Airport Express Slow Speed w/ Ethernet

I recently purchased an Airport Express "N" router to serve as my primary wireless network.
I have Verizon Fios, at 50Mbps down / 20 Mbps Up. These are the exact speeds I get over Ethernet.
I connected Ethernet to the Airport Express, set it up as its own WiFi network.
It was slow, but then I checked and it needed a firmware update, so I ran that, now its much faster...
A few back to back speed tests from my MBP yielded an average of 35 Mbps down.
What I want to know is, why is it not the full 50 Mbps? I thought the AE "N" was capable of hundreds of Mbps.
-Could it be that I'm getting interference from both wireless networks active and broadcasting from only about 3 feet apart? (unlikely IMO)
-Might I need to turn off wireless in the Verizon unit?
-Are the claims of actual WiFi speeds of 802.11 N just B.S.?

First, wireless is always going to be slower than Ethernet due to loss in the conversion process to wireless. Usually this is around 15-20% or so.
The further away that you move from the wireless router, or if you have any obstructions like walls in the signal path, the more the bandwidth will drop away. No way to escape that.
-Could it be that I'm getting interference from both wireless networks active and broadcasting from only about 3 feet apart?
Very likely, in my experience...along with cordless phones, BlueTooth devices, etc.
-Are the claims of actual WiFi speeds of 802.11 N just B.S.?
In what regard? The speed on your "private" network will always be much higher than the speed of your Internet connection.
Try this test:
Locate your MacBook relatively close to the AirPort Express
Hold down the option key while you click on the fan shaped AirPort icon at the top of the screen
Look for the Transmit Rate
What number do you see?

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