Last night I was trying to stream a video online on the third floor of my house (router in basement). I was barely able to watch the movie due to the miserable 2 Mbps download speed I was getting from my router. Today, I was determined to find out what was causing this unbearable problem.
Step 1: Determine my ISP Speed
First I wanted to see what my maximum speed on my home network would be by plugging directly into my Comcast Cable Modem. I found that I was getting 30 Mbps download speed by testing it with www.speedtest.net.
Step 2: Determine my maximum Router ethernet speed
Next, I plugged directly into my router to make sure it was functioning correctly. Luckily, I was also getting 30 Mbps download when plugged in to my router.
Step 3: Determine my maximum wireless speed
This was the real test. I turned on my WiFi and ran my speed test. I was shocked to find that I was only getting 10 Mbps when I was right next to the router! No wonder I was only getting 2 Mbps when I was three floors away.
I realized that I was using a Wireless G router with a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps. You might think that since my maximum speed is 30 Mbps, and this router can operate at up to 54 Mbps I would get the full 30 Mbps over WiFi. Wireless G routers have a maximum throughput of 54 Mbps, but will most likely run between 10 Mbps and 20 Mbps.
To fix this issue, I went to the store and picked up a new Wireless N router that has a maximum throughput of up to 300 Mbps. Once I set this router up, I was getting a full 30 Mbps next to my router and between 20-30 Mbps on the third floor. I’m now ready to stream movies anywhere in the house!
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