Bizarre Transfer Speeds Wifi 6 Asus RT-AX88U and AX200/AX210 Clients

[Weston-Shore]

I decided to upgrade my home network and purchased a Asus RT-AX88U router and purchased a couple of AX200 Wi-Fi cards from Amazon from different suppliers. I installed a AX200 Wi-Fi card in my Asus FX504GM laptop (Asus Technical assured me this will work in this laptop) and the other into a home built Z97PRO system. The router and PCs are all in the same room and only 2-3 Metres from the router.

Both laptop and home built systems are running Windows 10Pro 20H2 with the latest updates applied. Both systems are using the latest Wi-Fi Intel Device Drivers V22.10.0.7. The driver is configured as per the recommended settings I only changed preferred band to 5Ghz and to 802.11ax connection. The Asus Router has the latest Firmware loaded 3.0.0.4.386_41249. So everything is all up to date.

Now here is the problem I am suffering with.

Ethernet between the PCs are fine at 114 MBytes/sec. I have a Hyperoptic 1Gb internet connection of which I get a 930 Mbits/sec both up and down.

The Routers Wi-Fi settings were set-up with 801.22ax & 160Mhz enabled and using the UK lower U-NII-1 & 2 Wi-Fi Channels 36 - 64 for the 160Mhz bandwidth. I can't use U-NII-3 band Channels 100 - 128 due to some one transmitting radar on Channel 124. 

RT-AX88U Wi-Fi Stations List
----------------------------------------
idx MAC Associated Authorized RSSI PHY PSM SGI STBC MUBF NSS BW Tx rate Rx rate Connect Time
Asus FX504GM Laptop Yes Yes -34dBm ax No Yes Yes Yes 2 160M 2401.9M 2401.9M 00:00:32
PC Tower                          Yes Yes -37dBm ax No Yes Yes Yes 2 160M 2268.5M 2161.8M 00:27:30

---- PC Tower
TX rate 2268.5 Mbits/sec = 283.5625 MBytes/sec
RX rate 2161.8 Mbits/sec = 270.225 MBytes/sec

---- Asus FX504GM Laptop
TX rate 2401.9 Mbits/sec = 300.2375 MBytes/sec
RX rate 2401.9 Mbits/sec = 300.2375 MBytes/sec

I am suffering with poor Wi-Fi Upload speeds with 802.11ac Download speeds. Wi-Fi upload speeds remain limited to 60 MBytes/sec. 

                                 Wi-Fi                                               USB 3
Laptop AX200 <=======> RT-AX88U Router <=======> RT-AX88U Router FTP SSD Share
PC TOWER AX200 <=======> RT-AX88U Router <=======> RT-AX88U Router FTP SSD Share

140 MBytes/sec Downloading
65 MBytes/sec Uploading

                                Ethernet                                           Ethernet
Laptop AX200 <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> RT-AX88U Router FTP SSD Share
PC TOWER AX200 <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> RT-AX88U Router FTP SSD Share

110 MBytes/sec Downloading
110 MBytes/sec Uploading

                                  Wi-Fi                                               Ethernet
Laptop AX200 <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> PC TOWER

113 MBytes/sec Downloading
113 MBytes/sec Uploading

                                         Wi-Fi                                               Ethernet
PC TOWER AX200 <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> Laptop

113 MBytes/sec Downloading
113 MBytes/sec Uploading

                                   Wi-Fi                                                  Wi-Fi
Laptop AX200 <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> PC TOWER AX200

65 MBytes/sec Downloading
65 MBytes/sec Uploading

                         Ethernet                                            WLAN
PC TOWER <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> Ookla speedtest.net Hyperoptic London <=> Vodafone Watford

930 Mbits/sec Downloading
930 Mbits/sec Uploading

                                           Wi-Fi                                               WLAN
PC TOWER AX200 <========> RT-AX88U Router <========> Ookla speedtest.net Hyperoptic London <=> Vodafone Watford

930 Mbits/sec Downloading
680 Mbits/sec Uploading

I get the same transfer speeds no matter what protocol I use FTP, Samba etc. OFDMA/802.11ax MU-MIMO settings were changed but made no difference.

I have tried different Wi-Fi drivers as well as clean removal of the drivers. I have even reinstalled Windows 10 Pro. The Asus Router has been replaced as this was suspected of causing the problem, but the issue is still the same. I have swapped Wi-Fi network cards and even got my hands on a AX210 card but the problem still remains. I have also installed both Debian and Ubuntu linux with the latest drivers for linux, but I only get 60 MBytes/sec both up and download speeds.

I am now at a loss to why I can't get high speed Wi-Fi transfer speeds even though the Wi-Fi clients are connected at 2400Mbits/sec with 2 active NSS spatial streams. Asus technical are at a loss as well to why I can't get higher transfer speeds, but are investigating. I have searched for Asus RT-AX88U and AX200 problems but not had any luck.

Could anybody at Intel explain what is going on to the issues I am suffering with? Intel SSU system reports attached. 

