high speed internet techs around?

[cookiedough]

took off work today to have FINALLY installed at home 300 megs high speed interent that came to this one horse town after 25 years of misery 10 megs tops but was for decades 1-2 meg speed is all.

TDS installer tech did install but said leaving their modem/router in basement like past 25+ years  in middle of small 48 feet long ranch house will be fine but in the basement high up on a shelf.    WELL, after he did a HARDWIRE test showing 330 megs he left.   AFTER tech left I did a speedtest.net using wireless wi-fi and all 3 laptops,etc. was 50 megs TOPS is all nowhere close to 300 megs. 

So,  I called up the internet company and asked why so low at 50 megs wireless vs. 300 megs with cable directly plugged into modem/router?   She said and was also told by TDS tech in the area installing another house nearby that the setting of 2.4ghz on the modem now and all devices only able to do 2.4ghz vs. 5.0 ghz will be limited to ONLY 50 megs fiber optic speed.  If I would have known that,  I would have had the tech install more fiber optics since free install to move the modem/router upstairs in living room vs. on a shelf in the basement since all agree 5.0 ghz speed limits the length of wi-fi connectivity vs. me going outside with my wi-fi laptop and signal was fine at 2.4ghz now down around the corner of my street longer connectivity.

So,  going to try to switch my modem/router to 5.0ghz to see the now 50 meg speed wi-fi goes to say 100 meg speed  and if I loose any connectivity at the greater 5.0ghz speed.  The TDS lady I called said if drops at 5.0 ghz in the house since paying for 300 meg service not only just 50 megs at 2.4 ghz they will gladly come back and run more lines inside my house if the megs go up and from 2.4 to 5.0 ghz to put modem/router in my living room upstairs vs. basement.

I guess the install tech does the quickest way possible drilling hole thru wall where the old modem/router was in basement?  50 megs speed wi-fi wireless should be enough though at 2.4ghz setting for our needs now that both kids are gone and netflix not used as much and no XBOX either.    At least hardwired in living room can run 6 foot cable to my laptop if wi-fi wireless goes out and still have internet at 300 megs hardwired upstairs vs. in my basement no one but bugs and junk/stuff goes. 

[Serk]

For what it's worth I have 80 Mbps, but I've also run CAT6 all over the house so the important stuff is hard wired.

But as far as total bandwidth usage right now with 4 kids actively in Google Classrooms utilizing two way video conferencing, the spousal unit working from home utilizing online meetings with two way audio, me doing work stuff, and maybe playing a little World of Warcraft as well as streaming Youtube and watching a live Internet based video feed of 3 web cams with audio that I use to keep an eye on the "classroom" downstairs, hosting my e-mail server, web servers, DNS servers etc my actual utilization is staying under 2 Mbps.....

[scooperhsd]

Cookiedough - you're doing good to get the 2.4 GHz speed you are, if you really want speed - you need 5 GHz WiFi or good old hardwired UTP Cat 5e / Cat6 to the devices you need the speed at.  My general principle is to hardwire devices that don't move (desktop PC's, streaming devices, printers) and use WiFi on mobile type devices. Also, if you have a router after the cable modem, it might be also acting as a chokepoint if it is not very new. I have this on my Google Fiber 500 Mbps service - my router seems to top off at 250 Mbps.

If running UTP will be too difficult, the newest Ethernet over Powerline devices can easily handle  your 330  Mbps cable service.

Don't even think about trying to run UTP without a cable tester. You can get a functional one at Lowes Depot for about $40 (maybe less). Look in the electrical tools section.

