Issues with MLO enabled Wifi 7 Download Speed

davidfi01

Attached find an image (speedtest at router.png) of a speedtest run taken at the router. At the router, I am consistently seeing upload and download speeds of >1Gb/sec.

The router is hardwired to a NWA130BE via a switch with a 2.5GB port.

Attached (mlo setup.png) is the Nebula config for the access point. NOTE that I have configured a separate VLAN for WIFI7 and only connect Wifi7 devices to it.

When I run speedtest at the PC, I am regularly getting only 0.5 GB download speeds while I get 1 GB upload speeds.

Why can't I achieve 1 GB download speeds?

NOTE: I also connected the PC to the ap via cable at 2.5 GB (see Hardwire config.png). Using a cable to the ap regularly shows up and down speeds >1GB/sec (see Hardwire to ap results.png).

What changes to my config do I need to make?

The wifi adapter is an Intel Wifi 7 BE200

Thanks,

D

Speedtest at Router.png

Speedtest at PC.png

MLO Setup.png

Hardwire Config.png

Hardwire to AP results.png

PeterUK

bad Antenna ?

have you checked for derive updates?

Chris888

Windows on 24H2? Intel driver update? NWA on 7.10? Check connection is really on MLO (live view clients in Nebula cloud).

George993

I think there is something messed up with Intel BE200 chip. I have one, as well as a Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 and a Realtek (don't remember the version). The Intel and Realtek perform about the same. The Qualcomm is pretty fast. Like Chris888 said, check to see if its using MLO, the Realtek is supposed to support it but does not (the Unspecified manufacturer), The Intel and Qualcomm do:

8a01aed8b1c04a3894cdbd543a05ca60.png

Here is my Intel speed test:

cd2e1fc408254e72ae804709ef1295d7.png

And here is my Qualcomm speed test:

c11136e050334517af67922f97deb2e6.png

George

Aditi

I am using iPerf3 for testing Wi-Fi 5, 6, and 7 across single bands, dual-band combinations, and Multi-Link Operation (MLO). However, during dual-band tests for Wi-Fi 7, the upload speed is consistently higher than the download speed for both TCP and UDP across all test scenarios, including download, upload, and bidirectional tests. My test setup includes a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel BE201 chipset and a Samsung S24 as the second client, and the issue persists on both devices.

davidfi01

This confirms what I am seeing.

D

Chris888

I could confirm this, too. That was the reason why i switch to a WBE660S. Now up&download is nearly the same. I think the problem is based on the design of the antenna´s. But is it realy a "problem"? ;-)

davidfi01

Not sure about the antennas being the problem. The NWA130BE is a 2x2, yours is a 4x4. They are both 3 radio devices. The antenna configuration, under light load, should not be the reason for the assymetric upload/download speed difference.

Chris888

It depense…if upload is only using 1 stream/antenna….how knows. Firmware is the same. The answer only knows Zyxel.