Weird Issues With File Transfer Speed?

ComputerEnjoyer762 · March 30, 2019

So I decided to finally connect my "file server" (basically just my main computer with shared network folder in a big HDD), wired to my router. I noticed that Xbox One streaming improved quite a lot, even just having one of the devices wired. Sure, occasional artifacting and a spike of lag now and then, but latency is WAAY down.

But something strange I noticed... I tried transfering files from my laptop to the shared HDD folder. Weirdly enough, transfers using 2.4Ghz are WAY faster than 5ghz. Like 2-3x, or sometimes more. For example, I did a mixed transfer of large video files and a bunch of smaller images. About 6GB total. 2.4Ghz took about 10 mins. 5Ghz took over 20 mins!

I then tried just some of the large video files. 2.4ghz, only about 20 seconds, my transfer rate was about 10-20MB/s. But 5ghz took about 2 mins, so 6x as long!

Doesn't this seem strange? It's almost like the 5ghz network is behaving in the way I'd expect the 2.4 to, and vice-versa. I saw the 5ghz transfer just completely drop at times (0 KB/s transfer). I then tried streaming Xbox One S on 5ghz while transfering the files to really stress the network. Everything pretty much came to a halt, which I basically expected. But still, I figured I'd just see more artifacting, latency and so on, but not for both transfers to fail completely.

Any idea why this is happening? All of these devices are relatively close, so I know it's not a huge interference issue. But it's almost like everything is trying to maybe transfer on the same channel..? I just wouldn't know. Thanks so much for your help!

kirashi · March 30, 2019

39 minutes ago, bmichaels556 said:

So I decided to finally connect my "file server" (basically just my main computer with shared network folder in a big HDD), wired to my router. I noticed that Xbox One streaming improved quite a lot, even just having one of the devices wired. Sure, occasional artifacting and a spike of lag now and then, but latency is WAAY down.

But something strange I noticed... I tried transfering files from my laptop to the shared HDD folder. Weirdly enough, transfers using 2.4Ghz are WAY faster than 5ghz. Like 2-3x, or sometimes more. For example, I did a mixed transfer of large video files and a bunch of smaller images. About 6GB total. 2.4Ghz took about 10 mins. 5Ghz took over 20 mins!

I then tried just some of the large video files. 2.4ghz, only about 20 seconds, my transfer rate was about 10-20MB/s. But 5ghz took about 2 mins, so 6x as long!

Doesn't this seem strange? It's almost like the 5ghz network is behaving in the way I'd expect the 2.4 to, and vice-versa. I saw the 5ghz transfer just completely drop at times (0 KB/s transfer). I then tried streaming Xbox One S on 5ghz while transfering the files to really stress the network. Everything pretty much came to a halt, which I basically expected. But still, I figured I'd just see more artifacting, latency and so on, but not for both transfers to fail completely.

Any idea why this is happening? All of these devices are relatively close, so I know it's not a huge interference issue. But it's almost like everything is trying to maybe transfer on the same channel..? I just wouldn't know. Thanks so much for your help!

How far away are you from the WiFi AP? 2.4GHz may be performing better because 5GHz degrades very fast without direct line of sight and beyond 30 ft give or take.

ComputerEnjoyer762 · March 30, 2019

23 minutes ago, kirashi said:

How far away are you from the WiFi AP? 2.4GHz may be performing better because 5GHz degrades very fast without direct line of sight and beyond 30 ft give or take.

Thanks for your reply!

So my router is in my room, which I'm in. So like 15 feet tops, I'm looking at it basically. My main rig is wired in, and I'm just sitting in the same chair, laptop on my lap, testing this.

You know what though... I'm curious, I'm going to stand right above the router and see what happens. My bed is sorta' partially in the way. Not completely, but I wonder if that's just enough of a wall to be killing my speeds...

ComputerEnjoyer762 · March 30, 2019

31 minutes ago, kirashi said:

How far away are you from the WiFi AP? 2.4GHz may be performing better because 5GHz degrades very fast without direct line of sight and beyond 30 ft give or take.

WOW. Okay, very interesting. I moved my router up, so as to hopefully have it a bit less obstructed by my bed.

On those large video files, I'm seeing on 5Ghz about 20MB/s average, right near the router. I'll see it spike as high as 30, but mostly, it spreads between about 15-25MB/s. So 20 average. From where I was before, it's still slightly obstructed. But I'm seeing between about 10MB/s, occasionally as high as 20MB/s, so 15MB/S average. VERY interesting how that small obstruction can noticeably reduce speed. I knew 5ghz was more susceptible, but this is really educational right now...

2.4 Ghz, my spread was about 8-12MB, with some big dips as low as 5-ish, and spikes as high as 15MB/s. So we'll say 10MB/s average. And oh look. near my main rig, I'm still getting speeds VERY close to that, maybe just SLIGHTLY slower. I'd say about 8-9MB/s average.

So finally, the "real" test. In my kitchen, which is directly in line with the router, but with two walls in-between... One regular drywall, and another that's tiled, and with a huge mirror on it.

Interestingly, 2.4Ghz was now SLOWER overall. About 5-6MB/s average, with spikes as high as 12, and as low as About 4.

5Ghz saw an average of about 6-8MB/s, with similar spikes and dips.

I can't really explain that last test, to be honest... That was probably most interesting of all.