How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????

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How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
2022-05-01 21:49:24 - last edited 2022-05-02 04:26:20
Model: Archer A7  
Hardware Version: V5
Firmware Version: Latest

 

I am so confused as to my internet speeds. I pay for 600Mbps Cox cable and wired Ethernet i can verify that i am getting these speeds at the cable modem. My setup is pretty simple. 

 

I have an Archer A7 v5 latest firmware in the living room. About 15 feet down the hall is my office. My Windows 10 PC is using a Archer T9UH. It says i am connected at 1.3Gbps. I take the speed tests and never get more than 220Mbps ever. I just don't understand.

 

I also tested an Archer T3u adapter that connects at 800Mbps. It gets about the same 200Mbps on the speed test. Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

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Re:How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
2022-05-02 18:17:33 - last edited 2022-05-02 18:17:56

Hi @McDx,

 

I can understand your confusion when it comes to wireless speeds as there are so many factors at play. Also, thank you for providing so much detailed information.

 

The 1.3 Gbps Speed you are seeing is called your Link Speed. The Link Speed is the theroretical maximum bandiwdth for only the connection between your router and your computer. This is not indicative of the speed that you will actually see when working with files on the internet. This is only the speed that would be capable when moving data around within your own internal network.

 

The speeds that you are receiving when running a speed test, are the speeds that you are receivng into the router from the outside internet. That test is completed by sending information from your router to a server hosted somwewhere else. This is also the speed that you are paying for from Cox and will vary depending on what service you use to test, and the location that you select. Even though you are not receiving the entire 600Mbps on that screen, you may still be receivng your advertised speed from Cox Communications.

 

To get a more accurate result, I would continue tests at different periods of times and I would recommend trying a wired connection if attempting to verify your speeds from Cox. 

 

If you would like to learn more about the difference between Link Speed and Wifi Speed please check out this link: 

Why Isn't my Wi-Fi as Fast as Advertised?

 

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have! I would love to find more ways to help our customers understand our products.

 

 

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Re:How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
2022-05-03 15:34:31 - last edited 2022-05-03 15:35:27

  @Riley_S 

 

I appreciate your reply. In the first post I explained that I am receiving my advertised speeds of 600Mbps from COX cable using the wired ethernet connection. Lets ignore the link speed and look at TP-Links advertised speeds listed on the website.

 

The Archer A7 advertised speeds 1300 Mbps (802.11ac)

The Archer T9UH 11ac: Up to 1300Mbps(dynamic)

 

I assume these speeds are in an ideal situation. I feel like my home network setup is an ideal situation. The router is located 15 feet down the hall. I'm not sure how close the router was in TP-Link's laboratory tests to achieve 1300 Mbps but at this point any closer would nagate the need for WiFi and i would just use an ethernet cable instead. My computer is brand new with the Archer T9UH in a USB 3.0 port. The USB port supports up to 5Gbps.

 

So again I ask. Could you explain in what situation TPlink was able to get 1300Mbps and what are we missing here.

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Re:How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
2022-05-03 18:47:33

  @McDx 

Hey

So I think that the confusion that you are having is that the theoretical speeds of 1300 Mbps is actually the theoretical speed of the wireless standard(802.11ac), not of the TP-Link device itself. This statistic is measured by the IEEE and is used by many companies. In researching this very topic I found an article from signalboosters that stated something that honestly surprised me, that the standard actially includes no calculations for potential interference. I included an excerpt from the article to help.

 

"Maximum internet speeds are theoretical. They are based on optimal conditions - potential interference is not factored in. 802.11ac has a theoretical maximum speed of 1,300 Mbps (1.3 Gbps) - 2,300 Mbps (2.3 Gbps). It was the first WiFi standard developed that could theoretically achieve gigabit speeds opposed to megabit speeds. In contrast, 802.11n had a theoretical speed of 450 Mbps (0.45 Gbps). This meant WiFi 5 could be up to 3x faster than the previous WiFi generation under optimal conditions.

 

In the real-world, data rates are susceptible to change due to the environment. Obstacles like building material, walls, doors, floors, and furniture can interfere with the signal strength, resulting in the speed slowing down.

 

Forbes states that the fastest real-world 802.11ac speeds recorded are around 720 Mbps (0.72 Gbps). In contrast, the maximum speed recorded for 802.11n was 240 Mbps (0.24 Gbps). While it’s true that WiFi 5 is 3x faster than WiFi 4, the speeds are much lower than the theoretical ones."

 

Hope this does a good job of clearing up any confusion that you may have left.

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Re:How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
2022-05-03 23:25:54

  @Riley_S 

 

I appreciate you taking the time to clarify. I did notice some other posts with similar questions. This helps us understand better when purchasing routers and adapters. It would sure be nice if the specifications of the devices had a more realistic speed advertised. Thank you again.

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Re:How does 1.3Gbps WiFi only get 212Mbps????
2022-05-04 19:22:06

  @McDx 

No problem, my goal is to help people better understand the products that they have purchased and bring back feedback to the team of how things could be improved. I will pass the information along to the team that the store pages may not be clear enough about the theoretical vs realized speeds.

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