First checks
- Ping the local gateway and an Internet address separately.
- Compare Ethernet with Wi‑Fi using the same client.
- Pause large uploads and downloads to test for queueing or bufferbloat.
How to interpret the result
High ping to the gateway points toward the local wireless link. A low gateway ping but high Internet ping points upstream. If latency rises only under load, QoS or Smart Queue features may help when correctly configured. Mesh adds another wireless hop that must be tested.
What this symptom usually does not prove
Do not choose a distant speed-test or game server and assume all measured latency belongs to the router.
Escalate with useful evidence
Record which devices are affected, whether Ethernet and Wi‑Fi behave differently, the router or gateway status, and the exact time of the fault. This evidence helps distinguish a local client issue, radio problem, routing policy, upstream service fault or failing hardware.
Before a factory reset
Restart the relevant device first and save any ISP, Wi‑Fi, reservation, port-forwarding or mesh information needed to rebuild the network. A factory reset is a configuration-recovery action, not a universal diagnostic test.