Networking Questions

[BikingViking11]

One of our two teenage boys is complaining about internet speeds and QoS. When I set up our home network I was on a tight budget and went with a TRENDnet 8-port Gigabit GREENnet switch. The switch is unmanaged, but since we're on direct-fiber gigabit service, hasn't given us much trouble in a couple years.

Fast forward to now and we have four computers (wired) in daily use, two wired streaming PCs (wired) in occasional use, a Ubiquiti WAP for coverage in my studio (a concrete block building 30' from the main house) and countless tablets, laptops, game consoles, phones, smartwatches etc all connecting via WiFi. We've been experiencing buffering and lag although any speed test shows we're getting full bandwidth. I can only think the issue is management and I'm ready to upgrade to a good router.

I asked this question on a Facebook computer enthusiast group and was given a dismissive link to router ratings. The top listed router, the Netgear Nighthawk X4S, touts the whiz-bang WiFi capabilities for gaming, yet hardly even mentions that it only has four ethernet ports. It also has some horror story ratings.

Even an amateur schmuck like me knows that wired is always preferred over WiFi so I've done the belly crawl under the house to pull CAT6. I even pulled cable out to the studio (gotta dig in a conduit in the Spring) to run the WAP because I couldn't get a signal through the concrete block. The real issue is...I'm far from done pulling cables and need room for future expansion as well. The studio has an apartment behind it that once remodeled will be a rental unit and needs internet, I may want a touchscreen PC in the kitchen for looking up recipes, smart TV boxes, a NAS, etc.

My preference would be to upgrade the wired router capabilities and management, then add another WAP for coverage. I am willing to learn more about networking to make it all happen, but selecting the equipment isn't my area. I was looking at a 14-port solution, but one review says it's at end-of-life for support from Cisco. Any help from you helpful souls?

 

[comagoosie]

The first step is identifying the problem. I recommend running a speed test that incorporates testing for bufferbloat like (http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest).

The speedtest will give you a grade for bufferbloat. Before I enabled router QoS, I was a solid F. My desktop would pull 300 Mbit/s but completely wreck the internet for everyone else. After enabling QoS, bandwidth dropped to 150 Mbit/s, but I receive an A for bufferbloat and everyone is happy.

If bufferbloat is the issue, I'd first recommend exploring your router's QoS. If it happens to be lacking, insufficient, or hampers speed too much, I'd look into Ubiquiti's new EdgeRouter 4 since you're already using Ubiquiti WAP and an unmanaged switch. Users have reported that the edge router 4 will maintain throughput of 400 Mbit/s with QoS enabled. Very good for not breaking the bank.

The one thing that has my head scratching is that typically residential gigabit installations won't have bufferbloat issues. If your router contains a builtin switch, it might be worth trying to connect directly to that just to eliminate the possibility that you have a bad switch.

 

[BikingViking11]

@comagoosie , my apologies for not responding sooner.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and useful response. I did use the test and it baffled me a bit. It gave me A to A+ ratings on everything, though it tested in the 5-18MB range. That could be due to traffic.

What I've decided to do is precisely nothing...for now. "The internet sucks" isn't a specific enough reason for me to invest in more gear right now, especially when there are starving children in India that would kill for our internet speeds. The gamer kid is plugged directly into the modem, everyone else is on the Gigabit switch and no complaints. I don't see how it can get any better for him. However, when I do feel the need I will look into the Edgerouter.

After a series of power outages due to Winter storms our WiFi portion of the modem is not functioning. Wired is still solid, but I'm still getting complaints that the WiFi doesn't work. My stopgap solution was to suggest they connect to the Ubiquiti WAP 35' away and behind a block wall. It still connects perfectly. I'll definitely be adding another one.