Wi-Fi router speed: how to find out the actual performance and why it's lower than advertised

You bought a router with the promised speed of "up to 1200 Mbps," but in reality, it only shows 300 on your laptop, and only 80 on your smartphone. What's the catch? The thing is... Manufacturers indicate the theoretical maximum For ideal conditions that don't exist in real life. In this article, we'll explore how Wi-Fi speeds are determined, why they're always lower than advertised, and how to approach the maximum speed.

Wireless network speed depends on three key factors: Wi-Fi standard (802.11n, ac, ax), frequency range (2.4 or 5 GHz) and hardware capabilities both the router and the client device. For example, even if your ASUS RT-AX88U supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with speeds up to 6000 Mbps, an old smartphone on Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) won't be able to get more than 150 Mbps. More details with numbers and tests below.

1. Wi-Fi standards and their theoretical maximums

Each new Wi-Fi standard increases throughput through improved modulation technologies, the use of multiple antennas (MIMO) and frequency range expansion. Here's the evolution of speeds across versions:

• 📡 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4, 2009) — to 600 Mbps (actually ~150–200 Mbps). Operates on 2.4 GHz and is susceptible to interference.
• 🚀 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5, 2013) — to 3.5 Gbps (actually ~500–800 Mbps). Uses 5 GHz, supports MU-MIMO.
• ⚡ 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E, 2019) — to 9.6 Gbps (actually ~1–2 Gbps). Optimized for a wide range of devices, operates at 2.4/5/6 GHz.

Important: A Wi-Fi 6 router won't speed up an old Wi-Fi 4 laptop—the speed is limited by the weakest link in the chain.. For example, if your Xiaomi Mi Router 4A supports 802.11ac, but the phone only supports 802.11n, the maximum connection speed will not exceed 150 Mbps.

* Data on Wi-Fi 7 is preliminary, as the standard has not yet been widely adopted.

⚠️ Note: Manufacturers often sum up the speeds of different bands (e.g., 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz + 867 Mbps on 5 GHz = "1200 Mbps"). In practice, the device only connects to one band!

2. Why is the actual speed lower than stated?

Even if your router and laptop support Wi-Fi 6, you'll never get the advertised 9.6 Gbps. Here are the key reasons:

• 📶 Interference and air traffic congestionMicrowaves, Bluetooth devices, and nearby networks operate on the 2.4 GHz band. 5 GHz is less crowded but has poorer penetration through walls.
• 🔄 TCP/IP protocolAny data transfer requires packet acknowledgements, which eats up ~30–50% of the speed.
• 📱 Client device limitations. For example, iPhone 12 supports a maximum of 866 Mbps on 5 GHz, even if the router provides 1.2 Gbps.
• 🔌 Router WAN port speedIf you have a 100 Mbps internet connection and your router is connected to your ISP via Gigabit Ethernet, your Wi-Fi won't be able to deliver speeds faster than 100 Mbps.

Practical test: connect your laptop to the router via cable and check the speed via SpeedtestThen reconnect via Wi-Fi and compare the results. The difference will show the loss in wireless transmission.

3. How to check the real Wi-Fi speed?

To measure your wireless network speed, use specialized tools. It is important to test not just internet speed (which depends on the provider), but also local velocity between devices on your network.

Verification methods:

1. Speedtest.net / Ookla — shows the internet access speed, but does not take into account local Wi-Fi limitations.
2. iPerf3 — a utility for testing the bandwidth between two devices on a local network. Install it on your PC and smartphone, then run the test:

   iperf3 -s

   on the server (PC) and

   iperf3 -c 192.168.1.100

   on the client (replace IP with the address of your PC).

3. Wi-Fi Analyzer (Android) - shows the channel load and helps to select the least busy one.

Example: if during the test through iPerf3 between the laptop and the router you get 400 Mbps, and Speedtest shows 90 Mbps - the problem is not with Wi-Fi, but with the provider's tariff or WAN settings.

4. How to increase Wi-Fi speed?

If your tests show that your speed is lower than expected, try these methods (from simple to complex):

Select a free channel in the router settings|

Update router firmware|

Switch from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz (if devices support it)|

Disable Wi-Fi power saving on client devices|

Install the router in the center of the room at a height of 1–1.5 m-->

Let's take a closer look:

• 🔍 Channel selectionOn 2.4 GHz, it's best to use channels 1, 6, or 11 (they don't overlap). On 5 GHz, choose channels with less congestion (this will help). Wi-Fi Analyzer).
• 📦 Firmware update. Only flash your router from the manufacturer's official website. For example, for TP-Link Archer C7 The current firmware version may add support for new standards.
• 🔄 2.4 vs. 5 GHz bands. 5 GHz is faster, but it doesn't penetrate walls as well. If the signal is weak, try 2.4 GHz or install Mesh system.

