D-Link Router as a repeater

skyvolt · Nov 16, 2016

Hi. I bought a DIR-615 D-Link router. It has WiFi repeater function. I have it set up accordingly to the manual. The repeater function started to work okay. I set it up with the same SSID and password as the ISP router so my wireless equipment can connect to it without the need to select a different SSID.

But I noticed that when I am connected to the repeater the internet speed is degraded a lot. I have a 30Mbps internet connection. When connected through the WiFi repeater, I get a speed test of 10Mbps and sometimes 4Mbps! If I am connected through the WiFi of the ISP router (that is a Humax HG100R), the speed of the connection is at full capacity, about 30 to 31 Mbps.

So the ISP router with its default WiFi is better than the repeater WiFi. Does the repeater lose performance due the fact that it is repeating the WiFi signal?

If I bring a LAN cable from the ISP router to the DIR-615, configure it as an AP, not a repeater, and set it as a different WiFi network, should I get a better performance?

The DIR-615 has the latest firmware installed already.

I don't know why I lost so much performance with this repeater thing.

Thank you for your answers and help.

Solandri · Nov 16, 2016

You've got two different things going on:

1) The speed degradation is unavoidable, especially if you're repeating on the same channel. The repeater is basically spending half its time listening for WiFi traffic to repeat. So the minimum speed degradation is 50%. Depending on distances and signal strength (both from main router to repeater, and repeater to device), your speed can be even slower.

Yes a LAN cable from your main router to an access point would (in theory) give much better performance, since it won't have to spend half its time listening for the main router's WiFi broadcasts. In your case however....

2) The DIR-615 is a 802.11n router. Typical n speeds are about 10-15 MB/s (real world throughput, not theoretical max). There are some not-widely-supported variants which can go faster, but 10-15 MB/s is what I've seen from the vast majority of n routers. If you're getting 30-31 MB/s fro your ISP's router, it's probably a 802.11ac router. And ac typically gives speeds of 20-35 MB/s, though I've seen as high as 45 MB/s in rare cases. (Edit: I misread your speed figures as MB/s)

So even if you hook up the DIR-615 with a LAN cable and use it as an access point, I wouldn't expect speeds faster than 15 MB/s . You'll need a 802-11ac router/access point for that.

skyvolt · Nov 18, 2016

Solandri :

You've got two different things going on:

1) The speed degradation is unavoidable, especially if you're repeating on the same channel. The repeater is basically spending half its time listening for WiFi traffic to repeat. So the minimum speed degradation is 50%. Depending on distances and signal strength (both from main router to repeater, and repeater to device), your speed can be even slower.

Yes a LAN cable from your main router to an access point would (in theory) give much better performance, since it won't have to spend half its time listening for the main router's WiFi broadcasts. In your case however....

2) The DIR-615 is a 802.11n router. Typical n speeds are about 10-15 Mbps (real world throughput, not theoretical max). There are some not-widely-supported variants which can go faster, but 10-15 Mbps is what I've seen from the vast majority of n routers. If you're getting 30-31 Mbps fro your ISP's router, it's probably a 802.11ac router. And ac typically gives speeds of 20-35 Mbps, though I've seen as high as 45 Mbps in rare cases.

So even if you hook up the DIR-615 with a LAN cable and use it as an access point, I wouldn't expect speeds faster than 15 Mbps. You'll need a 802-11ac router/access point for that.

Solandri, your answer enlightened me a lot. Thank you so much. I didn't pay attention to the router specs. I just read what is in the box (can go to 300 Mbps WiFi speed). I should have done a little research before buying that router.

Solandri · Nov 20, 2016

Ugh, sorry, I didn't even notice I'd copied Mbps from your post. The real-world speeds I gave are MB/s. I will correct it in my original post (though obviously not in your quote).

If your main router's max speed is really 30 Mbps (not 30 MB/s), then an 802.11ac router won't help (won't hurt either). And your speed issues with the DIR-615 are likely due to acting as a repeater and can be solved by running a LAN cable to it and using it as an access point.

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D-Link Router as a repeater

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