3G/3.5/3.75G speed on TP-Link MR3240

[OGroteKoning]

I noticed on the spec sheets for some other routers, there is a spec like "The router can support 3G / 3.5G speed up to 7.2 Mbps". I am looking to upgrade my existing router, but would like to do a bit of research. Please help me (and others wo are interested). I am currently favouring the TP-Link router. My "model-specific" question is: What is the official speed for the TP-Link MR3240?


And then ... What is the fastest speed you obtained with any combination? (Please answer the second question in format below)
e.g.
Download speed: 9.0 Mbps
Upload speed: 2.0 Mbps
Network: Vodacom
Area: Pretoria, Groenkloof
USB Modem make and model: K4505z
Router: Intellinet 3G 300n wireless

Thanks in advance.

[rorz0r]

Generally get more than 7.2 with the cell c black stick and the MR3240.

[kernel]

I noticed on the spec sheets for some other routers, there is a spec like "The router can support 3G / 3.5G speed up to 7.2 Mbps". I am looking to upgrade my existing router, but would like to do a bit of research. Please help me (and others wo are interested). I am currently favouring the TP-Link router. My "model-specific" question is: What is the official speed for the TP-Link MR3240?


And then ... What is the fastest speed you obtained with any combination? (Please answer the second question in format below)
e.g.
Download speed: 9.0 Mbps
Upload speed: 2.0 Mbps
Network: Vodacom
Area: Pretoria, Groenkloof
USB Modem make and model: K4505z
Router: Intellinet 3G 300n wireless

Thanks in advance.

Hi OGroteKoning

There are two models of the TP-LINK 3G router, TL-MR3220 which has wireless speeds of 150mbps and the TL-MR3420 which has speeds of 300mbps, in terms of features they are identical with the only difference being the wireless speed. The 3G speeds will be limited by the speed you're getting from your service provider and the TP-LINK routers will allow as much traffic / speed through the USB port as your service provider can send, so in other words the TP-LINK will not be the bottle neck the 3G connection will be.

[OGroteKoning]

There are two models of the TP-LINK 3G router, TL-MR3220 which has wireless speeds of 150mbps and the TL-MR3420 which has speeds of 300mbps, in terms of features they are identical with the only difference being the wireless speed. The 3G speeds will be limited by the speed you're getting from your service provider and the TP-LINK routers will allow as much traffic / speed through the USB port as your service provider can send, so in other words the TP-LINK will not be the bottle neck the 3G connection will be.

Thanks kernel for your reply. Does this mean that if the network allows it and I have a "perfect" modem rated for 21.1Mbps, that I can achieve a download speed of 21.1Mbps on the TP-Link MR3420?

[kernel]

Thankskernel for your reply. Does this mean that if the network allows it and I have a "perfect" modem rated for 21.1Mbps, that I can achieve a download speed of 21.1Mbps on the TP-Link MR3420?

Theoretically yes but in reality this is unlikely. As with most broadband offerings in SA, speeds quoted are seldom achieved, this is not because of any short coming of the modems used its because the broadband providers aren't actually giving you the claimed speeds (because of factors like contention ratio's, link quality etc...)

[OGroteKoning]

Kewl ... Like I said before, my current router manufacturer claimed a max speed of 7.2 being a 3G/3.5G rated router. You just confirmed that the TP-Link (rated 3G/3.75G) can achieve 21.1 however unlikely it is.

This means that where I get 4-6Mbps at home through my current router, I would possibly be able to average between 12-15Mbps with the TP-Link.

[ajax]

This means that where I get 4-6Mbps at home through my current router, I would possibly be able to average between 12-15Mbps with the TP-Link.

Yes. Here is an example from Madhawk (http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/258764-Cell-C-Speed-Test-Results?p=5542647&viewfull=1#post5542647).

[rorz0r]

Well if you plug the modem into your pc/laptop do you get 12-15mbps? Whatever speed you get when plugged in "directly" should be the speed you can get from your SP. The tp-link should give you the same speed.

[kernel]

Kewl ... Like I said before, my current router manufacturer claimed a max speed of 7.2 being a 3G/3.5G rated router. You just confirmed that the TP-Link (rated 3G/3.75G) can achieve 21.1 however unlikely it is.

This means that where I get 4-6Mbps at home through my current router, I would possibly be able to average between 12-15Mbps with the TP-Link.

No, the TP-LINK will not improve your internet speed, it in no way affects the internet line speed, connect your USB modem to a PC, do a bandwidth test, whatever speed you get there you will get the same speed with the TP-LINK, it may be different if the router is installed somewhere else in your house where the signal may be better or worse.

[ajax]

If his old Intellinet 3G 300n router (http://www.intellinet-network.com/en-US/products/8837) had some some sort of limitation on the speed it can handle or allow on it's USB 3G connection then the TP-Link could provide higher speeds. The specs for Intellinet seems to indicate that it won't allow speeds higher than 7.2 mbit/sec.
Maybe it's just a badly written spec?

[OGroteKoning]

No, the TP-LINK will not improve your internet speed, it in no way affects the internet line speed, connect your USB modem to a PC, do a bandwidth test, whatever speed you get there you will get the same speed with the TP-LINK, it may be different if the router is installed somewhere else in your house where the signal may be better or worse.

I know that the router will not increase the internet speed. My first question was to enquire whether the TP-Link is capable of higher speeds than the Intellinet 300n I currently have. If the TP-Link allows for a greater speed through it's hardware and software that tne Intellinet, then I am interested to purchase one.

