Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Relationship between modem quality and wifi speeds

by Dec 7, 2016 6:06AM PST

Hi, sorry for the basic question here, but I have been trying to figure out how much a difference a quality modem makes in terms of wifi speeds. Right now, I have Frontier, which caps out at 6 megabits per second (most I can get in this area). However, it's typically running at 3 or 4 mbps, and many times lower than that. How much of a difference would buying something like Google Wifi help? Would a better modum/stronger routing system help? Is the relationship between a modem and wifi strength similar to the relationship between a good a/v receiver and speaker quality? Many thanks.

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Answer
Should have little effect. Why?
by Forum moderator Dec 7, 2016 6:43AM PST

Because there are more bytes to shove around plus two other reasons (WiFi is shared space and half duplex) you should not(*) see much of a speed increase as you change routers or modems.

I've had better luck by using router defaults (save the one or two changes needed for the setup) and by being about 20 feet from the hotspot.

*Note: Typo corrected by moderator edit.

Post was last edited on December 7, 2016 7:07 AM PST

- Collapse -
Just to be clear ...
by Andredarryl Dec 7, 2016 7:01AM PST

Do you mean I "shouldn't" see much or a speed increase?

So in other words, getting something like Google Wifi would not help me much?

I have one modem, from Frontier, on my middle floor. typically, I am on the upper level of my house working.

Thanks for the responses!

- Collapse -
Yes, that was a typo.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Dec 7, 2016 7:06AM PST

I'll fix that.

Your setup is better than most. Some folk toss the WiFi access point (modem+router) into a basement and complain. You might see a little improvement but as a test, try it 10 feet line of sight from the existing router to see if it's distance or walls in play.

- Collapse -
Will do ...
by Andredarryl Dec 7, 2016 7:12AM PST

And thank you. Very helpful.

Back to Networking & Wireless forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info