Can someone explain my internet problem?

[shootemindehead]

Right,

So I bought a USB wireless adapter for the PC upstairs and it seems to be picking up the signal well enough. We don't have a great connection, so we only usually get around 2 or 3 Mbs. When I run a speed test, I get the following:

1244


But when I go to download anything, I can only get around 112Kbs like below:

1245


I should be getting around 230 or 240kbs, like I can on the laptop, when I downloaded the exact same file.


Anyone know what's happening? This happens for all files and all sites, BTW. It seems like my actual download speeds are cut in half on the PC somehow, despite my speed test telling me otherwise.

[Neil]

If the speedtest is a lot lower on the wireless PC then maybe wireless is the problem? Are you able to move it and try it so it's wired in to prove it? If it is wireless that's causing it, then get a pair of 200mpbs homeplugs instead of wireless. As long as your mains wires are OK will be far better and more reliable than wireless!

[shootemindehead]

No, the speedtest is the same on the laptop as it is on the PC. But an actual download is slower. I'm at a loss as to what the issue is.

[Neil]

No, the speedtest is the same on the laptop as it is on the PC. But an actual download is slower. I'm at a loss as to what the issue is.

The laptop is wireless too? So they're side by side with different results? Even if you're NOT doing it at the same time?

[Andy]

Does your ISP throttle your bandwidth? that would explain it if your seeing reduced speeds on both machines. Also are you downloading the exact same file on both machines? The hosting servers bandwidth and location play a huge part too so you can download one file from one site fast and another file from a different site would drag its feet.

For a true comparison i would say put your laptop and your PC next to each other and download exactly the same file on both of them.

[Neil]

For a true comparison i would say put your laptop and your PC next to each other and download exactly the same file on both of them.

...but not at the same time... IMHO.

[Andy]

Yeah i would say at the same time, you'd see reduced speed on both machines obviously but it should still even out. Doing a side by side comparison would be a good way to rule out network issues.

[Neil]

Yeah i would say at the same time, you'd see reduced speed on both machines obviously but it should still even out. Doing a side by side comparison would be a good way to rule out network issues.

Only concern is, if it's wireless to both, and the wireless isn't great, so the two downloads approach a bottleneck, who knows which will get priority? So maybe try both at the same time, and then individually? Can't do any hard :)

[Andy]

Well you would run them together to determine if the issue is with the network or the hardware, they should even out running at the same time so both downloads get a reduced but equal speed. If they will bottleneck or not depends entirely on his ISP but most wouldn't use a throttling system these days unless he has capped data.

Once you know it isnt the network you can then start looking at the hardware ;)

[babomb]

That sounds like a problem on the server side. The internet doesn't run at the same speed as the actual network connection. It's just a protocol(TCP/IP) that pipes in on the network connection. What you should try to do is transfer a large file from the PC to the laptop or vice versa and see what kind of speeds you get there. That will determine what the actual wireless speed is in itself. File transfers from computer to computer will always be faster than what the internet comes in at.
For instance, I have a gigabit ethernet infrastructure. Gigabit adapters in all machines and a gigabit switch. That runs at 1Gb/s, but only when transferring files from machine to machine. The internet is comcast, and the fastest speed I've seen on that is 5Mb/s. I have a wireless N router for the laptop and phones, and the speed there from device to device depends on the location of the 2 devices to each other and to the router. But the wireless speed of the internet is around 1-2Mb/s on a good site. Usually lower. Because it depends on the network conditions and traffic to and from the site itself. It's highly dependent on the connection that the server has to the internet. If it's a fiber connection, you'll see high speeds, if it's a T3 connection, then the speeds will be much lower.

What wireless specification does your wireless router use? Another possibility could be that a neighbor is piggy-backing on your internet connection. What are the technical details of the wireless connection you have? By that I mean wireless router type, what adapter do you have in the laptop, and what USB adapter did you put in the PC?

[shootemindehead]

The laptop is wireless too? So they're side by side with different results? Even if you're NOT doing it at the same time?

Yep.

The speedtest gives roughly the same results on both machines. But when I download a file on the PC, it's at approx. half the speed. It downloads at full speed on the laptop.

- - - Updated - - -


Does your ISP throttle your bandwidth? that would explain it if your seeing reduced speeds on both machines. Also are you downloading the exact same file on both machines? The hosting servers bandwidth and location play a huge part too so you can download one file from one site fast and another file from a different site would drag its feet.

For a true comparison i would say put your laptop and your PC next to each other and download exactly the same file on both of them.

Yep, exact same file Andy. Obviously, not at the same time though.

It's only reduced speed on the PC. Not the laptop. And the laptop is idle when I'm downloading the file on the PC and vice-versa, so there's no conflict.

- - - Updated - - -


That sounds like a problem on the server side. The internet doesn't run at the same speed as the actual network connection. It's just a protocol(TCP/IP) that pipes in on the network connection. What you should try to do is transfer a large file from the PC to the laptop or vice versa and see what kind of speeds you get there. That will determine what the actual wireless speed is in itself. File transfers from computer to computer will always be faster than what the internet comes in at.
For instance, I have a gigabit ethernet infrastructure. Gigabit adapters in all machines and a gigabit switch. That runs at 1Gb/s, but only when transferring files from machine to machine. The internet is comcast, and the fastest speed I've seen on that is 5Mb/s. I have a wireless N router for the laptop and phones, and the speed there from device to device depends on the location of the 2 devices to each other and to the router. But the wireless speed of the internet is around 1-2Mb/s on a good site. Usually lower. Because it depends on the network conditions and traffic to and from the site itself. It's highly dependent on the connection that the server has to the internet. If it's a fiber connection, you'll see high speeds, if it's a T3 connection, then the speeds will be much lower.

What wireless specification does your wireless router use? Another possibility could be that a neighbor is piggy-backing on your internet connection. What are the technical details of the wireless connection you have? By that I mean wireless router type, what adapter do you have in the laptop, and what USB adapter did you put in the PC?

As far as I know, it's wireless N.

The strange thing is, though, is that the speedtests on both machines are the same. They both come out at around 2mbs. But when actually downloading something, only the PC seems to get cut in half, even when it's the solitary downloader.

I would seriously doubt that there's any neighbours cutting in.

[Andy]

Yep, exact same file Andy. Obviously, not at the same time though.

It's only reduced speed on the PC. Not the laptop. And the laptop is idle when I'm downloading the file on the PC and vice-versa, so there's no conflict.

So.. is it windows 7 or 8 and is it x86 or x64 or both machines? are both using the same antivirus and firewall?

[Neil]

Are you able to wire it into the router out of interest?

[shootemindehead]

So.. is it windows 7 or 8 and is it x86 or x64 or both machines? are both using the same antivirus and firewall?

XP on the PC and 7 on the laptop. 32bit on both.

- - - Updated - - -


Are you able to wire it into the router out of interest?

When the PC was wired to the router before, it was downloading at full speed. I'll try moving the router closer to the PC and hook up the ethernet cable as see if it makes a difference.