wireless router help

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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:44 am

A tech guy is coming to my house on Tuesday but if I can get it sorted and cancel that would be great.

Here's the deal. My PC is plugged into a modem and I have a wireless router for everyone one else. We all were getting the same speed which was 30 down and 5 up.

A few days ago the cable company calls and says my speed has been upgraded but my modem is out of date so they wanted to send me a new one for free. So they do and it's a modem with a built in router. My wife and son install it even calling tech support to make sure it was done right.

So my PC is plugged into the now new modem with built in wireless. My speed improves greatly but everyone who connects wireless is only getting about a fourth of the speed. Mainly the download speed. The upload speed is fine.

I called tech support and there was a bit of a language barrier but from their end we should all be getting the same speed hence the future home visit. The nice lady I spoke to didn't seem that knowledgeable as she kept putting me on hold so she could call advanced tech support. She seemed new to say the least.

Anyway, does anyone here have an idea of what the issue might be? Is there something in settings?

So again, the problem is I am the only one getting the speed we are paying for and I am plugged into to the modem. Everyone who connects via the wireless router is only getting about a fourth of the speed.

One other thing note worthy is if I plug in the old router to the new modem/router and you connect to it the speed intermittently improves but only to about half the speed it should be.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:54 am

My experience with wireless has been that with the 'all in one' router/modem' the wireless has a slower download speed than the computer plugged directly into the modem. Are all of the devices that are connected wirelessly showing a strong signal? If the wireless devices are running Windows, have you tried repairing the network connection?

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:47 am

Yes on the strong signal.

No, we haven't tried repairing. Right now there are three windows PCs plus a samsung tablet connected wireless. All are getting the lower speed but all four lower speeds match at 41 down.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:51 am

Try scp'ing a large file from:
one computer plugged into the modem to another plugged into the modem;
one computer plugged into the modem to another using the wireless;
one computer using wireless to another using wireless.
You should be able to see what's going on by running Wireshark on the computer plugged into the modem. You'll need the IP address, which you can get by running ifconfig, and you'll need to enable the ssh server.

If all these file copyings run reasonably fast, the problem is with the rate limiting firewall in the modem.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:25 am

Most of that went right over my head VX Laughing

Anyway, you think it's a problem with the router's firewall? There is an option to turn if off and says it won't leave you completely vulnerable but that doesn't sound like a good idea. The firewall says it protects against DDOS. Why would someone DDOS my router?

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:35 am

Put the old modem back on.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:13 am

The old modem isn't able to get the new higher speed. That's why Time Warner upgraded my modem. Besides, when I call and tell them everyone who connects wireless isn't getting the right speed won't they just blame that on me not using the new modem they gave me? Won't their first instruction be to install the new modem and call back if I still am having problems?

I didn't check the speed of my old modem. Last time I checked it was 30/5 but that was well before time warner boosted the speed of my current plan. I'm getting 200/20. Wireless connections are getting 40/20 but tech support said wireless should be 200/20 as well.

Anyway, I can plug my old router into my new modem/router but that just intermittently improves the speed (wireless connections) to 80 down.

Again my PC that is plugged into the modem/router IS getting the correct 200/20 speed. Everyone else in the house is getting the slower (download) speed but everyone else connects to the wireless router.

The modem/router they gave me is an Arris AG1670A if that helps.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:22 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn2FB1P_Mn8

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

I think what Von was trying was trying to get to:

Directly plug the modem into the different computers/laptops/notebooks in your house and see what happens.

Your PC will still have access, since it is wireless, yes?

See where performance improves and note that. See where it deteriorates, and note that, too.

Fine tune the settings and go from there.

:shrug: Of course, I could be completely wrong. I'm not a VX whisperer...but can do a mean kitten, when I need to.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 12:21 pm

No, I'm asking him to copy a file (I think I used a CD image of an operating system) from one computer on the LAN to another computer on the LAN. That will cut out any rate-limiting rules that operate when a packet is coming in from outside or going to outside.

scp (which is in the ssh package) is the program to copy a file from one computer to another. In Ubuntu, the packages are called openssh-client and openssh-server. If you have another distro, or BSD, or in particular OpenBSD, ask someone who has that distro. (I have DragonFly as well as Ubuntu.)

Wireshark is a program that captures packets on a network interface. You may be able to tell something from the timing.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

I know that you are trying to be helpful, but you really need to learn how to talk to your audience.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 1:24 pm

And not assume everyone uses Linux

Ghost wrote:

three windows PCs plus a samsung tablet connected wireless.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 1:41 pm

My life experience really confused me when "Ubuntu" was mentioned. I was only familiar with the South African Children's fund.

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 2:28 pm

Hmm a bit of a dilemma but it should be easy enough to sort out. Firstly you are getting good speeds so the box itself is functioning correctly until you add Wireless clients that is. So what to do about that?

