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How can I get max wifi speeds from my cable internet?
November 14, 2023, 08:14 AM
mrvmaxHow can I get max wifi speeds from my cable internet?
I have the Xfinity plan that provides 1200 mbps speed (I get from 1200-1400 to the modem). Using their modem/router in my small 1500 Sq foot house I get around 300 mbps over wifi. Is there any wifi router that will get me closer to 1000 mbps wifi signals?
November 14, 2023, 08:34 AM
FishOnquote:
Originally posted by mrvmax:
I have the Xfinity plan that provides 1200 mbps speed (I get from 1200-1400 to the modem). Using their modem/router in my small 1500 Sq foot house I get around 300 mbps over wifi. Is there any wifi router that will get me closer to 1000 mbps wifi signals?
If you are paying for that speed, they should troubleshoot your problem and fix it. Something is not right there. Call customer service. I have had them fix slow WIFI here a couple of times. Last time they installed a newer router.
November 14, 2023, 08:37 AM
Ronin101what router are you using right now?
November 14, 2023, 08:42 AM
smschulzquote:
Is there any wifi router that will get me closer to 1000 mbps wifi signals?
You have to understand that "wi-fi" is a just a substitute for a wired connection, it will be
generally be less.
But the short answer is to use WIFI 6 Protocol ~ 802.11AX.
You MUST deploy and configure the AP that supports this and you MUST use a client device with an adaptor must also support the same.
There are plenty of other parameters to consider but that is the basic answer.
November 14, 2023, 08:55 AM
tatortoddLatest WiFi standard is 6E (6 GHz) and it supports Gigabit speeds. All WiFi speeds decline with distance (i.e. the closer to router the faster the speed). However, there is a bigger tradeoff in distance compared to Wifi 6 (both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) due the 6 GHz signal.
Additionally, to get max speed it's not just upgrading to a 6E router. Max speed also takes having 6E client device (meaning computers, phones, smart home devices, and other gadgets that support Wi-Fi 6E). 6E is backward compatible with older devices, but it'll operate at speed of older device.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. November 14, 2023, 09:50 AM
ensigmatic smschulz and
tatertodd nailed it.
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher November 14, 2023, 10:04 AM
PASigquote:
Originally posted by mrvmax:
I have the Xfinity plan that provides 1200 mbps speed (I get from 1200-1400 to the modem). Using their modem/router in my small 1500 Sq foot house I get around 300 mbps over wifi. Is there any wifi router that will get me closer to 1000 mbps wifi signals?
That doesn't sound right at all, but then again Comcast is notorious for promising the world and not delivering. Back when I had Comcast and was paying for 600 mbps, I'd get 600 plugged directly into the modem but the best I could ever get over Wi-Fi was around 500-525. I used my own Motorola modem and TP-Link router.
You have two options here:
1. Call and raise hell, you are paying for their equipment and it should be working better than 300 mpbs. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, I'd complain and elevate until they send you a new gateway.
2. Ditch the Comcast gateway and get your own modem and router, you control the equipment and you save money too not leasing from Comcast. This is how I've always rolled, I was never a fan of having to rent something from the provider. Motorola makes very good cable modems and I'm really happy with my TP-Link Archer A7 router.
November 14, 2023, 10:17 AM
smschulzquote:
Originally posted by PASig:
That doesn't sound right at all, but then again Comcast is notorious for promising the world and not delivering. Back when I had Comcast and was paying for 600 mbps, I'd get 600 plugged directly into the modem but the best I could ever get over Wi-Fi was around 500-525. I used my own Motorola modem and TP-Link router.
^^ You are overthinking this. A call to Comcast/Xfinity is futile.
Additionally, a proper AP configured properly with the proper protocols on BOTH the AP and the CLIENT will get the most out of the connection.
Of course there can be other factors of the installation that might affect performance such as physical placement, distance, interference, congestion and capacity (or internal use).
Technically it starts with a sound infrastructure which in this case would be a proper AP and Client.
November 14, 2023, 10:43 AM
MNSIGI switched from Apple Airport extremes to HP Aruba and get 500 +- from my 500mbps cable internet. I don't know if it would keep up with your 1200, but at least it performs to the expected speed.
November 14, 2023, 10:55 AM
joel9507Nothing to add to the above, other than to suggest that you check speed ratings of any Ethernet cables being used (say, between the modem/router and a separate WiFi access point, for example), and replace anything slower than Cat 5E.
Before I got Gigabit speeds to the house, it had never occurred to me that cables could ever be the slowest component in the system...how things change.
Troubleshot some anomalous speed tests, and found I had a bunch of old Cat 5 ethernet cabling to toss. Any new cabling I get is Cat 6 or faster.
