How to know if my clients get the normal speed?

I have a 200Mbps contract with My ISP. I have an Archer A7, I tested 3 times on my iPhone X, only 59.1mbps, 63.9mbps and 79mbps, which is not fast as supposed, I contacted TP-Link Support and finally, they figured out it is normal, because the iPhone X is connected to 2.4G, and using 802.11n.

I shared what they guided to confirm, it may help you guys understand the speeds.

1. What’s the link speed specification of TP-Link Archer A7?

The AC1750 is a combination of the link speed of both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. It means the maximum link speed of this A7 would be 450Mbps on 2.4GHz and 1300Mbps on 5GHz.

2.4G, 450Mbps=150Mbps*3(mimo)

5G, 1300Mbps=433Mbps*3(mimo)

2. What’s the link speed specification of my smartphone, iPhone X?

  It says 144Mbps on 2.4G when using 802.11n technology.

3. How to understand the link speed and how does it influence actual speed?

Just like building a road before driving, network devices also need to establish a connection before they can communicate with each other. Link speed is like the capacity of the road; it determines the maximum number of cars on the road. Affected by road conditions, traffic conditions, traffic rules, etc., the actual number of vehicles will be less than the road capacity. The actual speed is lower than the link speed.

There is nowhere to find the link speed on iPhone, so we checked on Apple’s Website and its maximum link speed is 144Mbps. The actual wireless download speed can be 40%-60% of the wireless link speed, and sometimes it may vary a bit. So, my actual 2.4GHz download speed is favorable.

 Then I tested my 5GHz download speed as well which varies from 150-180Mbps.

4. Will it improve my speed if I upgrade the router?

I asked if Archer AX6000 will improve my speed, they explained it may not help if my iPhone X keeps connecting to 2.4GHz, using 802.11n technology, the speed is limited by my iPhone X’s capacity.

So I realized the link speed is a negotiation result of my router and client. My iPhone will be the bottleneck because it doesn’t support 802.11ax, and its link speed will not exceed 144Mbps on 2.4Ghz and 866Mbps on 5Ghz.

4.2 What if I upgrade my smartphone to iPhone 12?

iPhone 12 supports 802.11AX technology, the link speed is up to 1200Mbps on 5GHz using 802.11AX, and 195Mbps on 2.4GHz. Can I get 100Mbps download on 2,4G,  and 500Mbps on 5G ?

Absolutely NO, HAHAHAHA, because my contract is 200Mbps L.

So, in short, the speed on the specification page is the maximum link speed, which is derived from the corresponding technology adopted by the product. The actual link speed would be a negotiation result of the product and clients, limited by their own specifications.  Then the actual wireless download speed will vary as a result of network conditions, client limitations, and environmental factors, etc. And never forget the contract plan! J