Bufferbloat issues on GE550
Hello everyone,
I recently replaced my old ASUS RT-AC86U with a TP-Link Archer GE550, expecting a noticeable improvement in performance and stability under heavy traffic. My main reason for upgrading was recurring bufferbloat issues on the ASUS, especially when running Stremio on a TV while gaming, which caused latency spikes during gameplay.
After installing the GE550 and placing my ISP modem in bridge mode (no double NAT), I started testing the connection using the Waveform bufferbloat test. To my surprise, with QoS enabled, the GE550 consistently scores a bufferbloat grade F, caused almost entirely by extreme latency increases during upload (hundreds of milliseconds).
I have already tried the following troubleshooting steps:
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Enabling bandwidth-based QoS
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Manually limiting upload and download bandwidth well below my actual line speed
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Prioritizing my gaming PC using Game Accelerator
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Disabling traffic analysis and monitoring features
Despite these adjustments, the issue persists whenever QoS is enabled. Upload saturation causes massive latency spikes, making gaming and other real-time applications unusable under load.
However, when I disable QoS completely, the behavior changes drastically:
the bufferbloat disappears, latency remains stable, and I consistently achieve an A+ rating on the Waveform test.
This suggests that the problem is not related to my ISP, modem, or double NAT, but rather to how QoS / queue management is implemented in the GE550 firmware. This is disappointing, as the GE550 is expected to be significantly more powerful and modern than the RT-AC86U, yet in my environment it only performs well with QoS turned off.
At this point, if this behavior cannot be improved via configuration or firmware updates, I am seriously considering returning the GE550 and reverting to my ASUS, or moving to a different solution altogether.
My questions are:
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Have other users experienced similar upload bufferbloat issues with QoS enabled on the GE550?
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Is there any plan to improve queue management or implement proper SQM (fq_codel, CAKE, or similar) in future firmware updates?
Any feedback from TP-Link staff or other users would be greatly appreciated.
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Hello @NandoAoT ,
As I previously replied to Farukba , it's normal that you can't 'downgrade' to that version because 1.3.0 beta belongs to version 1.3.x and 1.1.3 pre-release belongs to version 1.1.x.
Similarly, we have reported your situation to the relevant department and are awaiting further guidance.
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@Joseph-TP Hello. How can I revert the 1.3.0(GE550) to the previous stable one ? Thank you.
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@Joseph-TP
I am also have DHCP dropout issues and im not sure whats causing this?
Maybe Double NAT potentially?
Thanks.
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Hi @JPromano , please see this reply:
As I previously replied to Farukba , it's normal that you can't 'downgrade' to that version because 1.3.0 beta belongs to version 1.3.x and 1.1.3 pre-release belongs to version 1.1.x.
Similarly, we have reported your situation to the relevant department and are awaiting further guidance.
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@Joseph-TP thx !
Joseph-TP wrote
Hi @JPromano , please see this reply:
As I previously replied to Farukba , it's normal that you can't 'downgrade' to that version because 1.3.0 beta belongs to version 1.3.x and 1.1.3 pre-release belongs to version 1.1.x.
Similarly, we have reported your situation to the relevant department and are awaiting further guidance.
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Since you have previously updated to version 1.3.0 Beta Firmware, you can retain the firmware, as the new features and optimizations have already been incorporated.
Joseph-TP wrote
Hello @NandoAoT ,
As I previously replied to Farukba , it's normal that you can't 'downgrade' to that version because 1.3.0 beta belongs to version 1.3.x and 1.1.3 pre-release belongs to version 1.1.x.
Similarly, we have reported your situation to the relevant department and are awaiting further guidance.
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@NandoAoT I’m experiencing the same issue on my GE550. With QoS enabled, upload latency spikes badly and bufferbloat scores drop significantly, but with QoS disabled everything stays smooth and responsive. It would be great if TP-Link could look into this behavior and consider improving queue management in future firmware updates. 663Bet seems to be mentioned quite a bit in networking discussions lately as well.
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What are the firmware and hardware versions of your router? If you are not sure, please refer to How to find the hardware and firmware version of my TP-Link device
Joseph-TP wrote
Yes, we recently released a firmware. Please install it: Archer GE550_V1_1.3.0 Build 20260328(Beta Firmware)
For more details, please refer to What Can I Do If QoS Enabled Causes BufferBloat and High Latency on My Router After Firmware Update?
Let us know if it can help~
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