The Z390 board's Wi-Fi receiver limits performance.
The Z390 board's Wi-Fi receiver limits performance.
Your Linux PC displays your Wi-Fi connection as 866-300 Mbps in the settings, while speed tests report around 29 Mbps. Your phone shows a similar upload speed, and Steam downloads about 6MB/s on non-mobile networks. Despite your high-spec PC, the internal Wi-Fi adapter—an Intel chip from the motherboard—appears to be limiting performance. It seems the adapter might be hitting a speed cap. Others with the same board may experience similar issues. If this is the case, consider alternatives like a different adapter or a Wi-Fi card with better throughput. Since you can't test via the router, try connecting the phone directly to the PC using USB or Ethernet for more accurate results. The 5GHz band usage also plays a role in performance.
You're asking about what's being called a receiver. It might be the router, and it could be because you're sharing the same network channel as other devices, causing slower speeds.
@Alex Atkin UK shares his speed test findings for a mobile hotspot on 5GHz. He reports consistent download speeds around 29 Mbps both at home and on the PC. The connection info on Ubuntu shows higher numbers, but the actual PC performance matches the measured limit. He suspects the antenna or receiver on his setup might be restricting performance. A photo of the antenna is included for reference. His ping remains low at 25 ms, indicating distance isn’t the issue. If others using the same board and antenna confirm this, a better replacement could be a higher-quality antenna or a different hotspot device.
Are you certain you’re not mixing the interface link rate with your actual internet connection? Your WiFi adapter and Ethernet ports usually offer a faster connection than your internet service in most situations. Which internet package are you subscribed to from your provider? Also, Steam displays speeds in MBps, whereas speed test sites typically show them in Mbps—this difference matters.
I understand what Speedtest does, which is why I capitalized it intentionally. An Xbox One connected to a home network receives around 150MB/s, which seems unstable, so likely my PC's receiver is the issue. What would be a suitable replacement for the receiver on my computer? A speed of 6MB/s is the best estimate for Steam. @Falcon1986
Here are the details you requested:
First, the connection information.
Second, it's half of what I actually receive.
You seem unsure about the details. Could you confirm what speed package your ISP charges? Please share the maximum download and upload speeds in Mbps. Also, tell me the model of your modem, gateway, and router. Are you using a 2.4GHz or 5GHz network? If you run a speed test over Ethernet to the ISP device, what results do you see? The antenna on your motherboard is noted for its placement.
in my initial message I mentioned being unable to connect directly to the router because of the awkward setup and the desktop being a laptop. it's an AT&T router, definitely using a 5GHz band. business class. the speed shown in the picture you referenced is what my Linux Wi-Fi driver displays. as I explained, the black square represents the Wi-Fi receiver. you're repeating exactly what I said—remove the receiver on that PC without any Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. I still keep the receiver near the router. Another point: the speed shown in the quote corresponds to the 72 Mbps my hotspot achieves. Speedtest screenshots measure differently, usually around 29 on the hotspot and 866 on wifi, but seeing 72 suggests the antenna/receiver is restricting performance. This makes me think the hardware is acting as a bottleneck. @Falcon1986
The reported link speed comes from the adapter’s driver capabilities, not your actual internet connection. Please share your answers to the next questions. Also, do you mean using your phone’s data to make your computer connect to the internet as a mobile hotspot?