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What Wi-Fi speeds can be achieved with the FRITZ!Repeater (Mesh Master)?
Manufacturers state the maximum Wi-Fi speeds that can be achieved as the maximum gross data rates that are technically possible. However, the actual user data rates available for file downloads, video streams, etc., are lower.
In this guide, we tell you which factors determine the gross data rates, which user data rates you can actually achieve with the FRITZ!Repeater (Mesh Master) and your wireless devices, and what you can do if these data rates are too low.
1 What determines the gross data rate?
The maximum possible speed of a Wi-Fi connection (gross data rate) is determined by the wireless device with the slowest speed and depends on three factors:
- the wireless standard (for example Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6),
- the number of data streams in MIMO multi-antenna technology (for example 1x1, 4x4),
- the channel bandwidth (for example 20 MHz, 160 MHz).
2 Which gross data rates does the FRITZ!Repeater support?
In the following table you can find the gross data rates of current FRITZ!Repeater models with FRITZ!OS 8 that are used as a Mesh Master:
FRITZ!Repeater model | Max. gross data rate | |
---|---|---|
FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX ¹ | 2400 Mbit/s (5-GHz II, Wi-Fi 6, 4x4 data streams with 80-MHz channel bandwidth) | |
1200 Mbit/s (5-GHz I, Wi-Fi 6, 2x2 data streams with 80-MHz channel bandwidth) | ||
1733 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 5, 4x4 data streams with 80-MHz channel bandwidth) | ||
300 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 4, 2x2 data streams with 40-MHz channel bandwidth) | ||
¹ Supports 160 MHz Wi-Fi connections |
3 Which gross data rate does the wireless device support?
Refer to the manufacturer for information on the maximum possible gross data rates and other properties of the wireless device (supported wireless standards, frequency bands, data streams, and channel bandwidths), for example consult the manual. If you cannot find this information, you can refer to the current gross data rates of the wireless device that is displayed in the FRITZ!Repeater user interface:
- Click on 'Home Network' in the user interface of the FRITZ!Repeater (Mesh Master).
- Click on 'Mesh' in the 'Home Network' menu.
- Click the
(Edit) button next to the device you want to configure.
- Click on 'Wi-Fi connection' and take note of the 'Max. data rate possible' and 'Current throughput' for the Wi-Fi connection. Each of the first values shows the gross data rate for the 'upstream' (send direction) and the second value shows the gross data rate for the 'downstream' (receive direction).
4 What determines the user data rate?
As with all radio technologies, Wi-Fi is a so-called 'shared medium'. Therefore, all of the wireless devices connected to the FRITZ!Repeater (Mesh Master) must share the total available gross data rates.
Since the gross data rates also include control data and overhead (protocol overhead), the actual user data rates available are lower. Under ideal conditions, the user data rates for Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 are around 60-65%, for Wi-Fi 5 they are around 50%, and for Wi-Fi 4 they are around 40% of the gross data rates.
Since data packets are lost with increasing distance and when sources of interference are present and have to be resent repeatedly, the achievable user data rates are usually lower in practice.
5 How can the user data rate be measured?
We recommend using FRITZ!App Wi-Fi to measure the user data rate and determine the influence of interference and distance on it. FRITZ!App Wi-Fi is available for mobile devices with Android and iOS; while it is measuring, it displays the user data rate of the mobile device that can actually be achieved at the respective location. The speed of the internet connection does not matter.
Start the measurement process directly next to the FRITZ!Repeater by tapping 'Measure Wi-Fi' in FRITZ!App Wi-Fi and then move away from the FRITZ!Repeater to observe the effects of distance on the user data rate in real time.
6 How can the Wi-Fi speed be increased?
In the factory settings, the FRITZ!Repeater (Mesh Master) already evaluates its Wi-Fi environment and the quality of the connection of the wireless devices connected to it at regular intervals and automatically selects the best possible settings for stable and fast Wi-Fi connections. A significant increase of the Wi-Fi speed can therefore usually only be achieved by using additional FRITZ!Repeaters.
However, if the Wi-Fi speed of the connection between your wireless devices and the FRITZ!Repeater is always very low regardless of the distance, web pages only load slowly, or video streams stop playing, follow the steps in our guide Slow Wi-Fi connection.