Many Thanks in advanced!

Lee

[Khun_Doug]

I'm tagging this thread because I have a nearly identical hardware setup. I have the same router. Two desktops have the AX200 adapter. One has the aftermarket one that plus into a PCIe slot. The other is built-in on an Asrock X570 Creator motherboard. My PC to PC transfer speeds are almost identical to what you are experiencing.

For me, the AX200 speeds are the best wireless to wireless transfer speeds I have ever gotten. Wireless to wired is always faster. AC to AX naturally has less throughput, and I have two laptops that are wireless AC.

If you get an answer on this I will be interested. One thing I learned is to leave the OFDMA/802.11ax MU-MIMO setting at the default. It appears the default of Download OFDMA Only is the only one that works properly. I run into trouble when changing this.

[Weston-Shore]

I am glad that I am not the only one suffering with this problem!

I do understand that Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi transfers between clients will be a little slower due to all the overheads.

I have left the OFDMA & MU-MIMO settings to their defaults of OFDMA Download as these didn't do anything to change the issues but make things worse. Maybe Intel could update their recommended settings to include better trouble shooting when suffering with poor Wi-Fi speeds. 

I can only think that there is a compatibility issue between the Broadcom Radios Asus uses and the Intel AX200 clients. I think I proved that when I installed Linux and could only get a Up/Download speeds of around 65MB/s. It's gotta be a simple configuration software bit in the firmware and driver that needs to be changed to sort this out.

I can't find a review of either the Asus RT-AX88U or AX200 anywhere of real world testing (LAN NAS transfers, Wi-Fi Samba, NFS, FTP) showing speeds exceeding 802.11ac.     

[Alberto_Sykes]

Weston-Shore, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support.

For this scenario, just to let you know, when you install the wireless card on a laptop that is what is called "Wireless Integration", and the thing about that process is that there are a lot of components that come into play, like for example: motherboard, Router, Wireless card, drivers, PCI adapters antennas, m.2 ports as well as regulatory information, all those parts need to be compatible for the proper functionality of the Wireless connection.

Keep in mind that the Intel® Wireless drivers are generic, meaning they might or might not work with your platform. 

In the following links you will be able to verify the regulatory information about the "Wireless Integration":

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005687/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005846/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

At this point, what we recommend is to get in contact directly with Asus, since they were the ones that confirmed that the Wireless card should work with no problems, to check that all the parts are fully compatible, to report this scenario, for them to provide the optimal settings for the Router and to verify if they have a possible solution for this issue, like a firmware update of the Router, for the optimal performance of the Wireless connection:

https://www.asus.com/support/

Any questions, please let me know.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

[Weston-Shore]

Thank you for explaining that. I totally understand being a electronics engineer myself that laptops of any design aren't truly fully compliant to standard PC specs. This is more true with the AX201 integrating into laptops and other IoT. They are fudged to work by both hardware and software (hence OEM drivers).

Whilst this could be argued for mobile devices, it does not explain the same behaviour experienced with standard PCs.

I did have a fear that the supplied AX200 cards could be fake Chinese knockoffs, being hacked 802.11ac cards instead. But I have removed the shielding and found a WCSAX200 chiplet.

Can 2 AX200 clients co-exist on the same Wi-Fi network with high 802.11ax throughput connections, exceed 250MB/s between devices if the router is optimised? 

Regards

Lee

[Alberto_Sykes]

Weston-Shore, I just received an update on this matter.

First of all, let me apologize for all this lateness and the inconvenience this might have caused you.

The answer is yes if the environmental conditions allow it. Remember several conditions can affect connection transfer speed. In this case, when you mentioned download and upload speeds those are not related to what the 802.11AC or Ax protocol refers to. Keep in mind AX speeds is to what speed data will be transferred in your home network. Meaning from the Adapter to the AP and vice versa. If the AX PCs are connected to 2400Mbits/sec that is the max speed that it can get.

If you are having problems with the downloads and upload speeds, that would be related to something different, you could try a different channel or remove all connections and test it with just a single one to check on download speeds. Remember if there are let's say 5 devices connected then the speeds get divided by 5 and so on.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Weston-Shore]

Hi Albert

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that external factors can affect connection speeds, that's why sometimes I I don't get a connection speed of 2400Mbps but 1900-2200Mbps.

I have shifted the 5Ghz WiFi control channel to different channels. 160Mhz bandwidth channels here in the UK are 36 - 64 & 100 - 128. However, trying to use the upper 100 - 128 can be frustrating at times due to the router picking up Radar pings on Channel 124, even though the nearest weather Radar is over 30 miles away. The UK Meteorological Office states its Radars do not interfere with Channel 124. The pings are quite intermittent, so when the router clears 100 - 128 (Normally late evenings) I carry on my testing before the interference returns. I guess the only way to get a perfect connection is to install a Faraday Cage into my flat lol But I think that the Landlord would have problems with that!

