Slow ping times for some clients

[Karl_Jacobsen]

I've been getting some complaints from some users about slow network performance on our wireless network. I've run a throughput test and it's great, no problems there. I pinged the clients from the access point and I'm seeing ping times en excess of 200ms. Other clients on the same AP are getting 3ms ping response. The clients that are slow are relatively new equipment (a MS Surface and an iPad Pro). Signal strength is high (52db). The fact that I can ping others on that AP with good results says it's a client issue and not a wireless issue. Is there anything I can do to help them?

[kYutobi]

Check minimum bitrate on your SSID and see if it improves. 

[NolanHerring]

Minimum bit rate in this case won't do anything. As long as you have 6Mbps or above set for 5GHz, or 12Mbps for 2.4GHz, you'll be good.

Is the SSID 5GHz only? Its possible that those two clients that had high ping responses were connecting on the 2.4GHz radio, if your SSID is dual-band that is.

Can you identify any interference nearby?

Are you able to update the wireless driver on the Surface? I recommend the 20.120.x.x package.

Make sure the iPad is also up-to-date, but otherwise no real control of the driver in that device.

[Karl_Jacobsen]

The network is set for Dual band operation with Band Steering and the minimum bit rate is set to 1. This is for our staff Vlan and used across two offices. Is there a way to tell if a client connected at 2.4 or at 5GHz? This particular client(s) are in a small office with a printer, the AP, and 2 to 3 users. Because they are well isolated, I could make a quick test network that is 5GHz only and see if that helps.

I'll check in with them about the drivers too.

[NolanHerring · Accepted solution]

Unless you have actual 802.11b clients, do yourself a huge favor and move the minimum rate slider to 12Mbps (since you have dual-band). This will kill off 802.11b (1/2/5.5/11), which consumes huge amounts of airtime due to the overhead of the management frames.

If you click on the AP the clients are using, it will show you the channel the client is on.

Changing it to 5GHz only for 'corporate' is my approach. Guest i'll use dual-band.

[Karl_Jacobsen]

Thanks Nolan! I'll go with this. I use a 6+ year old HP as a working laptop and it's sees a 5GHz test network fine. I'll implement a plan to ditch the old 2.4 on the corporate.

[BlakeRichardson]

We ditched 2.4Ghz last year as there is just fair to much interference on that frequency from neighbouring properties. Since we stopped using it most of our problems have gone.