FIOS: slower then expected wireless internet speeds

[volvo_nut]

All-in-all we are satisfied with the switch to FIOS. The Guide is not as intuitive as Comcast, the DVR has MUCH less hard drive space and our wireless internet performance just hasn't lived up to the hype.

Surfing the web, I found that changing the FIOS wireless router to another channel other than auto might help, it did for a bit but speeds reverted back. There are times when we are down to 1.5Mb/s download and another later puts us at 26Mb/s

Tonight I am at: (14 up / 5 down )
http://www.speedtest.net/result/1083923553.png

and 5mins later: (2 up / 7 down)

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1083925720.png

I've tried switching to my back to my Apple Airport but the performance does not remain consistent. The kids try to watch Taylor Swift on YouTube and the clip will stop & start ... very frustrating for a 5yr old.

Ideas on what might be causing such varied performance swings? I know wireless takes a hit versus a cable but we did not have the performance issues with Comcast, it was either up and running or not.

[Villager]

I just ran mine (also FiOS wireless) using the same program and got:

25.78 Download
4.76 Upload
16 ms Ping

I don't know why yours is slower but here are some ideas from DSLreports.com. Do you have a wired computer that gets the same speed results?

[flynnibus]

what you have FIOS vs cable is irrelevant to your wireless performance. The difference is only local.. what your wireless router is and your client setup.

Isolate the wireless vs your FIOS feed by testing wired then testing wireless or vise versa on the same machine (make sure you force the test to one interface by disabling the other by turning the wireless off, or unplugging the lan cable, etc).

[Pluto]

Originally Posted by Villager

I just ran mine (also FiOS wireless) using the same program and got:

25.78 Download
4.76 Upload
16 ms Ping

I don't know why yours is slower but here are some ideas from DSLreports.com. Do you have a wired computer that gets the same speed results?

I am getting the following speed using FIOS wireless:

16.69 - upload
12 - download

I have viewed several programs from netflix streaming and never seen any problem in the streaming...... it has been great so far.... knock on wood.

But, how can I get better than this?

I am very positive if I hard wire, I would get much better speed.....

I have my router placed behind my TV... Is that a problem?

[Villager]

I just rechecked and got about the same scores. I believe Verizon may sell varying levels of speed? We got the equivalent of medium, whatever that is.

You might try downloading and running the Verizon In-Home Agent and see what clues it gives.

[Villager]

I just downloaded and installed the Verizon In-Home Agent and when it did the speed test it came up with:
Download 9.0 Mbps
Upload 4.6 Mbps

I'll run the optimization part and see what I get...

[Villager]

After the Verizon optimization I now get:
17.8 Mbps down
5.5 Mbps up

[volvo_nut]

Hardwired has been great on the tests I perform. The wireless is where I notice the drop, so I need to dig into the settings further. I'll play with the Airport Extreme vs the FIOS wireless router and see if one or the other can be fine tuned to solid & consistent performance.

Here are my results from turning off the FIOS router's wireless and doing a wired test:

30 Mbps down
22 Mbps up
http://www.speedtest.net/result/1085817615.png

[TDT]

ok, we are on open band and our wireless started to be very slow tonight too but the regular PC is fast.

[Rhaegar]

Wireless speed is solely based upon the connection between your machine and your access point. The upstream connection (cable, fios, etc) is a different subject. Wireless can fluctuate quite a bit on speed depending upon potential interference in your house. Wireless is going to generally operate in the 2.4Ghz unlicensed band which could also be home for any number of other devices including cordless phones and baby monitors which will interfere. Often times they will use the entire spectrum so changing channels won't matter either. I generally use the 5.8Ghz spectrum for my wireless to reduce interference. I also don't let any devices into my house that use the 2.4Ghz spectrum. My phones, remote extender, baby monitor and anything else are all use different spectrum. Also, if you have an older 802.11b machine attaching to the same access point (or even if your neighbor associates with your AP) it's going to drag down the speed of the entire AP for any machines attached to it for backwards compatibility. If you want to evaluation your Internet speed, you have to be wired, if you want to evaluate your wireless speed, treat it as a separate item.