APs slowed to 10mbps despite a 50mbps internet plan
APs slowed to 10mbps despite a 50mbps internet plan
Hi guys, I've got a bit of a problem; been scratching my head over this one for more than a month! So I've got a setup of APs around our compound for internet coverage, and I have been continuously been puzzled by the fact that 4/5 of my APs are bottlenecked at 10 mbps (up and down). Our internet plan is at 50 mbps. You may see the attached image for how the network is currently wired together. This applies for both Wi-Fi AND wired connections to the affected routers. It's interesting to note that the bottlenecking only occurs with the APs proceeding the D-Link AP Router; the D-link's mbps is at the expected 50 mbps. I have managed to eliminate these as potential causes: 1) Bad cabling; when connecting my laptop directly to the D-Link AP Router via he same cable that connects the TP-Link APs, I am seeing the full 50 mbps connection. 2) Bandwidth control; none has been set up on the D-Link AP Router; in fact, there isn't any in the entire network. Additionally, with the existing set-up, there are some weird hiccups that have sprung up; such as the TP Link AP Router (TL-WR940N) telling devices that their stored password is incorrect (even though I made no changes to the SSID password). And then when the user of the device tries connecting again to it with the same password, all of a sudden it works. I saw a similar post a few years back with a similar experience but there's no indication the OP actually solved the problem ( ). Any suggestions? Any settings I should tinker with?
Many routers in a row can strain my mind, so I’m hoping the rest of the network is operating in bridge mode. Questions: 1. How does Windows display the wireless connection and what speed is it using? 2. Is the connection a guaranteed 10/10 Mbps, meaning speed tests will cap at that rate?
They function using TP-links in AP mode, which effectively turns off DHCP, NAT, and bandwidth controls. The D-link remains in regular mode without DHCP enabled. On Windows, they appear as access points and behave accordingly. I realized this unusual configuration only after encountering these issues, realizing it might not be typical in networking. Behind the main router: AP mode for TP-links is active, while the D-link lacks DHCP functionality. (1) On Windows, I observed a 100 Mbps connection (maintained via a faster Ethernet adapter), (2) and it consistently caps at around 10 Mbps during speed tests. Notable findings: Restarting the TP-Link WR-841HP AP temporarily increased its speed to 50 Mbps, but it settled back at the lower limit after a few hours.
Initially, there are numerous routers that aren't APs (that is, they don’t handle AP functions). This makes things quite confusing. It’s understandable that all these devices are competing for the main DNS and gateway connection. Your models "TL-WR841HP" and "tl-wr940n" are only rated for 100mbps—not 1gbps (which is essentially 1,000mbps). It’s odd since the Ethernet ports are labeled for 100mbps, yet the manufacturer claims up to 300mbps over Wi-Fi. I’m not sure how they account for the remaining 200mbps. Verify whether all four routers (except DIR-842) have their WAN ports operating at 100mbps full-duplex. You can check for blinking indicators or a green light. Typically, green means gigabit speeds, while orange indicates 10mbps. Make sure you’re seeing green for 100mbps. If not, it suggests only 10mbps is being delivered from the wall to your router or switch. It’s possible all your routers are vying for the same role. In short, the DNS/gateway is likely the device connecting you to the internet, while other devices get assigned IP addresses. Imagine it as a traffic controller at an intersection. Since you have four routers, they’re all competing for the same task. Even though you’ve disabled DHCP on other devices, try a different approach. Have you tested your AP itself to confirm it can deliver the full 100mbps? Unplug everything, connect your AP to your ISP router or modem, and note any settings. Reset the AP as usual. If you have two laptops or computers, see if transferring a 1GB file between them works. Doing this will show how much bandwidth you actually get—usually around 80mbps if placed close. This test will reveal whether you’re truly getting the full bandwidth. (You won’t achieve 100mbps on Wi-Fi.) You might need to configure the AP with its own IP, subnet mask, gateway, DNS settings, and assign it a unique address. Honestly, using a dedicated access point could have been simpler than managing multiple routers.