Pro 500 WiFi Upload Speed faster than Download Speed? How to Fix?

[DFM]

On the 100 Fibre (FTTP) package my Router on Ethernet and my WiFi Speed for Download and Upload were all in the about 109Mbps range

After upgrading to the Pro 500 package at the Router and on Ethernet the speed is correct at over 500 Mbps

But on WiFi the Download Speed is about 190Mbps while the Upload Speed is about 260Mbps regardless of how close the computer is to the Router. That 30% difference was never apparent on the 100 Plan

I am not able to find any reason that Download is slower than Upload and I do not know if that is common or correct. 

Any ideas on improving the balance between Upload and Download the would be appreciated

[Evie]

Hmmm, how odd @DFM - Have you reset the router? We can't guarantee the same speeds over Wi-Fi as we do over Ethernet cable. The expected speeds are calculated for via Ethernet not Wi-Fi.

Our Wi-FI Xperts on 191 or livechat will be able to also assist with this if you get in touch with them. Let me know how you get on.

[DFM]

Thank you for the reply - I have tried resetting the Router but that had no effect.

I tried an online Chat with Support but that was a waste of time and effort. Basically said not up to Vodafone to resolve WiFi problems, only up to the Router

I will have to try phoning support to see if that is more successful and helpful 

There was no 30% difference in speed between the Router and WiFi , let alone Upload and Download, when on the 100 Plan before the 500 Plan was activated and that immediately had the change with WiFi speeds

[Jayach]

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@DFM wrote:

I tried an online Chat with Support but that was a waste of time and effort. Basically said not up to Vodafone to resolve WiFi problems, only up to the Router

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Are you saying the difference in speeds is only noticeable on Wi-Fi and not hard wired?

[DFM]

Thank you for replying

Yes - the difference in speeds is only noticeable on Wi-Fi and not on hard wired

On Ethernet, router speed, upload and download are all very close if not the same

With the previous 100 Connection Router Speed, Ethernet speed, Wifi speed were always consistently very close in the 108Mbps 110 Mbps range for  upload and download. Certainly no 30% difference

Once activated with the 500 Connection, Router Speed and Ethernet speed are no issue always near the maximum speed provided, while with WiFi there is a difference in upload and download. with upload being about 30% faster.

Also find there is a lack of consistency with the download speed while the upload speed is far more consistent

Support have told me to turn off all other devices to isolate the problem. I did that plus I turned off the 2.4Ghz connection so only the 5Ghz AC connection was being used, so with one computer and only 5Ghz using the router no change other than download did manage about 200Mbps while upload is still around 260Mbps

Computer link speed 433.3Mbps for WIFi and 1 Gb For Ethernet. How close WiFi speed should or could be to link speed I do not know.

Regards

[Jayach]

That is to be fully expected over Wi-Fi, which is why I asked.

The speed over Wi-Fi depends on the adapter/driver/signal strength/distance.

For instance on my laptop, close to the router, I get:

SSID: vodafone0403xx
Protocol: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Security type: WPA2-Personal
Network band: 5 GHz
Network channel: 52
Link speed (Receive/Transmit): 433/433 (Mbps)
Link-local IPv6 address: fe80::98e:92e4:12b:9ecb%18
IPv6 DNS servers: fe80::d635:1dff:fe04:35c%18
IPv4 address: 192.168.1.14
IPv4 DNS servers: 192.168.1.1
DNS suffix search list: broadband
Manufacturer: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Description: Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
Driver version: 2024.0.10.220
Physical address (MAC): C0-E4-34-B8-2D-xx   (Personal info obscured)

At the other side of the house I get:

SSID: vodafone0403xx
Protocol: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Security type: WPA2-Personal
Network band: 5 GHz
Network channel: 52
Link speed (Receive/Transmit): 130/130 (Mbps)
Link-local IPv6 address: fe80::98e:92e4:12b:9ecb%18
IPv6 DNS servers: fe80::d635:1dff:fe04:35c%18
IPv4 address: 192.168.1.14
IPv4 DNS servers: 192.168.1.1
DNS suffix search list: broadband
Manufacturer: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Description: Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
Driver version: 2024.0.10.220
Physical address (MAC): C0-E4-34-B8-2D-xx  (Personal info obscured)

So obviously I could never get more than 433Mbs near the router or 130Mbs at the other side of the house. Ethernet is not dependant on the same things, so should always be the full I Gig.

[DFM]

Thank you for the reply and information

My computer is static in the same place day after day and under 6 metres from the Router

What I have managed to read on  internet suggests that with Fibre FTTP the upload and download speed should be more or less the same rate. True of false I have no idea, The most I know that with the 100 plan it was more or less balanced and certainly not 30% different. if was always over 100Mbps and close to the Router speed on Wifi. Same computer, same Router, same position for both. The only change is the 500 plan.

When upload is at 260Mbps I would have thought that download should be about the same and not 30% less at 190Mbps

Will need to investigate some more

[Jayach]

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@DFM wrote:

What I have managed to read on  internet suggests that with Fibre FTTP the upload and download speed should be more or less the same rate. True of false I have no idea, 

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Completely correct on CityFibre, not so on Openreach. And from what you say, as far as the FTTP (Fibre to the Property) is concerned it is. Your Ethernet speed tests prove that.

As far as W-Fi is concerned it is most strange that the download is slower than the upload, but Wi-Fi is sometimes like that. Do you have another device that you could use to see if the W-Fi on that gets the same results? Perhaps a mobile phone.

[DFM]

Thank you for clarifying that upload and download should be the same speed. It always was on the 100 Plan and has only changed on the 500 plan

I have another computer that has the same difference in WIFI upload and download speeds with the 500 plan

My phone seems to have a limited ability and does not show a better maximum speed than I had on the 100 plan. But comparing the history before and after the change from 100 to 500, the phone also had consistent and close upload and download speeds on 100 plan (download slightly faster than upload  down 109 / up 106) while now on 500 plan upload is faster than download  up 109 / down 91. On the specifications for the phone it says =download up to 300Mbps = but if that is possible no idea

Regards

[Jayach]

The thing is your upgrade has obviously worked, the Ethernet figures prove that, but something about the Wi-Fi is unable to fully take advantage of it. Unfortunately it is not going to be easy to find out why that is.

It may be  a problem with the router, but that seems unlikely because although hardware does fail, it is not usually in such a way as to degrade rather than just stop working.

Possibly, if getting the full speed over Wi-Fi is important, it may be worth considering improving the Wi-Wi with a mesh system.

I wish you luck in resolving the problem, but it may be something you have to live with. Do let us know how you get on.