Getting full speed from EE wifi extender

[RobAshcroft]

Just posting this for info.

I have a wifi 6 extender upstairs with wifi 6 router downstairs. My speed to the house is 900. If I connect via wifi to the extender  I get about 450, but if I connect a device to the extender using an ethernet cable I get full 900. The connection between the router and extender is wifi but runs at full speed, but you need to connect by cable from the extender to use that maximum speed. This was confirmed by an EE engineer who was at my house yesterday.

So, if you have a few extenders around the house and connect using ethernet cable you should get full speed everywhere. I tried it in my summerhouse 60ft down the garden and I got 800Mbps, and I am writing this on my laptop connected to the extender via cable and I'm getting 940Mbps!

I don't think BT/EE make this very obvious. I spoke to a BT tech guy yesterday and he said most people seem to want a wifi solution rather than using cables, but why? I can also connect my phone to an extender using cable by using a ethernet to USBC adapter and just plug the phone in and get maximum speed.

[JimM11]

@RobAshcroft It's all to do with the backhaul of the Smart wireless device. If you connect the Smart wireless and the EE Router by an Ethernet cable for a wired backhaul, then wireless signals only have to go to the extender and down the wired connection, otherwise the device has to re-transmit the wireless connected device if it is not hardwired back to the router.

If you are getting virtually max speed on a wireless backhaul via the Ethernet port on the smart wireless extender then you have a very good setup at your location...

[RobAshcroft]

I agree, I must have a very good setup. I am close to the exchange, 50metres from green box, my house is modern with few obstructive walls. Plus I worked for BT (in IT) for 26 years so I get very special treatment (I'm joking). 😉

[JimM11]

@RobAshcroft It's just good to know what is possible and capable with a EE Smarthub+ and a few Smart wireless devices scattered around and how good the Mesh can be with a wireless backhaul setup that you have explained so well. Lot's off people seem to have issue's but mostly just getting the mesh setup in the first place. 

[Brahms01]

So I just run the ethernet down to my garage where my office is and plug the extender into the ethernet?

Thanks

[JimM11]

@Brahms01 Would be a yes to wired backhaul Ethernet cable direct on the EE Hub and the other end on the EE Smart Wireless Extender, speed does depend on what you are doing if that is per the heading from the post though.

[Profile closed]

So 450Mbps WIFI from the extender ? but Extender to same device via ethernet 900Mbps ? , easy the WIFI in your device is slow , same thing for me , i have an old laptop thats wireless card will only get about 100Mbps but when i run a cable to that laptop from the extender i get 930Mbps , its the WIFI in the device & not the actual device thats the issue , your getting the full 900Mbps to extender & from extender wired to device you get 900Mbps its only when you use the same device wirelessly it drops to 400Mbps.

Its the same issue i had with my laptop ,see when i ordered my Pro router & extenders something screwy happened & 2 routers & 4 extenders were sent out by mistake , i called EE & they said if i wanted to i could just keep them as a spare & send them back if i leave the network , so i thought what the hell the laptop is static always next to me so instead of running cat 6 all the way to the laptop , i just used the 3rd extender next to laptop & ran a short cat 6 to laptop , problem solved , devices have all sorts of WIFI in them just sounds like the same issue as me , an old or just slow wireless in your device. My phones , two TV's this PC im on here all get the full 930Mbps wireless ONLY that laptop tips out at 100Mbps , so no issue with wireless or device just a slow network chip in the laptop.

[JimM11]

@Profile closed Hidden wireless wifi backhaul comes into play for the Hub/Extender, and no reason when the mesh reaches well between them both/all that the wired Ethernet when on a capable device cannot get that speed up near the full Ethernet rate.

[Profile closed]

Agreed but when you look at it he has the same issue as me with my old 2007 laptop i can get 930Mbps to it when i use a cat 6 between the extender & the laptop but if i use that laptops wireless to same extender ? 100-150MBps Max , im sold crappy wifi card or  chip in my case , seems to be same here from what i can see.

[JimM11]

@Profile closed Year and a halve old post that the new OP picked up to use.

Got to watch the real old 10Mb/s duplex Ethernet's as well, the EE Hubs just do not play well with those.