Shifting WiFi channels makes very little impact on the performance of the both the connection speed and transfer rates. I have been lucky a few times by hitting the 150MB/s on the download, but Uploading seems to be still capped around 65-70MB/s. It is this Upload capping that I find frustrating. I transfer large 4K MKV files around on the home network.

I have done more testing. I have used a AC9560 WiFi card and found that too suffers the same Up and Download speed caps. The AC9560 connects at stable 1733Mbps but gives the same results as the AX200 card.

Changing the Power Options in Windows 10 only reduces the Download transfer speed while the Upload transfer speed remains unaffected. I thought that maybe some form of power management in either Windows 10 or the Intel driver could be the cause of my issues, just like the Green Ethernet option on NIC adaptors.

Still banging my head to get the same up and down transfer rates. I do love a good challenge.

Lee

[Alberto_Sykes]

Hello Weston-Shore, I just wanted to check if the information posted previously was useful for you and if you need further assistance on this matter?

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Weston-Shore]

I forgot to add that I have tried another router to my Asus RT-AX88U. I tried a Huawei AX3 router and had the same issues, so changing different brand of routers did not cure the problems.

Lee

[Alberto_Sykes]

Hi Weston-Shore, You are very welcome, thank you very much for providing that information.

We will continue with our research on this matter, as soon as I get any updates I will post all the details on this thread.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Alberto_Sykes]

Hello Weston-Shore, I just received an update on this matter.

After reviewing the case we determined that the computer may require a physical inspection as there could be issues with the hardware antenna. Therefore we recommend to check directly with ASUS on this topic as this scenario does not match an Intel® Wireless driver issue.

Regards,

Albert R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Weston-Shore]

Hi Albert

Unfortunately the Asus Laptop is out of warranty.  I understand that Antennas can cause performance issues especially if fitting a Single 2.4Ghz band Aerial rather than Dual Band 2.4/5Ghz to the AX200. A bad aerial will give erratic connections and poor transfer speeds. Sadly we can't get away any old aerial like we could by using a wire coat hanger on a car stereo or TV. I have checked the Antennas on both the Asus Laptop and my Z97 Tower system. They seem ok and measure open circuit on a resistance check, however all my AX200 and AX210 cards Antenna output connectors measure short DC circuit. This could be normal, as designing radio output stages is just like rocket science. I have replaced both the Antennas in the Laptop and Z97 Tower system, but still get the same results

I have used a Asus PCE-AC68 PCIe 802.11ac in my Z97 Tower system and connected to the Asus RT-AX88U router. I get 138MB/s Downloading and 130MB/s Uploading. I did not see the same characteristics using this card of a restricted upload transfer compared to using the AX200/210 cards.

I have also installed Ubuntu Linux on my Z97 Tower system with both AX200 & AX210 cards fitted. Its strange that I only get 65-70MB/s transfer speeds on both Downloading and Uploading when using a Linux system. The Linux drivers were up to date.

Could this be a manufacturing fault with the network cards? It is very puzzling indeed.

Best Regards

Lee   

[BobRJones]

After reading other posts it seems that Intel doesn't know what they're doing. It doesn't seem to be the router that's the problem, more that its the driver that's functioning. Sad that this wifi card has been out for so long and still doesn't work as advertised

[Weston-Shore]

Hi Bob

You can't just blame Intel for this as other manufacturers are just as guilty. The 802.11ax protocol standards looks great on paper, but putting the standards onto a piece of silicon and then expect it to work flawless is totally different in the real world. I believe that there are compatibility issues between the WiFi client (Intel AX2xx cards) and the WiFi Host (Broadcom Chipset Routers ie ASUS RT-AX88U). The firmware on both the client and host are in my opinion buggy as hell. There was such a rush to get the hardware out the door and into the hands of folks like us, that there was very little time to test firmware and catch any bugs. Consumers do the bug testing for manufacturers instead. Classic example is Microsoft releasing an update that borks a feature and then has to release another update to fix the previous buggy update.

Since my first post I have upgraded my system to a AMD X570e with onboard Intel AX200. I have also got hold of a Huawei ax3000 which uses a Broadcom Chipset. I've updated the Intel Drivers as well as ASUS Router firmware. But I still get the same cr** speeds. Can't even get nowhere the speeds using 802.11ac. I have noticed that ASUS borked my router a couple of versions ago as I now only get 800mbps both up and down with their latest version. I am awaiting for ASUS technical to respond to the new issues. Unfortunately due to a lack of WiFi 6 clients from other manufacturers (Intel has cornered the consumer market) it is more or less impossible to point the finger at of who is to blame or causing the problem. There is not any form of WiFi 6 Gold standard equipment us poor folks can reference performance issues to. If there were WiFi 6 client cards from other manufacturers rather than Intel then things maybe different?

In the mean time it is just hoping that maybe a software engineer somewhere looks at the source code and realise that certain lines of code will not work and cause compatibility or timing issues between the different 802.11ax Chipsets?

Lee