WiFi 6 performance on the Netgear WAX214 AP
WiFi 6 performance on the Netgear WAX214 AP
Hello, your setup seems to be working well overall. The router specs match your connection speeds, and the PC is correctly identifying the Wi-Fi 6 protocol on the card. The variation in download speeds you're experiencing might be due to network congestion, interference, or settings on the router or access point. You could try checking the router's settings for QoS rules or adjusting the channel on the access point. If the issue persists, consider testing with a different Wi-Fi channel or contacting Netgear support for further assistance.
The device is linked to a specific Wi-Fi network. The signal strength appears weak, possibly due to interference or distance. It doesn’t seem to maintain a fast connection.
Speed fluctuations are normal; your connection has improved from 70 Mbps to 432 Mbps. There are three out of four Wi-Fi sticks visible on the computer screen. The Wi-Fi AP is about 5 meters/16 feet away, positioned behind a wall in the room. I've included photos from both your PC and the router's admin panel. Transmission power is active, but it can't be turned off. Is this an issue? Thank you!
It seems the signal strength might be the problem. You could relocate the access point closer or adjust the antennas.
The connection speed on my Wi-Fi 6 laptop is around 1201/1201 Mbit/s near the access point. Tests from spredtest.net show download speeds between 600-650 Mbit/s. The AP doesn’t support 160 MHz, and speeds drop to 320 Mbit/s when I move to another room where my desktop is. Thank you for your help. I was expecting close to gigabit speed near the AP, but currently I’m getting 600-650 Mbit/s on the network alone. Should I return the AP or purchase a new one? Netgear offers a better model but costs about 50 euros more than this one. Would upgrading help? I’d like a Wi-Fi 6 AP, but they are limited in availability. Mikrotik has some options, though none are Wi-Fi 6.
That makes sense. With a 1200MHz device, you're looking at roughly 600-800 Mbps. It's also an entry-level model, so higher-end units usually offer faster speeds. This issue seems more related to signal strength rather than the AP itself. The 1800 frequency doesn't appear to matter much here. I think a 4x4 model would be better for improved performance, similar to the UniFi WiFi 6 LR.
Consensus was reached on using MIMO for better performance over distance. 160Mhz could assist, but it often worsens range problems instead of improving them. The main challenge remains locating a WiFi adapter that supports more than 2x2 MIMO. Have you come across any options? (to be honest, 4x4 is likely superior to 2x2 in AC mode.)
Many premium Wi-Fi adapters support directional features with multiple antennas, offering some benefit even when the client isn't very large. One example is the 4x4 Wi-Fi card from ASUS (link provided). For most situations, an Ax210 adapter is likely sufficient, and pairing with 6E provides a solid performance boost.
I can achieve 850Mbit on a good day using an AX210 and Honor Router 3 in the same room. It’s unlikely LAN to WAN will be faster; I’ve noticed WiFi often struggles to reach WAN speeds before, even when it actually performs better locally. The extra delay and network overhead to the Internet might limit performance. I also think aiming for Gigabit over WiFi is not ideal since it’s meant for broader Internet access. Right now I have 500Mbit 5G, but many sites still slow down to under 100Mbit. In practice, the real advantage of Gigabit is supporting multiple users simultaneously rather than concentrating high speeds on one device. I haven’t seen consistent 6GHz performance yet, especially in lower bands.