With the Intellinet, I manage an average of 4-5Mbps download speed. With the modem in the laptop, I once got 14Mbps download speed (the best I could ever get - has not achieved it since then), but I had results of 2.5-9Mbps. Even if I had plugged the modem into the router at that same instance when I got 14Mbps, the router's limitations would have allowed 7.2Mbps at best. From what you (and others) have said here, I am under the impression that the TP-Link would have allowed me to get 14Mbps through the router because the router is rated at 21.1Mbps (3G/3.75G).

[kernel]

I know that the router will not increase the internet speed. My first question was to enquire whether the TP-Link is capable of higher speeds than the Intellinet 300n I currently have. If the TP-Link allows for a greater speed through it's hardware and software that tne Intellinet, then I am interested to purchase one.

With the Intellinet, I manage an average of 4-5Mbps download speed. With the modem in the laptop, I once got 14Mbps download speed (the best I could ever get - has not achieved it since then), but I had results of 2.5-9Mbps. Even if I had plugged the modem into the router at that same instance when I got 14Mbps, the router's limitations would have allowed 7.2Mbps at best. From what you (and others) have said here, I am under the impression that the TP-Link would have allowed me to get 14Mbps through the router because the router is rated at 21.1Mbps (3G/3.75G).

Hi OGroteKoning

Your initial question made no mention of TP-LINK vs. the Intellinet so I didnt realise you wanted a comparison between the two brands, to be fair, I've not tested an Intellinet so cannot give you a comparison, I'm also not sure which model you're wanting the comparison to be done against.

What I can say with confidence is that we've not received a single complaint that the TP-LINK 3G router is causing a bottleneck on this type of setup so yes, if the modem is actually getting a link speed of 21.1Mbps from the ISP directly connected to a Laptop for example (which eliminates potential line speed degradation through a second device) then you'd see the same link speeds using the TP-LINK router (either model).

Its important to keep the test environments the same though so modem placement (even orientation) should be identical, you should also do a number of tests between direct connection and router connection at similar times, so for example, to test link speed at 9pm and 4am isn't a fair comparison.

[OGroteKoning]

Thanks kernel. Methinks that is the answer!!

[OGroteKoning]

Well if you plug the modem into your pc/laptop do you get 12-15mbps? Whatever speed you get when plugged in "directly" should be the speed you can get from your SP. The tp-link should give you the same speed.

Thanks rorz0r. I will do more tests when I get home!

[OGroteKoning]

If his old Intellinet 3G 300n router (http://www.intellinet-network.com/en-US/products/8837) had some some sort of limitation on the speed it can handle or allow on it's USB 3G connection then the TP-Link could provide higher speeds. The specs for Intellinet seems to indicate that it won't allow speeds higher than 7.2 mbit/sec.
Maybe it's just a badly written spec?

I wondered about that ... but it's like that on their website. I don't think they will post wrong information.

[kernel]

last point that I never mentioned is that, the TP-LINK is not "capped" at 21mbps, this as far as I'm aware is the fastest available 3G connectivity speed so the router is "limited" to those speeds by the speed of the 3G dongle, so if a 40mbps offering was to be made available, in theory you would be able to get these speeds using the TP-LINK routers.

[Jola]

Some routers do drop the available speed, a good example is the Dovado UMR. The newer ones are better, I believe.

[OGroteKoning]

Some routers do drop the available speed, a good example is the Dovado UMR. The newer ones are better, I believe.

I realised that last night - Check this out. (Using a K4505-z and Intellinet 300n 3G wireless router)

Modem plugged directly into laptop at +- 19:45 last night
Download speed (Mbps): 4.82; 6.49; 6.18; 5.51; 5.20
Upload speed (Mbps): 1.00; 1.71; 1.47; 1.64; 1.73
Latency (ms): 77; 67; 69; 51; 132

Average
Download speed (Mbps): 5.64
Upload speed (Mbps): 1.51
Latency (ms): 79.2

Modem plugged into the router. Laptop connected wirelessly +- 20:00 last night
Download speed (Mbps): 2.31; 4.02; 4.11; 1.63; 2.53
Upload speed (Mbps): 1.65; 1.39; 1.42; 2.00; 2.09
Latency (ms): 61; 54; 71; 62; 65

Average
Download speed (Mbps): 2.92
Upload speed (Mbps): 1.71
Latency (ms): 62.6

I was stunned at the big difference. Now I am in two minds - (1) Don't get a new router because the effect will be the same, or (2) Get a new router because the difference could be negligible

[OGroteKoning]

Some feedback for those interested. I spoke to the guys at Intellinet and they confirmed that the router will not give me more than 7.2Mbps ...
.................. THE PLOT THICKENS ........................
They did however send me the newest firmware because of the results I had above and I thought there is not much to lose so I installed it.
For kicks, I tested the K4505z in the router and got the following results - http://speedtest.net/result/1448031840.png (7.44Mbps download)
... and I tested with the modem in the laptop and got these results - http://speedtest.net/result/1448034196.png (8.03Mbps download)
I am on cloud nine since it seems the firmware sorted out the huge difference in speed but what boggles my mind is why on earth did I get a speed of 7.44Mbps whent they claim it won't do more than 7.2Mbps??????? Do you think they might have been conservative with their specs or could it be something else??