Hub 4 modem mode with Unifi Router - Speed Tests

[parkerc]

Hi,

I’ve recently signed up to a Virgin fibre 500mbps service, and when I connected to the hub initially, with the default set up, I could see (via Sam Knows speed test) I was getting slightly over 500.

Since then I’ve switched to modem mode and connected it into my Unifi home set up, but I’m unable to get anything higher than 125 mbps, even if I go directly* into to USG ? (*By that i mean , plug virgin cable from hub4 into the USG WAN port, and a PC lan cable directly into USG LAN 1 port)?

Is anyone else using virgin fibre, in modem mode, with a Unifi router? if so, what speeds are you seeing, do you see a reduction in speed?  Is there anything you had to do to improve the performance ? 

[Timwilky]

I cannot comment on your Ubiquiti kit as I know nought about it.

What I can say is my own experience with the hub 4 is generally very good in modem mode and I get a full 1150Mb download to my firewall.

Why do you have a hub 4 for a 500Mb service? The default for that should be a hub3.

Remove the unifi router. plug your pc directly into the hub and reboot. what does the speed test say when no unifi?

[parkerc]

Hi @Timwilky, no idea why they gave me the Hub 4, I’ll have to defer to Virgin and the installer on that, but by the sounds of it, if you’re seeing over 1000, then it shouldn’t be an issue.

Coincidently I found another post on the form with very similar symptoms - https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Speed/Problems-after-moving-to-1GB-unifi/m-p/4977650#M289540

I’ll try a direct connection again, as I recall doing that first (not sure if that was in Modem mode or not), and that was giving me the full 500, hence I was surprised when I put the Unifi (USG) Router in between it would seem to max around 120-140. 

[parkerc]

Ok, the weekend is here and I have some time to do some testing.

1) powered down the Hub4 (which is already in modem mode) and connected it directly to a PC (which is not powered on)

2) powered on the Hub4 - I wish the led ring would progress through colours whilst it’s booting up, The led ring eventually starts slowing fading on and off, then a quick flash and it stays on. (I assume that is the end)

3) powered on the PC (which is now fully exposed to the internet) - running ipconfig from the command line shows I have an 80.x.x.x IP. 

4) I open chrome browser and run Samknows speed test (broadband performance.co.uk - which returns 16.4 latency, 553 mbps download and 38.4 mbps upload.

All looks good, now I somehow need to get my Unifi to see the same thing, so let’s start again and put the Unifi in between.

5) Power off the Hub4, connect the same cable that went into the PC earlier into the WAN port of the USG3 (which is also powered off.) and now plug a new cable into the LAN port of the USG and put that into the PC (which is not powered on)

6) power up the Hub4, wait for that to finish again

7) power up the USG3, wait for that to finish (i had to try this a couple of times, keeping in mind to led on the Unifi won’t turn blue as it’s not able to see the controller.)

😎 power up the PC and wait, (check ipconfig I can see it has a local 192.168.1.x address so the USG is now in the middle acting as a router)

9) I open chrome browser and run Samknows speed test (broadband performance.co.uk - which returns 17.5 latency, 123.3 mbps download and 39.8 mbps upload.

So it seems, I’m back to that approx 120 mbps limitation. fyI - I’ve tried different cables from the USG to the PC and it’s still always around the same speed. 126.3, 123.3, 126.4 mbps !! Weird !

Thoughts ?

[carl_pearce]

Maybe give this a go?

https://community.ui.com/questions/USG-Slow-Internet-Throughput/25fa6967-cbbe-4c87-94ff-bf48dafc3e84...

or

https://community.ui.com/questions/USG-Slow-Internet-Throughput/25fa6967-cbbe-4c87-94ff-bf48dafc3e84...

or

https://community.ui.com/questions/USG-Slow-Internet-Throughput/25fa6967-cbbe-4c87-94ff-bf48dafc3e84...

Looks like plenty of people having the same issue!

[parkerc]

I’ve tried most of the suggestions in the above Ubiquiti forum posts, turning off threat monitoring helped a but allowed me to get a top speed of 140mbps, but that’s it so far..

Really struggling to find the cause/bottleneck? Any ideas ?

[Tom_W1]

Hi @parkerc, thanks a lot for your post here in the community.

I've ran diagnostics to your network just in case there was an issue, and there aren't any faults on the line just for your reassurance.

We don't support third party devices unfortunately here on the forums, but I will leave this thread open in case any of our valuable VIP's can assist further.

Many thanks

[legacy1]

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@Tom_W1 wrote:

We don't support third party devices unfortunately here on the forums...

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🙄

So what speed you get with the PC to the hub in modem mode?

on my old EdgeRouter Lite there was a offload option for forwarding or HWNAT to improve speed for NAT 

[pbeesley]

I use a UDM pro and have a 1.3Gb service, my regular speed test from the UDM is hitting 

676 down and 30 up.

on speed test just after I ran this I got 485 down and 31up. 

I do use IDS and a traffic monitor, plus I run a couple of VPN tunnels at home and we do use Netflix and prime quite a bit. 

I don't think I have ever gotten anywhere near the advertised speed. 

I do find first thing in the morning is the fastest time, I don't know if this corresponds to the Americans being in bed, but speed definitely reduces between 11 and 1pm when they are getting up and now (19:03) is probably one of the slowest times for me. 

Im still happy with the service, I was happy at 350mbps but they offered me the upgrade and it was a fiver a month. 

One thing I have found since upgrading to Unifi is the stability of the connection is so much better, I was running a Langear Night hawk before upgrading and it was dropping the connection every few days, it would recover but its a pain in a55 when you are watching something and you have to either sit and wait or pull the cord. 

I hope you get some answers and that it does improve for you. 😀

[parkerc]

Hi @legacy1, when I’ve tried a direct connection, i get the full 500 Mbps,

However I’ve just tried a netgear router and that didn’t even get over 20 Mbps, so it seems something weird might be happening (at least for me) when you I add a 3rd party router into the set up.

[parkerc]

I found this online (https://evanmccann.net/blog/unifi-routers-overview) which suggests, at best with IDP/IDS on a Unifi USG, you’ll get 85 Mbps, (although I was hitting slightly more than that) but with it switched off I should be fine, it says here, with DPI I should be able to see 930 Mbps (which is more than I need, I’m just looking for something closer to 500 Mbps ☹️)

So @pbeesley, even for you, with your UDM Pro, and all protections on, you really should easily see the full 1.3 Gb service you’re ultimately paying for..