7 Overview of Wi-Fi speeds
The following table lists examples of the maximum gross data rate and the maximum user data rate for various wireless standards, data streams, and channel bandwidths:
Wi-Fi standard | Data streams | Channel bandwidth | Max. gross data rate | Max. user data rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wi-Fi 7 | 4x4 | 320 MHz | 11530 Mbit/s | ≈ 6900 Mbit/s |
160 MHz | 5760 Mbit/s | ≈ 3450 Mbit/s | ||
80 MHz | 2880 Mbit/s | ≈ 1730 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 1440 Mbit/s | ≈ 860 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 720 Mbit/s | ≈ 430 Mbit/s | ||
3x3 | 320 MHz | 8640 Mbit/s | ≈ 5180 Mbit/s | |
160 MHz | 4320 Mbit/s | ≈ 2590 Mbit/s | ||
80 MHz | 2160 Mbit/s | ≈ 1290 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 1080 Mbit/s | ≈ 645 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 540 Mbit/s | ≈ 330 Mbit/s | ||
2x2 | 320 MHz | 5760 Mbit/s | ≈ 3450 Mbit/s | |
160 MHz | 2880 Mbit/s | ≈ 1730 Mbit/s | ||
80 MHz | 1440 Mbit/s | ≈ 860 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 720 Mbit/s | ≈ 430 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 360 Mbit/s | ≈ 220 Mbit/s | ||
1x1 | 320 MHz | 2880 Mbit/s | ≈ 1730 Mbit/s | |
160 MHz | 1440 Mbit/s | ≈ 860 Mbit/s | ||
80 MHz | 720 Mbit/s | ≈ 430 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 360 Mbit/s | ≈ 215 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 180 Mbit/s | ≈ 110 Mbit/s | ||
Wi-Fi 6 | 4x4 | 160 MHz | 4800 Mbit/s | ≈ 2880 Mbit/s |
80 MHz | 2400 Mbit/s | ≈ 1440 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 1200 Mbit/s | ≈ 720 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 600 Mbit/s | ≈ 360 Mbit/s | ||
3x3 | 160 MHz | 3600 Mbit/s | ≈ 2160 Mbit/s | |
80 MHz | 1800 Mbit/s | ≈ 1080 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 900 Mbit/s | ≈ 540 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 450 Mbit/s | ≈ 270 Mbit/s | ||
2x2 | 160 MHz | 2400 Mbit/s | ≈ 1440 Mbit/s | |
80 MHz | 1200 Mbit/s | ≈ 720 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 600 Mbit/s | ≈ 360 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 300 Mbit/s | ≈ 180 Mbit/s | ||
1x1 | 160 MHz | 1200 Mbit/s | ≈ 720 Mbit/s | |
80 MHz | 600 Mbit/s | ≈ 360 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 300 Mbit/s | ≈ 180 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 150 Mbit/s | ≈ 90 Mbit/s | ||
Wi-Fi 5 | 4x4 | 160 MHz | 3466 Mbit/s | ≈ 1720 Mbit/s |
80 MHz | 1733 Mbit/s | ≈ 860 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 800 Mbit/s | ≈ 360 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 347 Mbit/s | ≈ 175 Mbit/s | ||
3x3 | 160 MHz | 2600 Mbit/s | ≈ 1200 Mbit/s | |
80 MHz | 1300 Mbit/s | ≈ 600 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 600 Mbit/s | ≈ 300 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 289 Mbit/s | ≈ 130 Mbit/s | ||
2x2 | 160 MHz | 1733 Mbit/s | ≈ 860 Mbit/s | |
80 MHz | 866 Mbit/s | ≈ 430 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 400 Mbit/s | ≈ 200 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 173 Mbit/s | ≈ 85 Mbit/s | ||
1x1 | 160 MHz | 866 Mbit/s | ≈ 430 Mbit/s | |
80 MHz | 433 Mbit/s | ≈ 215 Mbit/s | ||
40 MHz | 200 Mbit/s | ≈ 100 Mbit/s | ||
20 MHz | 86 Mbit/s | ≈ 40 Mbit/s | ||
Wi-Fi 4 | 4x4 | 40 MHz¹ | 600 or 800 Mbit/s² | ≈ 240 or 320 Mbit/s² |
20 MHz | 288 Mbit/s | ≈ 120 Mbit/s | ||
3x3 | 40 MHz¹ | 450 or 600 Mbit/s² | ≈ 180 or 240 Mbit/s² | |
20 MHz | 216 Mbit/s | ≈ 90 Mbit/s | ||
2x2 | 40 MHz¹ | 300 or 400 Mbit/s² | ≈ 120 or 160 Mbit/s² | |
20 MHz | 144 Mbit/s | ≈ 60 Mbit/s | ||
1x1 | 40 MHz¹ | 150 or 200 Mbit/s² | ≈ 60 or 80 Mbit/s² | |
20 MHz | 72 Mbit/s | ≈ 30 Mbit/s | ||
¹ Only usable in Wi-Fi environments with few Wi-Fi networks in the 2.4-GHz frequency band. ² Depending on the modulation method (64 QAM or 256 QAM) of the wireless devices |