Fast Wired - Slow Wireless

Merli

I've recently signed up to BTs 2MB package, using the new Prestiget HW660 Router. Everything is fine when I'm connected using an Ethernet cable and I'm getting speeds of around 210 Kb/sec. However, when I connect using wireless I drop to between 70 and 90 Kb/sec. (Even when I am beside the router)

I'm using a dell inspiron 8600 with built-in Intel pro/wireless 2100 Mini PCI adapter. I've tried using different channels and unplugging the wireless phone, but nothing seems to help. I also have the power levels set to maximum on the card. I have not turned on any security settings until I get the speed issues resolved.

I understand that wireless will be a little slower, but surely not less than 1/2 the speed of wired. I'm no expert, so I'd be extremely grateful for any ideas.

Idleater

That is odd. I would not have thought that the wireless connection could have any* impact on your BB connection because the wireless connection is your internal LAN and the BB is the connection from the router to the outside WAN. I.e. your WiFi LAN runs at 54Mbps** internally and your DSL runs at 2Mbps externally irrespective of what is connecting.

Are there some wireless settings that you can change on the router? For example ones that limit the bandwidth per channel? Or is there a way of checking a different wireless client for internet connectivity?

* loss in signal strength may reduce connection speed to the router to less than the speed of the BB connection.
** for g networks. b networks run at 11 mbps. May run at more than 54 for proprietry enhanced g networks eg "linksys speedbooster 125Mbps".

keyran

You would want to make sure nobody around is piggy backing on your wireless connection too.

I know that would mean your wired connection would be slow but just to be sure.

watty

A 108Mbps WiFi can run at 1 or 2Mbps easily.

Because of the way TX and RX share the same spectrum the actual bps up or download can even be as low as 400kbps on 11, 22, 54 or 108 Wifi. Also if several users are on the same WiFi base stattion EVEN at 11Mbps the through put per user can drop way below (0.5M bps typically) even wired shared coax 10M bps ethernet which can be around 1Mbps per user. Switched 100M ethernet can be upto 50 times better performance (per user) than a hub with 10M Ethernet twisted pair or 10M coax.

My Wifi is running at 11Mbps so I get the same almost 3Mbps (285K bytes/s typical from heanet.ie) on WiFi or Ethernet. However copying a 5G directory from the server was 25 times slower on Wifi than on 100MBps ethernet from my RAID5 server. On a shared single IDE drive PC used as a server with several people accessing you might not see any file transfer speed difference even with WiFi running at 1M bps.

Diabolus

I had the same problem.
I plugged in the power on the laptop and it was **** fast.
Put it down to power save which i disabled through device manager.

Working ok now.
Using a Linksys Router and Built in Centrino Wi-Fi

Boomer23

there could be a built-in firewall in the router, so everything is being scanned twice, thiswould slow the connection.

also try the channel output frequency, might help

and as Keyran said, make sure you are not being tapped into, make sure you secure your connection

matrim

I had a similar problem.

Change the frequency \ channel of your wireless signal on the router.
Most routers transmit on the same channel so if there are other networks near they can interfere with each other. Once you change it shoud reduce this.

MarinoMark

watty wrote:

A 108Mbps WiFi can run at 1 or 2Mbps easily.

Because of the way TX and RX share the same spectrum the actual bps up or download can even be as low as 400kbps on 11, 22, 54 or 108 Wifi. Also if several users are on the same WiFi base stattion EVEN at 11Mbps the through put per user can drop way below (0.5M bps typically) even wired shared coax 10M bps ethernet which can be around 1Mbps per user. Switched 100M ethernet can be upto 50 times better performance (per user) than a hub with 10M Ethernet twisted pair or 10M coax.

My Wifi is running at 11Mbps so I get the same almost 3Mbps (285K bytes/s typical from heanet.ie) on WiFi or Ethernet. However copying a 5G directory from the server was 25 times slower on Wifi than on 100MBps ethernet from my RAID5 server. On a shared single IDE drive PC used as a server with several people accessing you might not see any file transfer speed difference even with WiFi running at 1M bps.

WHOOSH !! Over my head !! You know your stuff my man !!

Boomer23

MarinoMark wrote:

WHOOSH !! Over my head !! You know your stuff my man !!

dont worry, its only a copy and paste job

it means the same as "change frequency" that myself and Matrim mentioned

shltter

Change the frequency

And also download DrTCP and run it on the wireless connection and make any changes it suggests

watty

What I'm trying to say is that Wired Switched 100BaseT Ethernet at 100Mbps doesn't mean the same thing as WiFi Bps, which are often considerably slower than it "sounds" due to how the technology works.

Sorry for getting complicated.

Or, Don't expect even working WiFi to give anything like the performance of wired Ethernet. Some people already can get Broadband as fast or faster than a single user on WiFi, so for many people 3 or 4 Wifi users is much slower than the actual broadband speed. Even if no other units are on the same channels.

If other units are even on adjacent channels it will slow your system.

Wiggy

Watty - On another thread I think you referred unfavourably to Ethernet over Mains, and suggested that this was not a good thing. Is this because of performance issues as well?

dub45

Net Stumbler can be very handy for showing up the channels that any neighbouring wireless networks are using.

Merli

Guys,

Thanks for all your help and suggestions - I've tried all your changes and my wireless is now close to wired speeds. I've a suspicion that the Drtcp changes had the most effect. My 'TCP Receive Window' was blank and I set it to 64240. Again, thanks to all, this a great place to get much needed advice from experienced users.

watty

Wiggy wrote:

Watty - On another thread I think you referred unfavourably to Ethernet over Mains, and suggested that this was not a good thing. Is this because of performance issues as well?

No. It gives 200Mbps

It is on issues of creating RF interference, privacy and safety. There do not appear to be adequate standards for the products that already for sale in Ireland!

IT Loser

I got my wireless broadband router/modem from BT this very morning, its a Zyxel, the wireless version of the modem my folks got. I'll run her tonight and let you know if I have any similar problems.