Router Being Slow As Hell

[Freighter80]

Hi guys,

I have a router that seems to work most of the time, but I'm paying for 80Mbps and getting like 10Mbps on my PC. Even when others are turned off which I read can be a factor.

Router is about 4 years old, some days it works fine and other days I can barely even load my emails on my PC.

Is this the router failing or could it just be my PC? I have a Wireless Adapter / USB 3.0 that works with wireless-N.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[Freighter80]

Been looking through a bunch of articles on the web and there's been a few takeaway points;

- ISPs do lie. [link removed by admin]
- It can still be the router even if some devices seem to work just fine.
- A wireless networks speed/throughput is only as strong as its weakest link. [link removed by admin]

Basically my ISP told me they are providing a certain speed (but since I'm not receiving even close to that on any device they may be liars).

Some devices might be getting better speeds because of signal, the technology of the devices themselves, but it doesn't mean they are functioning 100% perfect... A device working at 80% of its full capabability may be so fast that it doesn't appear that anything is wrong externally. However the router could still be throttling that or the ISP may simply not be providing what they quote.

Additionally a router that isn't functioning properly may well only display those symptoms on some of the weakest links in the chain. E.g. my computer which may well have a slower connection due to signal, due to the hardware or a myriad of other things.

At this point I've ordered a slightly better WiFi adapter for my PC. I will report back on whether that helps, and if not I'll be contacting my ISP again.

If that gets me nowhere I will either go to another ISP or order a new router to see if this finally solves the issue.

Basically at this point it still feels like there are too many possibilities, but I would still appreciate any advice from some of you experts here.

[Philip]

I would try to narrow down what is causing the slowdown.

Wireless issues - you can test whether it is a wireless problem by connecting to your router with a wired Ethernet cable (there are some USB-to-Ethernet adapters too, if you only use a laptop). Alternatively, you can try switching the wireless channel to rule out interference from other neighboring networks, you can try to move your client closer, or a different wireless device.


Yes, ISPs oversubscribe their available bandwidth, that's why they advertise speeds of "up to xx Mbits". You may even have a fast connection to the local office and much slower one onto the internet, especially at peak times. You can try downloading a large file from a distant server during the day, and at peak times (after 5-6pm) to test exactly what speed you are getting. The difference in speed would tell you whether it is affected by your neighbors, and the fact it is shared bandwidth. If your speed is less than 70% of what your ISP advertises at all times, and it is not a wireless/router issue, then you should complain to them. You can try to find out your modem's signal levels to see if they are good too, modems often have a stats page with useful info.

[Freighter80]

I would try to narrow down what is causing the slowdown.

Wireless issues - you can test whether it is a wireless problem by connecting to your router with a wired Ethernet cable (there are some USB-to-Ethernet adapters too, if you only use a laptop). Alternatively, you can try switching the wireless channel to rule out interference from other neighboring networks, you can try to move your client closer, or a different wireless device.


Yes, ISPs oversubscribe their available bandwidth, that's why they advertise speeds of "up to xx Mbits". You may even have a fast connection to the local office and much slower one onto the internet, especially at peak times. You can try downloading a large file from a distant server during the day, and at peak times (after 5-6pm) to test exactly what speed you are getting. The difference in speed would tell you whether it is affected by your neighbors, and the fact it is shared bandwidth. If your speed is less than 70% of what your ISP advertises at all times, and it is not a wireless/router issue, then you should complain to them. You can try to find out your modem's signal levels to see if they are good too, modems often have a stats page with useful info.

Thanks for the advice, I tested the wired connection which offers much better speeds.

Still not what I was getting on wireless a few months ago.

What do you think this might be? A failing router?

[Freighter80]

The new Wi-Fi Adapter has also improved things, but again as with the Wired Connection it's not what it was a few months ago.

I'm ordering a new router as I'm 90% sure this will solve the issue.

[Philip]

New routers will have better hardware, more spare CPU cycles and possibly more Wi-Fi streams/better automatic channel management, so it is likely to improve things. Still, if your ISP is providing a bad service new equipment on your end will not improve it, that's why I suggested also looking at the signal levels, maybe do some traceroutes to see about latency spikes, and compare speeds at peak vs. non-peak times.

Good luck with the new router, and let us know how it works out

[Freighter80]

New routers will have better hardware, more spare CPU cycles and possibly more Wi-Fi streams/better automatic channel management, so it is likely to improve things. Still, if your ISP is providing a bad service new equipment on your end will not improve it, that's why I suggested also looking at the signal levels, maybe do some traceroutes to see about latency spikes, and compare speeds at peak vs. non-peak times.

Good luck with the new router, and let us know how it works out

Thanks man I will do

[NaderHussain]

The new Wi-Fi Adapter has also improved things, but again as with the Wired Connection it's not what it was a few months ago.

I'm ordering a new router as I'm 90% sure this will solve the issue.

Likely, your router needs to be tested and possibly be replaced. A 4 year old router may begin to fail. However, before purchasing a new router, I would recommend that you contact your ISP so they can run tests on the router to determine whether or not your router is the source of the intermittent speed drop issue. They may need to monitor your line's speed for a few days or a week to get a better picture of where the Internet speed drops are coming from. A technician may be required to look into the matter if the problem is on the ISP's side. That being said, if your new router has the same issue, the source of the speed drops is most likely on the ISP's side. If this is the case, your new router will have speed drops that may be less visible.