Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Slow Wifi speeds, normal LAN speeds. What could I be doing wrong?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Wireless
    18 Posts 6 Posters 5.4k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • P
      pfsenseuzer
      last edited by

      I just got a new 4 port nic installed and I reset my settings to default. My network for the time being is

      Modem - Pfsense WAN port < LAN & LAN2

      Nic0
      Not being used
      Nic1
      Modem - WAN
      Nic2
      LAN - Main Computer
      LAN2 - DDWRT AP
      -Down
      -Down

      Prior to this I only had two ports on the firewall, WAN and LAN. Now I have about 6, one from the motherboard and 5 from the two NICs. I was thinking that maybe because I was using only one LAN port and the rest from the router, throughput through wifi was being affected.

      This is more related to Pfsense since I now maintain the network through it rather than the WRT1900AC. Anything I would need to check on the firewall would be directly tied to the router. The router is basically configured to connect to the firewall and push any DHCP requests to it, everything else has been disabled/unused. I am trying to eliminate everything in between Pfsense and my devices to allow for optimal configurations on my Pfsense router. I know it won't be much, and thats why I lean on this forum to see what would be ideal to run with Pfsense. Then I could focus on Pfsense.

      As far as terminology goes, I will have to google and see what you are trying to tell me, but I understand how it's hard to help with little info provided.

      No VPN Speedtest Results through AC 20mhz channel width:

      Same computer, AC 80mhz width:

      I can provide more when I get VPN backup, but for now this is what is normal performance.

      This is all done for my personal home network. I am the client  ;D.

      I wish I had Google Fiber so this could be really awesome, but it's not avaliable where I live.

      Also, the AP has 4 antennas on it, and supports simultaneous 2.4ghz, and 5.0ghz. If that helps any.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • T
        toxo
        last edited by

        Nrcropost but did you ever get to the bottom of this? I have the exact same issue. I'm using a router as a WAP with all the router services including DHCP disabled. The WAP bridges onto my Ethernet switch, which the LAN side of pfSense is connected to. I have 2 PC-based gateways, 1 is pfSense and the other is a Linux box running firewalld. Both have 2 Ethernet interfaces - 1 to the LAN and the other functioning as WAN via PPPoE to a VDSL modern.

        If I use the pfSense box, wired devices work at full speed but the wireless access is garbage. If I unplug the pfSense box and replace it with my Linux gateway box, both wired and wireless work at full speed.

        Wtf!

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • G
          Gektor
          last edited by Gektor

          Can't find another (newer) posts related to my problem and don't want make new post, because this issue is happens with other peoples and my external access point (Xiaomi R3P AC1733 router switched in AP mode) connected to pfSense with same issue.

          Have two providers, one connected with PPPoE (100 mbit/100 mbit) another is DHCP client (100 mbit / 100 mbit).
          With PPPoE connection there is no problems, all speed is good on all with wireless clients (94.5 mbit/94.5 mbit).
          With DHCP there is download throughput problems with all wireless clients, so:
          WAN DHCP -> pfSense LAN port -> AP LAN port -> WiFi clients gets not more than 60-70 mbits/94.5 mbits
          WAN DHCP -> pfSense LAN port -> client LAN port gets full 94.0 mbits/94.5 mbits
          WAN DHCP -> pfSense LAN -> AP LAN port -> client LAN port gets full 94.0 mbits/94.5 mbits
          in multi wan load balancing same situation, with LAN connected clients gets 189/189, with WiFi clients gets only <150/189.

          pfSense Version 2.4.4-RELEASE-p3 (amd64).

          Seems that is problems in pfSense with WAN DHCP client mode and external WiFi AP, what i can do for make it works better?

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            Run a packet capture on that traffic and see what the difference is or if there are errors shown.

            Really the only thing I could imagine is some sort of packet size problem.

            Steve

            G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • G
              Gektor @stephenw10
              last edited by

              @stephenw10
              I have run capture on both connections traffic (WAN and LAN interfaces), no errors or failures...

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                Same packet sizes? Not loads of fragments maybe?

                G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • G
                  Gektor @stephenw10
                  last edited by Gektor

                  @stephenw10
                  My pfSense is working under Hyper-V of Windows Server 2019, i have passthrough all 6 intel EM based drivers NICs to guest pfSense machine.
                  For testing, i have make another guest machine with OpenWrt and passthrough dedicated WLAN card to it, than connect both via Hyper-V virtual switch and make tests, seems that speeds is good (even in load balancing i can achieve 185/189 mbits) and no issues at all. So, i can't understand, why it can't work in full performance with another router in WiFi AP mode connected by LAN?

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    The only significant difference there is the connection type, PPPoE, usually has a smaller MTU to allow for the PPP overhead. So perhaps traffic coming from wireless is hitting that somehow. Hence:

                    @stephenw10 said in Slow Wifi speeds, normal LAN speeds. What could I be doing wrong?:

                    Same packet sizes? Not loads of fragments maybe?

                    Steve

                    G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • G
                      Gektor @stephenw10
                      last edited by Gektor

                      @stephenw10 said in Slow Wifi speeds, normal LAN speeds. What could I be doing wrong?:

                      Same packet sizes? Not loads of fragments maybe?

                      I don't understand question, what and how check to answer?

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • stephenw10S
                        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                        last edited by

                        In the packet capture do you see fragmented packets?

                        Do you see larger packets on the wireless intrerface that from wired clients?

                        Or just any difference there?

                        Steve

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • First post
                          Last post
                        Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.