority, doesn't give you any credibility. On the contrary, resulting in Ad Hominem removes any credibility you had.
  2. I am talking about overall internet connection speed, since that is what OP is asking for.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
The bandwidth speed between PC and router remains same, yes. But any further bandwidth speed, namely router to/from internet is established by the ISP (what internet package you have).

In example;
PC <-> router - 500 Mb/s
router <-> internet - 90 Mb/s average, 120 Mb/s max

Resulting in a situation, where the actual internet connection speed is still defined by ISP and internet package. In case of my example: 90 Mb/s average, 120 Mb/s max.
Numbers from the OP:

Currently pays for 300mbps.
Gets 120mbps via WiFi.

Change ISP plan to 150mbps.
I see zero reason why it still wouldn't get 120mbps via WiFi.


Now...if the new ISP plan was below 120mbps, then yes, of course the overall connection would be less.
 
  1. Making an argument that relies arguments from authority, doesn't give you any credibility. On the contrary, resulting in Ad Hominem removes any credibility you had.
  2. I am talking about overall internet connection speed, since that is what OP is asking for.
I could just post my CCIE number and then you could bow before me :)

The invalid assumption you made is the that internet speed is being reduce as you say by 60% and therefore that implies that the new connection would also be reduced by 60% or however you came up with the 90mbps number.

The flaw is since he only tested over wifi and not ethernet you can't say that he is not getting the full bandwidth to the router. Even if the ISP does not provide the bandwidth they promise there is no way to predict it will be the same or different between packages.

It is much more likely that the ISP actually provides slightly more bandwidth than they promise. But if you look at the very first line of my post I recommend that he test on ethernet to be really sure that his issue is with the wifi.
 

Aeacus

Titan
Ambassador
I see zero reason why it still wouldn't get 120mbps via WiFi.

And i see 0 reason why there shouldn't be bandwidth speed difference, like it is in the case of more faster package. Since if 150 Mb/s package would offer 120 Mb/s over wi-fi, why on earth would ISP offer 300 Mb/s package with the same, 120 Mb/s wi-fi speeds. Due to that, i think OP will get slower speed over wi-fi with slower package.

But we can agree to disagree.

The flaw is since he only tested over wifi and not ethernet you can't say that he is not getting the full bandwidth to the router. Even if the ISP does not provide the bandwidth they promise there is no way to predict it will be the same or different between packages.

As far as OP goes, best would be taking the cheaper package, and if the wi-fi speed will drop, OP can come back here and tell all of you how it is, while looking into switching to more faster package, if OP still needs it. But if the speed doesn't drop, OP can enjoy same speed with cheaper price.

I could just post my CCIE number and then you could bow before me :)

I bow to no man. :evil:
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
And i see 0 reason why there shouldn't be bandwidth speed difference, like it is in the case of more faster package. Since if 150 Mb/s package would offer 120 Mb/s over wi-fi, why on earth would ISP offer 300 Mb/s package with the same, 120 Mb/s wi-fi speeds. Due to that, i think OP will get slower speed over wi-fi with slower package.

But we can agree to disagree.
The WiFi between the PC and the router has no connection with the speed between the router and the ISP.
Unless the ISP speed were below what the PC->router is.
In this case, it is not.

The ISP is not providing or limiting the WiFi performance, the router and house environment is.

If the user were wired directly to the router, he'd get 300 or 150mbps, whatever plan he pays the ISP for.