500Mbs, Eth 500/500, but wifi - upload 500Mbs, but download dropped from initial 500 to 250Mbs

[Snmccorrie]

Hi, new to the forum. I've recently bought into the Vodaphone 500Mbs service, using the THG3000 router.

At the instal I was left with 500/500 Mbs wifi, using my iphone 13 pro upto 10 ft away, and was pleased. Within 2 days, the download dropped to around 250Mbs, with my phone being just a few cm from it, whilst the upload is still 500Mbs. The Eth is still at 500/500 Mbs. I'm not over happy with this, given the range in the house is also quite poor.

As the location and surrounding objects have not changed, no metal within a reasonable distance,

The s/w build is 19.4.0551-3261103, there are no channel conflicts.

Sorry if this is an ongoing repeated issue, but are there any suggestions for improvement, or ideas for what the problem might be. I can't help feeling there's a problem with the router, which might be due to it's config, which I've not changed, but as long as I have the 500/500 Mbs on the Eth, Vodafone didn't want to know when I rang in.

[Jayach]

As you have found from reporting the problem to Vodafone, Wi-Fi speed aren't covered by the speed guarantee.

Is the iPhone the only wi-fi device in use? If not, what do you get from other devices?

[Cynric]

@Snmccorrie  A few cms from the router is too close, by about 195 cm. That close you can easily swamp the WiFi circuits of the mobile device. Is the speed also poor more than 2 m away from the router? Do you have a wired ethernet device (e.g. PC) that you can do a speed test with please? 

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/broadband/speed-test

[Snmccorrie]

Hi, thanks for your replies.

I get very similar Wifi speeds  from my imac (m1) and ipad (latest 6in), as my iphone 13 prol. i.e. 245/250 download, and 420/450 upload, from 3 or 4 ft away from the router.

Sorry thought I said the Ethernet bandwidth is fine, 500/520 download and 500/520 upload.

The currnet problem is that the router doesn't seem to be able to provide a similar Wifi download bandwidth to the Ethernet bandwidth, which is either down to configuration, or design, to my way of thinking.

I regret not checking on initial installation what the Ethernet bandwidths was, when the Wifi was what I was expecting, i.e. 500/510 download and 500/510 upload for the first day or so. It would have confirmed whether the subsequent reduced download speed was as a result of a configuration change or s/w update/change, but I've not had a router before with such a speed diference between the Ethernet and Wifi, so I didn't think to check it.. 

Rgds

[Cynric]

@Snmccorrie  There have been some other threads with iOS giving squiffy WiFi results. I'm not a Mac bod, but some of the other regulars are.

Three or four feet is still a bit closer than I feel is ok. WiFi speed tests are also not regarded as reliable when investigating line speed. Having said that your results are disappointing.

[Snmccorrie]

Thanks for your reply, but I dont beleive it has anything to do with distance from the router, I've tried various distances both when the router provided 500 Mbs and later 250Mbs, and it didn't change within 10 foot.

iOS is not a problem here either, as I've since tested it with a windows laptop. It also worked fine on at least two of my apple products before the download speed dropped. 

It's either a Router issue, h/w fault (unlikey), a faulty confiuration/software issue, Network Edge switch/router channel configuration/filter issue, or server restriction, wittingly or unwittingly by Vodafone. Having been responsible for the design of most of these things in the past I understand what configuration options are likely to be available to vodafone.

I wondered however if anyone had heard of my scenario and what they did or how it was cured ?

Rgds

[Cynric]

@Snmccorrie  Is your WiFi connection on channel 36, if so try something higher as just about every router around defaults to 36.

Tried resetting the router?

By any chance are the Apple devices complaining about the encryption protocol?