I have a fairly simple network setup,
- Netgear CM1200 cable modem in master bedroom
- Wired Ethernet throughout the house
- Netgear R6700v3 wifi router connected to wired wall Ethernet in second bedroom
- Computer (Windows 10) connected to the router via wired ethernet (NOT WIFI)
- Cox gigablast (940 mb/s internet plan)
My problem is I'm getting terrible download speeds. Sometimes on speedtest.net I get 150mb/s but mostly I get 20mb/s and sometimes I get < 1mb/s. I also get a lot of packet loss.
My ISP is saying everything should be good so I want to run tests within my home to verify that its not my house wiring, or my router, or my cable modem. Is there any way to diagnose and verify everything is ok in the house?
I did a simple test where I unplugged my router and plugged in a laptop directly into my cable modem and I got 80 mb/s down.
How do isolate each component one at a time? Thanks!
Best Answer
The only way to test the entire home network without expensive software or hardware is to take your laptop and plug it directly into each router, hub, and switch, and run a speed test through each one. The bandwidth you get on the speed test also depends on how much of the Internet in your home is currently in use. If you want the most accurate test, run the test on each piece without anything else connected to them.
FYI on the comment on the original post: You cannot have multiple pieces of hardware connected on the Internet of a modem without some type of router between the devices. If you just use a splitter, hub, or switch, two of the devices will create a feedback loop and block everything as they will have the same external IP address from the modem. This is because modems are designed to pass their external IP address off to the next piece of assignable hardware. Whether that is a computer or router doesn't matter. It is the router that gives all connected devices their internal IP address and connects them to the Internet. It gets more technical, but that is the rundown.