Considering a change in your slow Wi-Fi setup Reflecting on upgrading your router
Considering a change in your slow Wi-Fi setup Reflecting on upgrading your router
I've been experiencing issues with my internet connection recently. Initially, I had a 100Mbps plan, but after adding just three devices, my speed dropped to 20Mbps. When I upgraded to a 400Mbps modem, plugging it directly into my computer gave me 340Mbps. However, using my four-year-old Netgear R8500, I only managed around 24Mbps. Running a speed test on an iPad near the router (about six feet away) still showed 23Mbps. Would swapping out the router help achieve closer to 100Mbps over Wi-Fi? My wife is dealing with Zoom audio problems, so improving the network seems urgent. I reside in a large two-story condo of roughly 900 sq ft with around 30 other Wi-Fi signals—common in areas with many networks. When I first installed the R8500 router, it delivered full 100Mbps speeds; I’m unsure if the hardware is failing or if local interference is the issue. I’m considering a gaming router but don’t know what model to choose. Thanks and sorry for the lengthy explanation!
Is the router set to the 5GHz frequency? Using the 2.4 GHz might mean an outdated gadget such as a Nintendo 3DS that only works with 802.11g, causing your whole network to lose connectivity.
I used both networks to reset the password, testing it on my wife's computer and my own network, and everything worked consistently. A friend suggested exploring a mesh system, but I’m unsure if it would fit well in our 900-square-foot condo with a loft.
Gaming routers are often overhyped products. They mainly focus on QoS, similar to almost all routers available regardless of price. The main distinction lies in some models automatically recognizing gaming devices through their network settings and boosting their traffic, much like an Xbox or certain chipset configurations. These systems aren’t perfect at identifying every device accurately, and their prioritization might not align with your actual needs. For instance, in a workplace setting, you wouldn’t want your child’s gaming session hogging bandwidth just because it’s labeled as “gaming.” While you can tweak QoS settings, once optimized, the experience will still match what most routers offer globally.