Performance is very poor on this device.
Performance is very poor on this device.
Based on my recent purchase of an RT-AX86U, I was expecting better performance but found the results disappointing. The modem speed is around 500mbps, yet connecting to Wi-Fi via my Wifi6 motherboard yields only about 40mbps download and 0.5mbps upload. There seems to be some interference between the router and my computer, though it shouldn’t affect speeds as much now. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Do you own a mobile device or another tool that can help check internet speed? This can assist with diagnosing issues on your computer or elsewhere.
I also upgraded the firmware to Merlin, but it didn’t improve the performance.
It’s interesting what you notice. Are there other gadgets or devices causing interference nearby (like microwaves, refrigerators, cordless phones, Bluetooth)? Are you testing WiFi speeds on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels? Use the WiFi Analyzer app (free from the MS Store) to run a wireless survey and check the channel output for each frequency band. Also, share your current wireless settings—make sure any passwords are removed for privacy.
Your 2.4GHz signal is weak and heavily used. Expect poor performance when connecting on that band. Try adjusting your settings for better results... Change the wireless channel to avoid interference from nearby networks. For the 5GHz side, why is it set to ‘AX only’? Do you have any devices supporting WiFi-5 or AC? Keep in mind, even older clients can work with newer access points. If possible, switch to AC/AX mode, set the channel width to 80MHz, and turn off DFS channels since some devices struggle to see them. Because Smart Connect is off, the router won’t aggressively force connections to the strongest available frequency. You’ll need to choose which SSID to connect to based on your location—use 5GHz when near the router and 2.4GHz farther away.