If the slow devices are PC's with a USB port available, you can get 5 GHz WiFi adapters



https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-600Mbps-USBNOVEL-Wireless-10-4-10-12-2/dp/B06XRG9QDV/ref=sr_1_4?crid=26FA9JF9LSXNC&dchild=1&keywords=5+ghz+wifi+adapter&qid=1585087266&sprefix=5+GH%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-4

Key for these is at least USB2 speed, USB3 would be better if your laptop has it.

or PCIExpress port for Desktops

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Archer-T6E-Wireless-Technology/dp/B016K0896K/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_pm?ac_md=3-2-QWJvdmUgJDI1-ac_d_pm&crid=26FA9JF9LSXNC&cv_ct_cx=5+ghz+wifi+adapter&dchild=1&keywords=5+ghz+wifi+adapter&pd_rd_i=B016K0896K&pd_rd_r=fc63c41a-6e94-4635-b016-cc71c57a6d3f&pd_rd_w=robnT&pd_rd_wg=bbmZ6&pf_rd_p=0e223c60-bcf8-4663-98f3-da892fbd4372&pf_rd_r=0BYKQ0WVR30E20X2S2MG&psc=1&qid=1585087366&sprefix=5+GH%2Caps%2C210&sr=1-3-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0
If you have an Office supply store or maybe BestBuy close, they may even have something in stock. Usually, you install the drivers before you install the devices in your computer, then see about updating the drivers.

And yes - I've done ALOT of desktop support / network support type work...

[cookiedough]

thanks scoop some of that was above my head.

I think this helps just a smidge went into my new HP laptop and changed my device mgr. the  realtree pci ac adapter properties to search for 5g first and went from 50 to 80 megs so that helps, but talked to my ex neighbor who is in IT dept living in big city Madison WI 35 miles has same 300 meg TDS internet service provider and he checked his speedtest.net for same exact 300 meg service same provider and he is getting 230 megs out of 300 megs for wi fi wireless speed.  One would think unless is his fancier computer/laptop having faster ac adapter inside that my same TDS internet 300 meg service would be similar mine 50-80 tops vs. his over 200 megs wi fi wireless?

He also has their same modem/router combo actiontec gateway T3200m modem/router combo the only one TDS uses, or so they say?   

Unless is my new laptop (middle of the road not 299 but 500 laptop) not able to support faster one would think same modem/router and same TDS 300 meg service would be very similar wi fi wireless speed?     My wife checked her company laptop doing work from home same 50 megs but her new samsung galaxy tablet speedtest was only 20 megs so that was pretty darn slow.

gotta love how TDS promotes their now slowest 300 meg fiber optic speed but at least for me,  is ONLY 50 megs or so wireless vs. 300 megs ONLY hardwired.

Like Serk said,  more people/stuff on it, it drops a lot in meg speed.  I tried 3 laptops running at once one watching youtube videos on internet,  TV running netflix, and wife on dish app watching TV thru internet live  and speedtest dropped from 50 megs to ONLY 38 megs speed.   I guess good enough but still puzzles me why ex neighbor same company internet provider with their same 300 meg service would vary mine 50 vs. his over 200 megs wi fi wireless.  To me, that makes no sense apples to apples comparison.   I guess he needs to come to my house with his newer laptop or me to his house with my new laptop to compare speeds once this virus crap gets over with.

[scooperhsd]

Way back when they were first talking about people needing to stay home / work from home - I announced this was going to be an "INTERNET STRESS TEST" for all the people, working and getting education over the Internet. Way before you were seeing anything on Mainstream media about this. I have "some experiance" at doing the Work at home over the internet.

Heck I have like 20 some devices behind the Google Fiber router, and 16 or so of them behind my router.

If you really want to get a handle on your true speed - you will need to be using 1 PC on ethernet right at the router. If you get it there, and it drops when you add the other devices - this is to be expected.

Besides download, what kind of upload speed are you supposed to be getting ? There is a minimum that the ISP should be following - it's because every so often your client needs to send an acknowledgement packet back.

[Robert]

My speed is around 980megs at the connection, hardwired,  my 2.4 averages about 360 megs, 5GHZ about 450 megs sometimes as high as 560 megs. Same as most as for number of consumers. Even when 350 megs at the hardwired point still was able to pull the max of 330 at any spot in the house on 2.4 or 5 or outdoors to a limited range. This is about the real limits of Wi Fi.