November 14, 2023, 10:56 AM
erj_pilotI know it doesn't help the OP's situation, but wanted to say it's not ALWAYS Xfinity. I have their 200 mbps plan and I just performed an Ookla speed test on 3 devices...my WIRED PC, iPhone SE (2nd Gen), and an older iPad Pro (9.7 inch).
All three devices yielded a download speed GREATER than 200 mbps. I am using my own Cable Modem and NetGear Nighthawk Router.
"If you’re a leader, you lead the way. Not just on the easy ones; you take the tough ones too…” – MAJ Richard D. Winters (1918-2011), E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil... Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 5:20,24 November 14, 2023, 11:00 AM
trapper189Check the setup of the existing box first and see if that makes a difference.
Are your devices connecting to the XFinity all-in-one box’s 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands?
What are the current settings for each band in the Xfinity all-in-one box? You’ll want the channel bandwidth settings to be the largest the box allows. Probably 40MHz on 2.4 and 80MHz on 5.
I think their box allows you to scan for other networks. Set you channels to avoid those other networks. The problem here is it will detect other networks only where the box is located. At the fringed of your house, your devices could be getting interference from the neighbors, but the neighbor’s signal isn’t strong enough for the Xfinity box to see. I used an app on an android device to see those networks at the fringes of my house.
You’ll also want to check the settings of your client devices. It would probably be helpful to tell us what client devices you are using.
November 14, 2023, 11:01 AM
ensigmaticquote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
That doesn't sound right at all, but then again Comcast is notorious for promising the world and not delivering. Back when I had Comcast and was paying for 600 mbps, I'd get 600 plugged directly into the modem but the best I could ever get over Wi-Fi was around 500-525. I used my own Motorola modem and TP-Link router.
^^ You are overthinking this.
Under-thinking it, really. If he was getting the promised speed directly connected to the modem Comcast was supplying what it promised. The fault was with the WiFi connection.
I have a GigE LAN. I can plug my laptop into it anywhere and get GigE speeds as per iperf3 tests. Yet none of my WiFi clients ever does more than about 600Mb/s on 5GHz. That's not due to my LAN, but, due to the nature of WiFi.
As for Comcast not meeting its promised bandwidth: Being on Business Class I've never had blazing bandwidth (by today's standards). E.g.: Right now we're on 100/25. Just ran a test against speedtest.net: 120/30. That's typical.
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher November 14, 2023, 11:02 AM
stoic-oneAs has been already noted, my money is on your client devices either not supporting the higher speed, or there being other considerations such as distance.
Regardless, I question what you are using the connections for. If it's simply streaming and the like, you probably don't need that much bandwidth to achieve acceptable results at the client end.
November 14, 2023, 11:45 AM
smschulzquote:
If he was getting the promised speed directly connected to the modem Comcast was supplying what it promised.
The fault was with the WiFi connection.
I have a GigE LAN. I can plug my laptop into it anywhere and get GigE speeds as per iperf3 tests. Yet none of my WiFi clients ever does more than about 600Mb/s on 5GHz.
That's not due to my LAN, but, due to the nature of WiFi.
^^^ Exactly what I was saying.
You have essentially two paths or connections as it were.
One from Client Device to the AP and one from the modem to the Internet .
Assuming AP is within the modem/router device here.
Your connection speed to the AP can achieve GB (with proper protocols/band as noted before) and still by measurement for Bandwidth Download test can be less than a direct LAN connection.
Regardless, if you are asking if it all makes much difference then that is another discussion.

November 14, 2023, 11:46 AM
sig2392Unless you have NEW and/or very expensive equipment you are not pulling the faster speed.
It is speed vs budget.
https://us.store.tp-link.com/collections/mesh-wifiPick your speed and budget.
Unless you are replacing your endpoints, building an internal faster pipe is not going to make a difference.
My fire cubes are 10/100 and can be pushed to 480.
Some of the other equipment is gigabit.
I am not seeing any buffering so I don't care.
November 14, 2023, 12:00 PM
ensigmaticquote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
^^^ Exactly what I was saying.
Yup. We're on the same page. I was just stating it another way to reinforce the point

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher November 14, 2023, 12:07 PM
PASigAnother thing to consider here, IIRC if you are using a Comcast leased gateway, they make you share that Wi-Fi out and you cannot turn it off. Basically they force every Comcast gateway to be a public access point.
Screw that.
November 14, 2023, 12:28 PM
ensigmaticquote:
Originally posted by PASig:
Another thing to consider here, IIRC if you are using a Comcast leased gateway, they make you share that Wi-Fi out ...
That's inaccurate. It's not your private WiFi network they're making part of their customer public WiFi network, but, separate WiFi networks that cannot see inside your private network.
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
... and you cannot turn it off.
I did.
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher November 14, 2023, 12:28 PM
trapper189His Xfinity box will be either the XB7 or XB8. Both are WiFi 6 with the XB8 supporting WiFi 6E.
Properly setup, both will exceed 300mbps provided you client devices have the capability.