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CityFibre Multi-Gig Equipment: A Home Network Checklist
CityFibre multi-gig equipment needs to be checked from the router through to the device you use. A fast broadband package does not remove a slower Ethernet port, an underpowered router or a weak Wi-Fi connection. This checklist helps you find those limits before you buy hardware.
Still deciding whether to upgrade? Read whether CityFibre multi-gig is worth it. For current broadband packages, visit Exascale’s CityFibre broadband page.
1. Check the router’s WAN port
The WAN port connects the router to the fibre ONT. To carry more than 1Gbps over that Ethernet link, both ends must support a suitable multi-gig link rate. A router with only a gigabit WAN port will limit the connection through it, even if its Wi-Fi branding advertises much higher theoretical rates.
Check the exact router model and port specification. Do not assume every socket on the same device has the same speed. Leave the network-provided ONT in place and ask your provider if you are unsure which connection to use.
2. Check LAN ports and switches
For a single wired computer to receive more than 1Gbps, the router’s LAN port and every switch port along that path must support the required rate. One gigabit link in that path becomes a bottleneck.
A faster connection can also serve several devices at once, with each using less than the total capacity. Decide whether you need multi-gig speed to one workstation, shared capacity across the house, or both; the equipment requirements are different.
3. Check the computer or adapter
Look at the Ethernet adapter’s supported speeds, not just whether the computer has a network socket. An external adapter also depends on its USB or other host connection and the correct driver. Confirm the negotiated link speed in the operating system after connecting.
Real file transfers may also be limited by the computer’s storage, processor or the remote service. A multi-gig network link alone does not guarantee that an application will sustain the same throughput.
4. Inspect the cabling and installed links
Check the cable specification, condition and the speed the link actually negotiates. Wall sockets, patch leads and intermediate connections all form part of the path. Replace damaged or unsuitable components rather than assuming the broadband service is responsible for a link that falls back to a lower rate.
5. Check router performance and compatibility
Port speed is only part of the specification. The router needs enough processing capacity for the traffic and enabled features, such as VPNs, filtering or traffic inspection. Those features can change its usable throughput.
If you are supplying your own router, follow our Exascale bring your own router guide for service compatibility and configuration requirements. This equipment checklist does not replace those settings.
6. Treat Wi-Fi as a separate performance check
Wireless performance depends on both router and client capabilities, signal strength, interference and building layout. A Wi-Fi 7 router does not turn an older phone or laptop into a Wi-Fi 7 device. Advertised wireless link rates are also different from application throughput.
Where reliable high throughput matters, consider a suitable wired connection. For coverage across several rooms, assess access-point placement and how those access points connect back to the router.
7. Test one part of the path at a time
Begin with a suitable wired device connected directly to the router, then add switches and other links back into the path. Check negotiated port speeds and pause unrelated heavy transfers. Use our CityFibre speed testing guide to interpret results and distinguish broadband performance from an in-home limitation.
Before you order equipment
Write down the exact models, port speeds and links you already have. Check the router supplied with your chosen package before buying a replacement. Current package and router information belongs on the CityFibre broadband service page; older announcements may describe equipment or offers that have since changed.
