High volume of connection requests hits my modem, causing delays in the expected online performance.
High volume of connection requests hits my modem, causing delays in the expected online performance.
You're facing a speed test discrepancy between your desktop and old laptop, plus unpredictable ping spikes during games. It seems the connection quality varies depending on device and network path. The setup looks complex but could be affected by cable integrity, router configuration, or ISP routing issues. Checking for firmware updates, testing with different cables, and reviewing your router's settings might help clarify what's happening.
You place a router inside another router for added security or redundancy—typically using models like the TP-Link TL-WN6000 or Netgear Nighthawk R7000. The Ethernet cables are several feet long, but inspect them closely for fraying, exposed wires, or kinks at connection points. Look for sharp bends or damaged insulation, especially near the termination jacks. A network diagram would clarify how devices connect and where signals travel. Your UniFi Controller is likely positioned in a central hub, possibly near the main switch or switch rack, depending on your layout. For troubleshooting slowdowns, test speeds at each segment of the cable path, starting from the modem and moving outward. To set up USG, configure QoS rules or enable hardware acceleration if available. Check if packet inspection or filtering is enabled on any switches or routers.
They informed me that without connecting their router to the chain, I wouldn't have internet access. I disabled the Wi-Fi channels on the Verizon router to avoid interference with my APs. Probably one of the connections works well—about 30 feet. It was installed and used through walls about eight years ago, so I don’t recall it clearly. They shouldn’t have any problems with them. I plan to draw a diagram and run tests at each node. When I tested on a laptop in the same room with the exact cable setup, the results were much better. This suggests the issue might be on my end. Testing network speed is more challenging, but I’m not very familiar with Unifi configurations since I learned it gradually.
The setup involves multiple NAT layers, affecting performance. Check the configuration since certain adjustments may block gigabit speeds. Some options are enabled by default. The USG lacks a direct management interface at its LAN IP; use the UniFi controller for settings similar to APs. The phone app should function without a local installation if needed.
I verified the setup and the Verizon router is indeed in Bridge mode. Sorry, I’m not sure why I mentioned the term score. I have applications like Steam and Chrome open (not actively downloading) during speed tests, yet I still experience slower-than-expected performance even after a fresh restart. I checked and Smart Queues is turned off because it’s not suitable for connections over 300Mbps. There’s no indication of QoS or hardware offloading in the settings when I searched them. For filtering and packet inspection, nothing appears unless it’s related to a specific tool or program—otherwise I’m not using those. I noticed Traffic Identification is enabled in the Unifi settings, so I’ll disable it to test if it affects ping spikes. One thing that might be contributing is recent lightning strikes near the house that damaged the PoE ports on the central switch. This happened a few years ago and again 5–6 months ago—possibly around when my issues began? Could this be part of the problem? If so, how would you go about diagnosing it? Also, here’s a diagram of my network layout from my computer. Thanks for your support so far!
Perhaps. If you plug into the ports directly with your PC, do they function normally and maintain expected speeds? As in the GS108PE? And the lightning didn’t affect any other piece of network equipment directly connected to the switch? Don’t use the UniFi app. Either use the UniFi cloud or local access (via the controller) to see more options. Hardware offloading can be found under Settings > Services for the USG under UniFi devices in the controller interface. BTW, Smart Queues is an implementation of QoS. Good that you have it turned off since turning it on disables hardware offloading. So here is where I think your major problem is and your diagram has made it more apparent. The secondary ethernet port on the UAP-AC-Pro cannot pass traffic at 1Gbps, even if the client device directly connected to this port negotiates at gigabit speeds. This is a known limitation of the UAP-AC-Pro’s CPU which also has to manage the AP side of the unit. I have personally had experience with the UAP-AC-Pro in this configuration not being able to achieve WAN speeds on the secondary port, especially when there was heavy AP/WLAN activity. The difference in speeds that you’re experiencing with 2 different PCs might simply be due to how busy the AP was doing other things when the speed tests were being conducted. I’d be interested in seeing the speeds if you bypassed the UAP-AC-Pro altogether (i.e. ethernet from switch to switch to PC). If it turns out that the UAP-AP-Pro is the limiting device in this situation, the best solution would be to have separate ethernet runs to the UAP-AC-Pro and the GS105E. You might even get slightly better speeds on the AP since it no longer has to allocate resources to the secondary ethernet port.