FTTP Speeds

[Avocheeseado]

Hi there! I recently had FTTP installed at my house and opted for the 200mbps package for both upload and download speeds. When I'm standing next to the provided router, I get that target speed exactly. However, when I connect to our BT Whole Home Wifi mesh network, even though it's connected to the router via Cat 5e ethernet, I'm only getting around 90mbps. Not sure what is going on because this mesh system is supposed to handle speeds well above 200 mbps.

We also have a lot of devices connected using powerline, and they're also only getting around 90 mbps. Any ideas on what might be causing these slower speeds? Is it just the limits of powerline or the BT mesh system? 

Thanks 

[Lurick]

The powerline is DEFINITELY a problem, I would bet money that you have something that advertised something like 500 to 600Mbps but they only put 10/100Mbps ports on those so you'll never get more than that.

[Falcon1986]

17 hours ago, Avocheeseado said:

Any ideas on what might be causing these slower speeds? Is it just the limits of powerline or the BT mesh system? 

What would be very helpful is a network diagram with make/model labels for all relevant hardware and how they're interconnected.

 

PL can be blamed for a lot of speed and latency issues. It's one piece of network technology that is plagued with problems. If you're using them, I assume you would have accepted these limitations.

 

17 hours ago, Avocheeseado said:

However, when I connect to our BT Whole Home Wifi mesh network, even though it's connected to the router via Cat 5e ethernet, I'm only getting around 90mbps.

So you have 2 routers connected to each other? This is the setup that your ISP put in your home?

 

Are these speed tests performed while connecting over WiFi? How far are you from the mesh node? My memory of house construction in the UK is that even internal walls are made of thick, solid brick. If the WiFi going through walls/floors when you're doing these speed tests?

[Alex Atkin UK]

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

What would be very helpful is a network diagram with make/model labels for all relevant hardware and how they're interconnected.

 

PL can be blamed for a lot of speed and latency issues. It's one piece of network technology that is plagued with problems. If you're using them, I assume you would have accepted these limitations.

 

So you have 2 routers connected to each other? This is the setup that your ISP put in your home?

 

Are these speed tests performed while connecting over WiFi? How far are you from the mesh node? My memory of house construction in the UK is that even internal walls are made of thick, solid brick. If the WiFi going through walls/floors when you're doing these speed tests?

The Whole Home WiFi does not appear to act as a router, it appears to be a WiFi mesh completely independent of your router.

 

Its a bit strange the setup doesn't say to disable WiFi in the router, given this leaves you with one Access Point not part of the mesh (the router) which makes the mesh network less effective.

 

If possible I'd try plugging a wired device that has a Gigabit port into the cable the disc is plugged into, just to confirm the cable is working okay.  Being limited to just under 100Mbit is usually a cable/port issue causing a 100Mbit link instead of Gigabit.

[Avocheeseado]

19 hours ago, Lurick said:

The powerline is DEFINITELY a problem, I would bet money that you have something that advertised something like 500 to 600Mbps but they only put 10/100Mbps ports on those so you'll never get more than that.

Yes, after doing some more research it looks like the ethernet port on the powerline adapters we have are 10/100mbps. These powerline adapters appear to have a gigabit port so might solve the problem? Although, yes I am aware of all the issues with powerline - I've heard MoCA is much better but also quite expensive.

[Avocheeseado]

3 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

What would be very helpful is a network diagram with make/model labels for all relevant hardware and how they're interconnected.

 

PL can be blamed for a lot of speed and latency issues. It's one piece of network technology that is plagued with problems. If you're using them, I assume you would have accepted these limitations.

 

So you have 2 routers connected to each other? This is the setup that your ISP put in your home?

 

Are these speed tests performed while connecting over WiFi? How far are you from the mesh node? My memory of house construction in the UK is that even internal walls are made of thick, solid brick. If the WiFi going through walls/floors when you're doing these speed tests?

Not sure I have the skills to make a diagram but I'll try and explain it a bit better..

Our ISP provided a Linksys SPNMX55 Router. I have connected to this the main node of the BT Whole Home Wifi AC2600 mesh system - there are two other nodes around the house. So yes, essentially two routers connected to each other - the one provided by the ISP is only acting as a switch really, while the BT mesh system has been the wireless network we connect to.

This system with out previous ISP along with the powerline has worked perfectly fine, although this was not FTTP and we were only paying for 70mbps.

 

I have done these speed tests right next to both routers so not going through any walls.

 

 

[Falcon1986]

@Avocheeseado

 

So is this layout correct?

 

SPNMX55 -> PowerLine -> BT Mesh node

[Avocheeseado]

36 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

@Avocheeseado

 

So is this layout correct?

 

SPNMX55 -> PowerLine -> BT Mesh node

Yes this is correct, the Powerline and BT mesh node are connected to the ethernet ports of the SPNMX55

[Avocheeseado]

2 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

If possible I'd try plugging a wired device that has a Gigabit port into the cable the disc is plugged into, just to confirm the cable is working okay.  Being limited to just under 100Mbit is usually a cable/port issue causing a 100Mbit link instead of Gigabit.

Just tried this and got the same 90 ish speeds connected directly to the ISPs router. All our cables are cat 5e so I have just tried using a Cat 8 we have lying around and I'm now getting 200! Looks like the cables were the issue and the BT whole home mesh is running at 200mbps now. I will have to order some new ethernet cables to replace our old ones. Thanks for everyone's help

[Alex Atkin UK]

3 hours ago, Avocheeseado said:

Not sure I have the skills to make a diagram but I'll try and explain it a bit better..

Our ISP provided a Linksys SPNMX55 Router. I have connected to this the main node of the BT Whole Home Wifi AC2600 mesh system - there are two other nodes around the house. So yes, essentially two routers connected to each other - the one provided by the ISP is only acting as a switch really, while the BT mesh system has been the wireless network we connect to.

This system with out previous ISP along with the powerline has worked perfectly fine, although this was not FTTP and we were only paying for 70mbps.

 

I have done these speed tests right next to both routers so not going through any walls.

Just to point out, the ISP router is not "only acting as a switch", its very much the core router on your network.  The bit that connects to your ISP and translates traffic between your network and the Internet.

 

WiFi is effectively a virtual switch, while your router will also have a physical switch for the ethernet ports.  Router, WiFi, Ethernet Switch are all completely independent things that happen to be combined in a single unit.

 

So naturally you can add external devices that take over some of what its doing, like the WiFi, or adding extra switches.

[Avocheeseado]

17 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Just to point out, the ISP router is not "only acting as a switch", its very much the core router on your network.  The bit that connects to your ISP and translates traffic between your network and the Internet.

 

WiFi is effectively a virtual switch, while your router will also have a physical switch for the ethernet ports.  Router, WiFi, Ethernet Switch are all completely independent things that happen to be combined in a single unit.

 

 So naturally you can add external devices that take over some of what its doing, like the WiFi, or adding extra switches.

Yes thanks for the clarification, I didn't explain that very well. It's doing everything other than acting as a WAP