⚠️ Attention: Enabling the function WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) Adjusting your router settings may improve multimedia speeds but reduce connection stability for older devices. Test individually!

5. The impact of your provider's tariff on Wi-Fi speed

Many people are confused Wi-Fi speed (local area network) and Internet speed (WAN). For example, if your plan is 100 Mbps, even with ideal Wi-Fi 6, you won't get more than 100 Mbps when downloading files from the internet. However, local speeds (for example, when transferring files between PCs on the network) may be higher.

How to check your provider's limit:

1. Connect your PC directly to the router via cable and run Speedtest.
2. Compare the results with the Wi-Fi test. If the difference is minimal, the problem isn't with the wireless network.
3. Check your plan in your provider's personal account. You may have a limited plan.

Example: If the speed is 95 Mbps via cable and 85 Mbps via Wi-Fi, the router is working properly. However, if the speed is 95 Mbps via cable and 20 Mbps via Wi-Fi, there is a problem with the wireless network settings.

What should I do if my provider is throttling my speed?

If your tests show that your cable speed is lower than what's advertised in your plan, contact technical support. Possible causes include a line fault, MAC address restrictions, or issues with your provider. Request diagnostics or provide screenshots of your tests.

6. Wi-Fi speed on different devices

Even on the same network, different devices will show different speeds. Here's why:

Conclusion: Before purchasing a router, check which standards your devices support. For example, if you only have iPhone SE (1st generation) With Wi-Fi 4, buying a flagship router with Wi-Fi 6E doesn't make sense.

7. The Future: Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7

New standards promise a revolution in speed:

• 🌐 Wi-Fi 6E (2021) - adds range 6 GHz (1200 MHz of free spectrum), which reduces interference and increases speed up to 2 Gbps on one stream.
• ⚡ Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, 2026) — to 46 Gbps due to the use of 320 MHz channels, 4K-QAM And Multi-Link Operation (simultaneous operation on 2.4/5/6 GHz).

However, to use these standards you will need:

1. A router that supports Wi-Fi 6E/7 (e.g. ASUS RT-AX89X or Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500).
2. Client devices with corresponding chipsets (for now only flagship smartphones and PCs from 2023–2026).
3. There are no legal restrictions on the use of 6 GHz in your country.

⚠️ Please note: In Russia, the 6 GHz band is not yet approved for civilian use (as of 2026). Before purchasing a router with Wi-Fi 6E, please check the current regulations. Roskomnadzor or from the seller.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Wi-Fi Speed

Why does the router show a speed of 300 Mbps, but Speedtest shows 50 Mbps?

Connection speed to the router (300 Mbps) is local velocity between your device and the router. Speedtest shows Internet speed, which depends on your provider's plan. If you have a 100 Mbps plan, the maximum you'll see in Speedtest is ~90–95 Mbps (taking into account protocol losses).

What kind of router do I need for 1 Gbps speed?

For a stable speed of ~1 Gbps via Wi-Fi, you will need:

• Router with support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) And 160 MHz channels (For example, TP-Link Archer AX6000 or ASUS RT-AX88U).
• A client device with Wi-Fi 6 and 2x2 MIMO support (e.g. MacBook Pro M1 or Samsung Galaxy S21+).
• Provider tariff from 1 Gbit/s (fiber optic connection).
• Free airtime on 5 GHz (channels 36-64 or 100-140).

The actual speed will be ~800–900 Mbps due to protocol overhead.

Does the Mesh system help increase speed?

Mesh systems (for example, Google Nest Wi-Fi or TP-Link Deco) do not increase the maximum speed, but they improve coating And stability signal. If you have a large apartment and your router can't handle coverage, Mesh will allow you to connect to the nearest node without losing speed when roaming.

However, if the problem is channel congestion or a weak provider tariff, Mesh will not help.

Why is the speed on 5 GHz lower than on 2.4 GHz?

This is paradoxical, but possible in three cases:

1. Your device does not support 5 GHz or connects at low speeds (e.g. only 1 MIMO stream).
2. The router is set to auto-channel selection and 5GHz is running on a congested channel (check in Wi-Fi Analyzer).
3. You are too far from the router - 5 GHz passes through walls worse, and the device "clings" to a weak signal.

Solution: Manually select a free 5 GHz channel or move closer to the router.

Is it possible to get speeds above 1 Gbps on Wi-Fi?

Yes, but for this you need:

• Use Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) or Wi-Fi 7 with support 320 MHz channels.
• Have a client device with 3×3 or 4×4 MIMO (for example, a gaming PC with an adapter Intel AX210).
• Connect the router to the provider via 2.5G or 10G Ethernet (a regular Gigabit port will limit the speed to 1 Gbps).
• Tune WPA3 (a faster encryption protocol than WPA2).

In real conditions (2026), ~1.5–2 Gbps is achievable on top-end devices.