Netgear router as access point has marginal bandwidth

[biggen]

If you are only getting 100Mbps from that switch then the possibilities are:

1. The laptop/desktop you are performing the speed test from only has a 100Mbps NIC.
2. The switch only has a 100Mbps connection to the upstream router. One of those two pieces of equipment is not seeing the other as a 1Gpbs device.
3. The cable is damaged between the router and the switch.

What does the link light show on the router upstream from the switch? Does it show a 1Gbps connection or 100Mbps?

 

[fullboogie]

Thanks for everything so far. I'll rerun the hardwired speed tests on the home router, switch, and garage router and report back.

 

[Mike A.]

There are no lights on the Netgear ports.

From a review. Don't know how accurate. I believe they mean the numbers on the front:

"Lights blink green for a gigabit connection or orange for an standard Ethernet connection (10 or 100 mega bit connection)."

Yes, only 100mb-ish when hardwired into the upstairs switch. No colors on the Netgear switch unfortunately. Here is the model I bought:

From another review, again not sure how accurate:

"The Gigabit link always falls back to 100 Mbps even when connecting 2 of those switches together."

 

[fullboogie]

From a review. Don't know how accurate. I believe they mean the numbers on the front:

"Lights blink green for a gigabit connection or orange for an standard Ethernet connection (10 or 100 mega bit connection)."




From another review, again not sure how accurate:

"The Gigabit link always falls back to 100 Mbps even when connecting 2 of those switches together."

There are no lights on the back near the connections. There are, however, lights on the front that indicate whether it has a WAN connection, whether the 2.4 and 5.0 wireless channels are working, etc. But those lights are white - I've never seen green or orange.

Because they're so cheap I went ahead and ordered a new switch - this time a TP Link unit just to rule out an issue with the Netgear switch. It should arrive today.

Amazon.com

 

[Coldair]

There are no lights on the back near the connections. There are, however, lights on the front that indicate whether it has a WAN connection, whether the 2.4 and 5.0 wireless channels are working, etc. But those lights are white - I've never seen green or orange.

Because they're so cheap I went ahead and ordered a new switch - this time a TP Link unit just to rule out an issue with the Netgear switch. It should arrive today.

Amazon.com

I have been buying netgear prosafe switches since I live in the lighting capital of the world and they have a lighting fast lifetime warranty. I had the same routers you are using about 5 or 6 years ago and switched them out three years ago to the R9000 and I have a AXE500 sitting on the floor right now to install

 

[fullboogie]

Well, some of you guys called it right away. The cable end upstairs at the switch somehow went bad despite working for the last 2/12 years just fine.

I did the hardwire test from my laptop to the switch, and had the same crappy speeds. Then I plugged in the cable bringing internet from downstairs up to the switch, and nothing. Went back to plugging into the switch, and nothing. Suspecting the cable end, I cut it off and installed a new one. I now have full speed (approx. 500 up/down) at the switch and at the second router out in the garage. Simple things first...

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. I appreciate it.