Skip to main content
Forum FAQ's
cancel
Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Smart Wifi Plus Extender doesn't have a Gigabit Ethernet port?

JayGreeny
Investigator
Investigator

‎27-05-2024 01:23 PM

Hi Community, 

Wondering if anyone can help me work out if I have a faulty Smart Wifi Plus extender box, or if this is by design?  Currently on the Virgin Media 1gig package with Wifi 5, but moving to NewEE FF900 for the Wifi 6 that Virgin wouldn't give me.

Received my NewEE Smart Wifi Plus Hub and one white box Smart Wifi Plus extender the other day. My new full fibre connection isn't due to be installed until the 31st, however I'm currently testing all the kit. Hub is great. Turned off DHCP, reassigned the IP to match the network range on my current Virgin Media set up, and getting up to 900Mbps download and 110Mbps upload over Wifi 6. This is exactly what I wanted, so I was hopeful that this would be the upgrade I wanted from the current Wifi 5 setup from VM.

Connected the Smart Wifi Plus extender box to ethernet backhaul, and running speed tests I can only get 94Mbps on download and upload. Loaded pings on the speedtest shoot up to over 400ms on these tests, suggesting the connection is saturated and maxxed out.
Connecting the disc over wifi backhaul, and then using the ethernet port on the Smart Wifi Plus extender to connect my PC gives the ethernet connection link speed as a mere 100/100Mbps, not the full 1000/1000Mbps I would expect from a gigabit ethernet port. This would definitely explain the difference in performance, and the apparent maxing out of the connection.
Anyone out there able to help say if this is a faulty Smart Wifi Plus extender, or is that by design and the Wifi 6 enabled Smart Wifi Plus extender is actually hobbled to 1/10th its wifi capacity please? 
Many thanks in advance.

0 Helpful
3 REPLIES 3
JayGreeny
Investigator
Investigator

‎27-05-2024 01:59 PM

Nevermind. I looked into the ethernet port and there's a missing or broken pin. Chat have sorted out sending a replacement with no fuss.

0 Helpful
JimM11
Brilliant Contributor
Brilliant Contributor
In response to JayGreeny

‎27-05-2024 04:13 PM - edited ‎27-05-2024 04:26 PM

@JayGreeny Well spotted, and do let the forum know when you retest that the wired backhaul is running full tilt👍. EE is there to keep you on your toes.... And also welcome back to the Forum. Since you are in the testing phase, it would be good to know how the wi-fi backhaul wireless is performing also. Do keep us posted, got someone with 5 EE wi-fi extender nodes trying to mesh and only one on wired backhaul at present but gone all quite just now but it is a holiday weekend.

0 Helpful
JayGreeny
Investigator
Investigator

‎30-05-2024 01:20 PM

Hi Community!
Back again with results! The replacement disc arrived today; both a day early and a day late! Order tracking said there was a delay with the order which originally should have arrived yesterday, and so it was due to be delivered tomorrow instead! 
A quick test on the ethernet backhaul gives a good solid speed of 800Mbps+, and loaded ping times of 1000-4000ms suggest the ethernet backhaul is fully saturated (might need to look into that although I'll wait until the fibre is actually installed tomorrow). Speed tests with just the hub installed were between about 100Mbps slower, and indicated signal strength on my mobile was lower where I'm testing, so all looking good! 
Should be able to order the second disc I'll need once the fibre is installed and my account is fully set up with EE.

0 Helpful