SpeedTest---DSL modem 6Mb, Wireless router 2Mb---help!

[wlanfan]

New at this wireless stuff but was happy with my internet speed for awhile but now frustrated with slow Internet so started testing.

I'm paying for 6Mb down and .6Mb up with Windstream. Getting very close to that when using my desktop via cable to the DSL modem, but only 2Mb down and .5 up via the wireless router. Did some testing and here's the results:

Test scenario---tried two different laptops with N adapter cards. Both show Connection speed 300Mbps. Signal strength excellent. 3' from router.

1. DSL modem with Trendnet TEW-652BRP(N) wireless router
2. Also tried using a Windstrem wireless (G) modem.

Test Results Running Speedtest.net

a) Running Desktop with ethernet cable thru Trendnet router to DSL modem PING... 80ms DOWN... 5.5 - 6.0Mbps UP... .64Mbps
b) Running Laptop via wireless PING... 96-133 DOWN... 1.3 - 3.5Mbps UP... .61 - .62Mbps


I ran 10 Speednet tests alternating between the Desktop and Laptop and results were as above. There was only one laptop connected to the network during my tests. Later I connected a different laptop, but same results. The router and modem have no Security enabled.

I have replaced both the router and DSL modem with another wirleless modem so I'm at a loss to understand why things didn't change. Any ideas as to why I get 6Mbps Down with the ethernet cable, but only 2Mbps with the wireless router?

 

[stevech]

assuming the laptop is indicating a good/strong signal, and the laptop's WiFi >does< operate at higher speeds with some other WiFi than yours, then...

The laptop displays what connection speed for the WiFi connection? With a good strong signal, this should be 20 to 54Mbps with 11g. If it displays a low number, like 8Mbps or less, and the signal is strong, read on...

Does some other WiFi laptop run at good/high speeds with your WiFi router? (process of elimination in troubleshooting).

Test: in a command window on the laptop, ping your gateway/router and see if it's reliable for several minutes (0 errors). Example command: ping -t 192.168.1.1 - should be very low number. Ping yahoo.com should be 100mSec or so. Ping 4.2.2.2 should be 50mSec or so.

Unlikely: Perhaps there's exceptionally heavy interference from neighbor's WiFi. And persistent, too, as if they are streaming video 24/7. Change your WiFi router to some other channel in the list: 1, 6 or 11, then observe change, if any.

Unlikely: Your laptop shows good signal strength received from WiFi router but laptop's transmitter portion is weak/faulty. Cure for this is to disable internal WiFi and buy a USB WiFi dongle.

 

[wlanfan]

assuming the laptop is indicating a good/strong signal, and the laptop's WiFi >does< operate at higher speeds with some other WiFi than yours, then...
Connection signals are good. I used two N laptops for the results above. I have not tried another network but will when I can.

The laptop displays what connection speed for the WiFi connection? With a good strong signal, this should be 20 to 54Mbps with 11g. If it displays a low number, like 8Mbps or less, and the signal is strong, read on...
As mentioned above signals show "excellent" strength and 300Mbps for the N's.

Does some other WiFi laptop run at good/high speeds with your WiFi router? (process of elimination in troubleshooting).
I have 4 laptops. 2G's and 2N's. Connect speeds in different areas of the house will drop slightly , but close to 54/300. SPEEDTEST results remain the same for all 4 laptops at between 1.5-3.5Mbps. I have not bothered to connect the laptops directly to the DSL modem with a cable

Test: in a command window on the laptop, ping your gateway/router and see if it's reliable for several minutes (0 errors). Example command: ping -t 192.168.1.1 - should be very low number. Ping yahoo.com should be 100mSec or so. Ping 4.2.2.2 should be 50mSec or so.
Gateway 3-4 ms. Yahoo 142min 882max 554avg Ping to Yahoo from modem on desktop 62min 67max 63avg

Unlikely: Perhaps there's exceptionally heavy interference from neighbor's WiFi. And persistent, too, as if they are streaming video 24/7. Change your WiFi router to some other channel in the list: 1, 6 or 11, then observe change, if any.
Live rural. No wifi in area showing on INSSIDER

Unlikely: Your laptop shows good signal strength received from WiFi router but laptop's transmitter portion is weak/faulty. Cure for this is to disable internal WiFi and buy a USB WiFi dongle.
Ruled out due to 4 laptops of different adapters doing same thing

Thank you for the response. Looks like the Yahoo pings from the desktop may indicate something. Not sure why they would vary from the wireless if the gateway pings are good??