The incoming cable speed should be able to be reached on wi fi until you reach wi fi speed limits. Unless you have all hardwired pulling at the same time which is highly unlikely from a wired point. Or it depends on your equipment because of the type of wi fi being used and the speed of the modems in the equipment.

Example is many older phones use only 2.4 not 5 GHZ so speed is limited.

Legacy Wi Fi wireless devices use Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) technology. They can only send or receive one spatial stream at a time. Because of this Equipment is sometimes the biggest limiting factor in the effort to boost speed, distance from wi fi origination makes a big difference also. Since Signal strength drops at a distance and limits Wi Fi speeds and your phone is the the easiest way to determine this.

Modern routers have multiple 5G antennas and can send data to multiple devices at once (to devices A, B, and C all at once... rather than A, then B, then C like older routers). They also have multiple channels on a wired connection sometimes as high as 35 or 50 channels.

I have Orbi wi fi routers and they have a solid connection from my property on all sides.

https://www.networkworld.com/article/3256905/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-mu-mimo-wi-fi.html

Make sure your equipment is up to date and configured properly and you should be able to achieve much higher speeds.

[DGS65]

There are several good wireless router on the market that would improve your signal,  eero, orbi and google just to name a few.  I sell and install eero I have had very good luck with these units the cost $199 per unit one may do your entire house two at the most.

[cookiedough]

my ISP provider came with what they use for all customers an actiontec gateway T3200 modem/router combo which is exact same eqmt. a guy I know in nearby town having as well same ISP provider, same eqmt, same 300 meg service he gets 230 megs wireless I get 50 tops.

download and upload both is around 50 meg mark for me his is over 200 megs on both.

very odd.  same fiber optics 300 meg service, same ISP provider, same exact eqmt.

[scooperhsd]

The difference is probably as Robert said - what other devices using the same spectrum, what generation WiFI you're using etc. Router in the basement with clients upstairs is not ideal, but that usually has more impact on range. If you're going to buy new equipment, do some research first to get the latest and greatest for maximum performance.

[Robert]

I know this may sound stupid but did you reboot the router and any thing using wi fi. Sometimes the internet companies are right, reboot so the systems and norms can be reset.

Also if I understand you and not the installer, did a speed test at a wired point and came out with 300 mbs, is that correct?

What is your signal strength to the equipment using wi fi at the point of use?
 Use your phones signal strength meter to dertermine this. If the signal strength is not all the way up you will loose speed. Try going next to the router and doing a wi fi speed test if its good then you have signal issues, if its not then its equipment.

This is an pic of my buisness speed test on my phone. In the upper right is the wifi signal strength and you can see its all the way up. If yours is any less you will not have all the speed. This is the full speed of my buisness internet either through a wired or wireless it does not matter because its below the speed limit of the wifi on my phone or devices.

[Serk]

(While maintaining social distancing protocol and hand washing) invite your neighbor to bring his laptop over to your house, connect him to your WiFi AP and run the test from HIS laptop over YOUR setup to isolate if the issue is on your computer or your infrastructure.

Be sure to do so near the router, away from it, etc.

(And make sure to have him "Forget" your WiFi AP before he leaves)

[Robert]

(And make sure to have him "Forget" your WiFi AP before he leaves)

Or block his mac address or change your password  

You know maybe if cookiedough changed his password on everything it would cause the devices to link up at the new speed   Getting rid of the ARP cache and all learned values. It would definitly get rid of any leeches on the system so he would be starting fresh. 

One other thing cookiedough if you have to log in with your provider or they give a portal to hook to or even a sign in page make sure you do this. If you can check your account on line if you have a sign in page go to it and make sure it has your current setup name and address also.

[scooperhsd]

All good things to do ...