Slow connection on full fibre mesh network

[lingus99]

Just looking for some advice.

I have recently had full fibre installed on a 500mb connection and I already have a BT Whole Home Wi-Fi mesh network in the house.

My speed tests through Google and Ookla are showing my speed of around 50mbps average with a maximum of 80mbps on a line that is guaranteed to provide a minimum of 425mbps. I was on chat with the BT helpdesk yesterday and was told that my mesh network isn't recommended and he then provided me with a speed test link which conveniently came out at 500mbps. I'm not saying I'm suspicious, but I'm pretty much suspicious.

My mesh network has a transfer rate of 1733mbps and I am showing good or excellent connection on all 3 discs, but now apparently I need to spend another £230 on the Premium Whole Home set up to actually get the speeds I am paying for.

Has anyone else come across this problem and is what I'm being told correct? I work in IT so I'm not a complete biff, but my speciality is on the database side and not so much networking.

Any suggestions or advice greatly appreciated.

[countrypaul · Accepted solution]

How are you testing the speed? Using what PC, iPad, Phone? How is your internal network configured? BT will be providing 500mb/s to the router (I assume a BT Smart Hub 2), but from there on it is out of BTs control and not therefore covered. If you are using an Ethernet wired recent PC with a gigabit network link directly to the router and nothing else using your network you should be able to get close to 500mb/s to that PC. If you are using an older laptop with WiFi then you will be unlikely to get close. 

The higher speed FTTP is normally expected to support multiple lower speed devices simultaneously, rather  one device at the maximum rate (though it should manage that).

The SH2 is also only a WiFi 5 device ircc,  so WiFi from the SH2 is significantly limited.

[lingus99]

Thanks Paul,
that is some great info to mull over and look into more. There is definitely some weak links with regards to some of my devices, even when wired. After reading more up on this, some of it is clearly my misunderstanding on what the expectation should be on the numbers I see from a speed test.
Appreciate the reply.