 

[stevech]

good ping via WiFi to router (gateway), but slow to yahoo via WiFi suggests this:
Ping yahoo using laptop connected by ethernet to router.

 

[wlanfan]

I took a laptop (N) to town, sat in a hospital parking lot with a very weak signal and got SpeedTest.net downloads between 5 and 10Mbps. This with a received signal of -78dbm and the connect speed showed 54Mbps.

Ignore earlier statements about ping times to Yahoo.com. I discovered 3 different returned IP addresses from pinging Yahoo and vastly different times from one. I have since been pinging Speedtest.net (74.209.160.12) and have gotten very consistent ping times depending on whether I ping wirelessly or via ethernet connection. Wireless pings about 235ms AVG and ethernet pings EXACTLY 136ms avg every one of 6 tries (50 pings/try).

I hooked up my laptop as the ethernet connection to the wirelees modem and results were the same as with the desktop hooked up. Speed test downloads in the 5-6Mbps range via ethernet and 2-3.5Mbps from another wireless laptop.

I'm thinking this problem is external to my local network, but cannot understand why wireless is so much slower both pinging and download speeds. Seems wireless at 54Mbps or greater should easily pump bits to the internet faster than the 6Mbps speed my ISP is giving me.

Can an ISP throttle service if they detect it's coming from a router with multiple users (it's their wireless modem I'm using now)? I don't understand router theory, but since I replaced the original router with a wireless modem and saw no change I doubt that's it unless this is NORMAL to have wireless download speeds be 1/3 of wired modem speeds.

 

[stevech]

No, the ISP wouldn't be throttling.

Seems that for some odd reason, the WiFi in your router isn't working correctly. Your laptop worked OK on someone else's WiFi, and the router's wired LAN ports work OK. You tried 4 different laptops in WiFi with your router.

So it's time for a hail-Mary, I say. Reset the router to factory defaults, reenter your WiFi SSID/password/encryption mode, and channel number (1, 6, 11). You probably don't need any other changes to the router.

by the way - the -78dBm signal you got in the parking lot is a good signal considering the conditions. WiFi gets slow and flakey at about -82 or worse. Remember too, that the reported signal strength is the FROM-router signal. The TO-router signal from the laptop is probably weaker yet.

 

[wlanfan]

I think the hail mary will be in the form of a refurb Linksys E3000 for $50. It really bothers me that both the original Trendnet N wireless router AND the current wireless modem fail to give decent wireless performance, but at least the E3000 can access the 5Ghz band just in case there is some 2.4Ghz interferrence I haven't found.

Any comments on the E3000 as a choice? Can it be configured so N clients go on 5Ghz and G clients go on 2.4? Will that eliminate slow downs due to a mix of N and G on the network?

Also, the E3000 has a usb port. I assume I can connect a usb hd to that to do system backups from various clients? Does that buy me anything as opposed to just sharing a drive attached to the desktop for instance?

 

[stevech]

I'll ask others to comment on the goodness of a specific WiFi router brand. I have my preferences.

The USB port for disks on consumer routers - some just barely work, most are too much trouble and very slow. Better to do backups to a $250 NAS (Synology or QNAP) or just open a Windows folder share on your desktop Windows PC.

Beware dual-band routers: most are either/or band; concurrent 2.4/5.8GHz routers are costly.
If you're rural, you shouldn't need 5.8GHz.