Internet/Network connection issues

polisciguy

Beta member
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1
Location
Virginia
Hey all, I know this topic is probably frequently discussed, but I wanted to make sure I was getting some reliable information about this issue.

I'm on a DSL connection (I know, stone ages, right?) and the link speed listed in the task manager is 150 Mbps. I have a wireless router connected to a PC in another room that is connected directly to the phone line. According to SpeedTest.net, my download speed is 0.94 Mbps. EDIT: I performed this speed test with no other devices connected to WiFi so as to not slow anything down.

I was wondering if this was a download speed I should expect given my link speed, or if it was lower than expected. I read that your router and wireless card can ultimately compromise your speed, regardless of what it is marketed at by your ISP. I know the router I have is a fairly cheap Belkin (I think I picked it up for around 40 bucks) and I have a 802.11n Wireless LAN card. Would upgrading either of those see any worthwhile increase in my download speeds?

And lastly, I have recently experienced some problems with internet connnectivity on the PC connected to the network wirelessly. I remain connected to the network, but suddenly I'll lose internet access. It's usually fixable if I disconnect and then reconnect to the network, but it's been a nuisance. Any idea how this could be fixed?

I greatly appreciate any help or advice you guys have to offer.

Thanks!
 
the link speed shown in task manager is the link speed of your network card. your modem has a different link speed to the internet; known as the bottleneck.

also, dsl speeds advertised by isps are up to a certain bandwidth. for dsl, internet speeds depend on your distance from the Central Office. The farther away you are, the slower the speeds will be. Check to make sure you have micro filters on every device connected to the phone wiring.

first thing I would do to troubleshoot would be to check for driver and firmware updates for the network card and router. these can usually be found on the manufacturer's website. I would install any windows updates that Microsoft checks off automatically. Use WIndows Update for this.

After that, I would look to connect the dsl modem directly to the computer using a wire and re-run the speed test. This will help rule out the wireless network.

For the wireless network, I would install inSSIDer to analyze my wireless network and the networks around me. It provides the best information for determining which channel will work best.

I would also check what frequency the wireless network runs on. 5ghz is preferred as less devices, such as cordless phones and microwaves, are known to conflict with it. That really is a general rule and may not apply to every specific case.
 
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