Putting together the less technical suggestions/interpretations above I would first reboot (turn off actually) everything including the new Modem and add the other machines in one at a time and try a Speed test to see what you are getting:

http://www.speedtest.net/

All in all these Modems are kinda ‘Dumb’ meaning they merely pass information to the best of their ability. Many times their speeds are limited to the worst machine on the network so eliminating that possibility first is a good practice.

It would be interesting to see what you get on wireless assuming your machine does have the capability.

As OC mentioned the Wireless clients will get much slower speeds than the Device plugged directly into the Modem but they shouldn’t have worse service than they had before either.

After eliminating the possibility that it is one of your machines that is causing the problems I would try removing the Firewall capabilities on the Modem (at least temporarily) to see is there is any improvement. You’ll probably be safe from a DDOS attack for a few minutes. You could also try resetting the Modem to Factory default to see if something was configured incorrectly when it was first installed. This is something I would have thought that the Provider would have suggested over the phone but who am I to question their greatness….

Obviously don’t change anything that you can’t recover from (as in make sure you have the original Password etc.).

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:31 pm

Silly question, but the other PCs what type of wireless dongle are they using? Are they capable of supporting the higher speed the router can sustain ? The Samsung phone - same question.

Types of dongle: a, b, g, n - a and b are the slowest, n and g seem to be identically fast and should be fine.

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 5:00 am

Thanks for the advice. It's not my PC. Removing it completely from the mix still yields slower wireless speeds. Yes, I turned the modem off and on Laughing

Time Warner tired resetting it several times. They are saying it must be a faulty router but a tech guy has to come out and confirm this. If that's the case they will replace it.

Anyway, I'll let the tech guy come out and sort it.

Quote:

the other PCs what type of wireless dongle are they using?

Up until ten minutes ago, I didn't even know dongle was a word Laughing

None of us are using a dongle. My desktop is plugged into the modem via an ethernet cable. Everyone else connects via WiFi. WiFi is what I mean when I say wireless

*** BANNED *** Joined: 26 Jul 2012 Posts: 1116

My experience with modem/wifi routers has been pretty poor on the speed end of it. Wifi wise they just suck and I think part of that has to do with your ISP buying the cheapest crap they can. If possible I would ask for a modem without the router built into it. Hook your old router up and enjoy.

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:22 am

Have you tried turning it off and then turning it back on again?

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:46 am

^^^Or slamming it down on the desk a few times?

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:29 pm

Or buy a decent aftermarket router/modem and program in your ISPs settings.

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 3:05 pm

Joker wrote:

Hook your old router up and enjoy.

I would assume you could do this either way.

My initial, unconfirmed thought would be that instead of hard wiring your computer to the modem, hardwire your existing router to the modem and hardwire you computer to the existing router. The modem's just mod/demoding the signal...

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:08 am

I think my description of the problem confused everyone.

Anywho, my pc hardwired into the modem isn't the problem. My pc is the only connection that is the rght speed so why would I mess with that? It's the Wi-Fi connections that are slow.

Yes, I can plug my old router in like I indicated at the bottom of my OP. If you're wondering, when I plug in my old router I am sending out two wifi signals since my new modem has a built in router.

I am on my tablet right now so let me see if I can figure out how to post the speeds so you guys can see what I mean.

Here is my speed from my (connected directly into the modem) pc that I posted the the modroom the other day

Okay now give me a few to figure out how to post my results from my tablet connecred via WiFi

New router speed

Let me connect to old router , brb

Okay my bad, I was connected to the old router. So above is the old router and here is the new

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:29 am

From here http://www.speedguide.net/faq_in_q.php?qid=374

Quote:

Below is a breakdown of actual real-life average speeds you can expect from wireless routers within a reasonable distance, with low interference and small number of simultaneous clients:
802.11b - 2-3 Mbps downstream, up to 5-6 Mbps with some vendor-specific extensions.
802.11g - ~20 Mbps downstream
802.11n - 40-50 Mbps typical, varying greatly depending on configuration, whether it is mixed or N-only network, the number of bonded channels, etc. Specifying a channel, and using 40MHz channels can help achieve 70-80Mbps with some newer routers. Up to 100 Mbps achievable with more expensive commercial equipment with 8x8 arrays, gigabit ports, etc.
802.11ac - 70-100 Mbps

You're probably hitting the limits of what wi-fi can actually support

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:48 am

^^I tought of that too and if that's the case why in the hell didn't they say so when I was on with teer two tech support?

Anyway, the guy will be here tomorrow. I hate posting from my tablet.

Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:03 am

B8er hit the nail on the head. There's no way getting a 200 Mb/s speed over wifi (with regular consumer products)

Since your 'old' router is giving you the higher wireless speeds, I'd advise you to hook that one up to your new modem/router, and have the wifi function of the new device disabled by the tech guy. For one, you won't be using it, and besides that it would avoid interference/ battling over free channels between the two wifi signals.

Modem/router combo's hardy ever yield an optimal performance. Let the router do what it's designed for: handle the routing, preferably, assuming your router has Gigabit LAN, also the wired connection to your PC. It's the best and safest way to manage your local network.