Help: The theoretical rate of the device is 2.4Gbps, but the actual bandwidth test is only more than 500Mbps

[chyi0]

Content: Hello everyone,

I encountered a problem when using two identical devices to test bandwidth. The theoretical rate is shown as 2.4Gbps, but when tested by the Bandwidth Test in the tool, the actual rate is only over 500Mbps, which is much lower than the theoretical rate. When the device is stationary, the signal strength and other parameters are relatively stable, but the bandwidth still cannot meet expectations.

Here are my devices and test conditions:

Device model: L11UG-5HaxD 7.18.2

Frequency band: 5GHz AX

Wireless standard: 802.11ax

Channel width: 20/40/80/160MHz

Test protocol: UDP / TCP (tried)

Test settings: device is stationary, signal strength is stable

Device configuration: two devices are exactly the same, one is AP mode and the other is Station Bridge mode

Actual speed result: about 500Mbps

Theoretical rate: 2.4Gbps

I have tried the following operations:

Make sure that both the device and the wireless network card support 802.11ax and the maximum rate.

Adjusted the channel and bandwidth settings, tried multiple channels (5500, 5320, 5805, etc.).

Used different protocols (UDP and TCP), but the rate did not increase significantly.

Checked the MTU setting and other network parameters.

Make sure the settings for AP mode and Station Bridge mode are correct.

Although the device shows that it supports 2.4Gbps, the expected bandwidth seems to be unattainable in actual testing, and the rate is around 500Mbps.

I would like to ask you:

Are there other configurations that need to be adjusted to better utilize the theoretical bandwidth?

Is the bandwidth test result not ideal due to configuration issues between AP mode and Station Bridge mode?

Are there any other diagnostic methods or experiences that can help find the bandwidth bottleneck?

Is the actual rate limited by the network environment, hardware performance, or other factors?

Thank you very much for your help!

[chyi0]

This is static state

This is the test status

[erlinden]

At what rate are the devices connected? Aah, you just added a post, 2.4Gbps.
BTest is a great tool, just not for this purpose. It is CPU heavy, have you checked cpu load during test?

Get two pc’s, connect them with wire to the RB’s and perform a test with iperf:
https://iperf.fr/iperf-download.php

[normis]

Btest is a bad way to do tests, because it needs to “create random data” on the device, and this loads the CPU.

Just do normal iperf tests from one PC to another PC, so that connection goes through the router.

[chyi0]

I connected the PC and used iperf to measure more than 100 mbps. My network cable may not reach Gigabit. It is difficult to replace the network cable at present, so I thought of using bandwidth test. I just want to test whether the wireless bandwidth can reach Gigabit.

At what rate are the devices connected? Aah, you just added a post, 2.4Gbps.
BTest is a great tool, just not for this purpose. It is CPU heavy, have you checked cpu load during test?

Get two pc's, connect them with wire to the RB's and perform a test with iperf:
https://iperf.fr/iperf-download.php

[chyi0]

So the best way is to replace the network cable and use iperf test, is that right?

Btest is a bad way to do tests, because it needs to “create random data” on the device, and this loads the CPU.

Just do normal iperf tests from one PC to another PC, so that connection goes through the router.

[erlinden]

So the best way is to replace the network cable and use iperf test, is that right?

Yes!

[chyi0]

ok，thanks

So the best way is to replace the network cable and use iperf test, is that right?

Yes!

[chyi0]

Using jperf, the bandwidth still cannot reach 1000mbps

ok，thanks

Yes!

[normis]

This is now improved. The actual wireless speed is close to with what can realistically be achieved, but you have room for improvemement. I think you could get 800Mbit or around that. Please note that the wireless data rate shown in your operating system reflects the maximum theoretical link speed negotiated between the client device and the access point—it does not represent the actual throughput you will see in a speed test.

This negotiated data rate is influenced by factors such as signal strength, channel conditions, and the Wi-Fi standard in use (e.g., 802.11ac, 802.11ax). Due to protocol overhead, interference, and other environmental factors, the actual usable speed is typically much lower—often around 40–60% of the negotiated rate. This is the case with all manufacturers and wireless setups.

You said the model of the AP, but what about the client device? Does it support these speeds?

[erlinden]

Don’t forget to increase the number of parallel streams (try 8 stream) to get higher throughput.

[chyi0]

The ap and client are the same model, and yes, I increased the parallel streams, and it can reach up to 870+ mbps。

This is now improved. The actual wireless speed is close to with what can realistically be achieved, but you have room for improvemement. I think you could get 800Mbit or around that. Please note that the wireless data rate shown in your operating system reflects the maximum theoretical link speed negotiated between the client device and the access point—it does not represent the actual throughput you will see in a speed test.

This negotiated data rate is influenced by factors such as signal strength, channel conditions, and the Wi-Fi standard in use (e.g., 802.11ac, 802.11ax). Due to protocol overhead, interference, and other environmental factors, the actual usable speed is typically much lower—often around 40–60% of the negotiated rate. This is the case with all manufacturers and wireless setups.

You said the model of the AP, but what about the client device? Does it support these speeds?

[chyi0]

是的，我增加了并行流，最高可以达到870多mbps

Don't forget to increase the number of parallel streams (try 8 stream) to get higher throughput.