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Improving Wi-Fi performance - NVG 589
I have AT&T's highest level of Internet service short of GigaPower, which isn't available in my area and may never be. The NVG589 gateway is located on the second story of my house, near my main iMac, which is hardwired to it. I typically achieve downstream speeds of 45-50 Mbps on this computer, which is what I'm supposed to get.
However, wireless devices on the first floor (computers and iPhones) perform poorly, usually getting no more than 5 or 6 Mbps, often less. Even a few feet from the gateway, the maximum download rate on my iPhone 6+ is only around 14 Mbps. I've tried all the recommended fixes, including choosing different channels in the 2.4 Ghz range. The current channel doesn't match any that my neighbors are using. I'd move the gateway to a more central location, but that's not possible for various reasons.
I've looked at a couple of possible solutions. One is to buy a so-called range extender, but I've read that they can actually degrade performance. The other is to get a dual band wireless router and connect it to the gateway to serve as a Wi-Fi access point. However, I don't know if that will improve the situation, especially on the first floor.
Has anybody done this, and how well has it worked?
Thanks in advance!
waveman
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36 Messages
9 years ago
Until this past week, my 589 was working reasonably well, apart from Wi-Fi, which was OK, but not great. AT&T did a remote reset because our U-verse voice line stopped working - after that, Wi-Fi performance took a dive, despite me restoring all the previous settings. So AT&T sent me another RG, which I installed yesterday. Wi-Fi is a bit better, but still less than I expect. I don't think that the 589 and other gateways that AT&T supplies are very good for Wi-Fi, which is why I want to install a Wi-Fi router to serve as an access point for the house. The challenge is that there are so many units with similar specs and price points, making it hard to choose the right one.
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rdljr
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921 Messages
9 years ago
Make a list of what I need/want. For you that would be 802.11 AC and dual-band wifi.
Then I go to Amazon and look for things with what I want.
Then I look at the reviews and prices and figure out which one has the best ratings for the best price.
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drsjr12
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2 Messages
9 years ago
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waveman
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36 Messages
9 years ago
@rdljr: That's pretty much what I've done, thanks.
A Google search finds lots of instructions for putting the 589 in pass-though mode, though they all differ slightly. Any recommendations on which instructions work best?
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rdljr
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921 Messages
9 years ago
Be sure to follow the supplementary instructions located directly beneath the topic where it says, "solution"
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waveman
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36 Messages
9 years ago
Thanks. Many of the postings in various forums are very similar in wording as well as the steps they show, suggesting that they all came from the same source. Anyway, I really appreciate the help and will give this a try when my new router arrives.
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rdljr
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921 Messages
9 years ago
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waveman
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36 Messages
9 years ago
I've ordered a NETGEAR R6400, which seems to offer a good balance between price and features. I'll let you know how it works out when I get it later in the week. Thanks.
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rdljr
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921 Messages
9 years ago
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waveman
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36 Messages
9 years ago
I received the router today and proceeded to make the changes on the 589. That was easy, but I couldn't get the settings on the NETGEAR right. Then I came across instructions on NETGEAR's web site that decribed the router's AP mode, so I decided to give that a try. I restored all the settings on the 589 (except for re-activating Wi-Fi, of course) and enabled AP mode on the new router. That did the trick, and I'm now getting much better W-Fi performance throughout my house. I don't know if there are drawbacks to doing it this way, but so far, so good.
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