2 Google Nest Wifi routers in network not using full bandwidth of wired connection

[sammckenzie]

I have two Nest Wifi H2D units hardwired with Ethernet cabling on either side of my house. The main router, where my ISP modem is, has the ISP connected to the Globe (WAN) port, and the rest of my wired network on a switch connected to the LAN port, including my other Nest Wifi Router's WAN port.

Running a mesh test, the app says that the secondary router's connection is only "Good" when wired, and when I unplug the ethernet cable connecting the two, restart the secondary, and run another mesh test, it says it's a "Great" connection? Checking the details of a device connected to the secondary router, it seems to be about 90 Mbps speed when wired, and around 120 Mbps wireless.

How is this occurring? I would have thought the two routers being hardwired together would take advantage of the full Gigabit connection between them? Am I better off just leaving the secondary in Wireless mode then, not using the ethernet cable going back to the primary router?

[MichaelP · Accepted solution]

Hello @sammckenzie 

Any time I see an Ethernet connection running at just under 100Mbps I first suspect the cable itself, since a 1Gbps connection will fall back to 100Mbps ("fast" Ethernet) when it can't get all four pairs of wires to connect properly. I would test the Ethernet cable running to that wired secondary Nest WiFi Router to ensure it doesn't have any issues. If it tests out fine, it may still be having trouble making a solid connection to one of the ports on either end (the switch or the secondary Nest WiFi Router). In particular, if either connection requires bending the cable significantly to get it to fit, that can cause the "outer" pins on the connection to not make solid connection. This can happen more often when using a Cat6 cable, for example, or just one that has a longer, stiffer, strain relief.

There are other possibilities, but this is where I would start.

[sammckenzie]

Hi Michael, thanks for the suggestion, I swapped the patch cable from the wall plate to the secondary router with the Google provided one and now seeing speeds over 400mbps. Thanks for the help!