Netgear WAX206 (Dumb AP) 5G-AX Upload Limited to 10Mbps

Apache14 · December 31, 2024, 5:18pm

Iv started seeing an odd issue with my WAX206 being used as an AP.

Download speeds are fine however upload speeds are always seemingly capped at 10mbps ( see screenshot )

Test - Client Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax) AX210

The same issue is seen on my Google Pixel 9 and Lenovo Laptop (MT7921 WiFi card)

Device Info

{
	"kernel": "5.15.167",
	"hostname": "OpenWrt",
	"system": "ARMv8 Processor rev 4",
	"model": "Netgear WAX206",
	"board_name": "netgear,wax206",
	"rootfs_type": "squashfs",
	"release": {
		"distribution": "OpenWrt",
		"version": "23.05.5",
		"revision": "r24106-10cc5fcd00",
		"target": "mediatek/mt7622",
		"description": "OpenWrt 23.05.5 r24106-10cc5fcd00"
	}
}

Network Config

config interface 'loopback'
	option device 'lo'
	option proto 'static'
	option ipaddr '127.0.0.1'
	option netmask '255.0.0.0'

config globals 'globals'
	option ula_prefix 'fdb3:f952:d609::/48'
	option packet_steering '1'

config device
	option name 'br-lan'
	option type 'bridge'
	list ports 'lan1'
	list ports 'lan2'
	list ports 'lan3'
	list ports 'lan4'
	list ports 'wan'

config interface 'lan'
	option device 'br-lan'
	option proto 'static'
	option ipaddr '192.168.1.2'
	option netmask '255.255.255.0'
	option ip6assign '60'
	option gateway '192.168.1.1'
	list dns '192.168.1.1'

WiFi Config

config wifi-device 'radio0'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path 'platform/18000000.wmac'
	option channel '10'
	option band '2g'
	option htmode 'HT40'
	option cell_density '0'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio0'
	option device 'radio0'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'beehive2'
	option encryption 'sae-mixed'
	option key '****'

config wifi-device 'radio1'
	option type 'mac80211'
	option path '1a143000.pcie/pci0000:00/0000:00:00.0/0000:01:00.0'
	option channel '104'
	option band '5g'
	option htmode 'HE80'
	option cell_density '0'
	option country 'GB'

config wifi-iface 'default_radio1'
	option device 'radio1'
	option network 'lan'
	option mode 'ap'
	option ssid 'beehive'
	option encryption 'sae-mixed'
	option key '****'

Wed Enabled

root@OpenWrt:~# cat /etc/modules.conf 
# examples:
# options mod1 option=val
# blacklist mod2
options mt7915e wed_enable=Y

As this is a dumb AP and not using all ports bridged i installed bridger and have hardware flow offloading enabled and am getting the (seemingly) correct outputs from /sys/kernel/debug/ppe0/bind :

root@OpenWrt:~# cat /sys/kernel/debug/ppe0/bind 
0034a BND IPv4 5T orig=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32858 new=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32858 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=364 bytes=552552
00356 BND IPv4 5T orig=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32852 new=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32852 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=190 bytes=288420
00392 BND IPv4 5T orig=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32822 new=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32822 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=8382 bytes=12720980
0039a BND IPv4 5T orig=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32818 new=195.8.126.250:8080->192.168.1.139:32818 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=351 bytes=531370
00ba2 BND IPv4 5T orig=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55892 new=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55892 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=790 bytes=1197772
00bc2 BND IPv4 5T orig=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55908 new=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55908 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=621 bytes=941230
00dd0 BND IPv4 5T orig=129.67.206.50:8080->192.168.1.139:42722 new=129.67.206.50:8080->192.168.1.139:42722 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=24687 bytes=37400054
00dd8 BND IPv4 5T orig=129.67.206.50:8080->192.168.1.139:42726 new=129.67.206.50:8080->192.168.1.139:42726 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=1701 bytes=2577774
00e16 BND IPv4 5T orig=129.67.206.50:8080->192.168.1.139:42752 new=129.67.206.50:8080->192.168.1.139:42752 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=676 bytes=1024720
0137a BND IPv4 5T orig=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55864 new=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55864 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=202 bytes=306636
0139a BND IPv4 5T orig=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55880 new=185.151.31.4:8080->192.168.1.139:55880 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=644 bytes=977592
01702 BND IPv4 5T orig=81.16.176.244:8080->192.168.1.139:42630 new=81.16.176.244:8080->192.168.1.139:42630 eth=22:69:ac:9c:43:51->e8:f4:08:d8:a2:7f etype=0008 vlan=0,256 ib1=21405282 ib2=007e0460 packets=496 bytes=752928

Things I have tried :

Remove bridger and disable hw flow offloading
Disable WED on wifi module
Reboots (many)
Different channels and 40/80/160 widths

Edit, this also affects my 2G network as well

Any other suggestions would be appreciated, thanks

Apache14 · December 31, 2024, 5:31pm

For context this is my ISP provided speeds tested on a 2.5Gbps Ethernet Client

frollic · December 31, 2024, 5:36pm

Sae-mixed is usually a bad wifi security setting.

Apache14 · December 31, 2024, 6:56pm

How so ? (i have clients that need WPA2 but most can use WPA3)

joostnl · January 1, 2025, 12:13pm

Reason i don't know, on my wax206 5ghz with, WPA2 PSK, i get 940/940. WPA3 is also bad for a lot of IOT devices so why use it.

frollic · January 1, 2025, 12:18pm

Create two SSIDs, one with WPA2, one with 3, but the chain obviously isn't stronger than the weakest link.

Apache14 · January 1, 2025, 1:27pm

Out of interest what channel/ regulatory region are you using ?

Also hardware offload enabled with WED ?

I will switch off WPA3 and see if that helps

Apache14 · January 1, 2025, 1:28pm

But having 2 SSIDs one with WPA2 and the other WPA3 is surely no more secure than having one with mixed / transition mode WPA2/3 ?

frollic · January 1, 2025, 1:33pm

Indeed, except mixed works sh-t.

joostnl · January 1, 2025, 1:35pm

For your interest the speed is measured with a Pixel 9.
5ghz
Country Netherlands
Channel 36
160MHz
Software and hardware offload, enabled
Fast roaming enabled
WED, never heard off