Identifying issues with a Ubiquiti Wi-Fi setup that operates at just 29% of its capacity.
Identifying issues with a Ubiquiti Wi-Fi setup that operates at just 29% of its capacity.
Our IT group is seeking help with ongoing, stubborn slow Wi-Fi speeds on our Ubiquiti network. We have a gigabit internet connection and up-to-date hardware, but performance remains poor. Current Configuration: Internet – high-speed fiber link; Wi-Fi gear – Ubiquiti Wi-Fi 6 (bought ~2 years back); Locations – all endpoints are within four years old, most under a year; all support Wi-Fi 5 and many Wi-Fi 6; Access Points – 15 total, 14 in the main building, one at the edge of campus; connected to a switch with fiber uplink to the core network. Devices – roughly 80 staff, about 150 devices online on average; peaks near 300 devices. Performance limit – reaches 291 Mbps combined from all APs, far below what Wi-Fi 6 should deliver. Issues – speeds often drop under 4 Mbps; laptops struggle to roam between APs; users stay on distant APs even after moving through the building; remote APs lag, matching main office problems. Troubleshooting steps attempted: adjusted AP power, enabled RSSI minimum, turned off interference compensation, disabled overlapping channels and APs, set switches to Ethernet mode, replaced cables, maximized speeds, segmented BYOD on VLANs, prioritized 5/6 GHz bands, removed unused devices, cycled equipment. Despite expert advice confirming a fast network, we’re still facing unacceptable delays. What additional steps could help? Are there hidden bottlenecks or throttling points we haven’t identified? Could the Ubiquiti aggregation device be affecting performance? Upgrading is not feasible due to budget limits. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
We previously engaged two external experts to tackle this matter, but they were unable to find a solution.
Configuration details at 2.4 GHz include a channel width of 20 instead of 40 with auto transmit power set to Medium. This change lowered the power to help devices connect closer to the nearest access point. The minimum RSSI is configured at -67, and the lowest channel width is 80 rather than 160. Interference Blocker status is confirmed; earlier fixes were not applied without results. Band steering is disabled, and preference is set for 5 GHz.
He suggests restarting the parts and reapplying the settings... without adding any new equipment.