Router slowing connection?

[angus49]

I have been having slow throughput issues. I am a RoadRunner high speed subscriber for 15Mbps service. On daily speed checks I was only ever getting 8-9Mbps. Recently we were advised that we had been upgraded for free to 20Mbps service however now I am getting only 10-12Mbps. A tech came today and installed a new modem to solve an intermittent connection issue and while he was here he checked the throughput. When he connected straight from the modem to the PC he got 19+Mbps but when reconnecting through the router it's back down to 11Mbps. He told me to upgrade the firmware which I have done but did not solve the issue. I am using a Linksys BEFSX41 v2 router. He said I may need to replace it if the firmware upgrade didn't work. Am I possibly missing some settings in the routers setup? If I need to replace this router could you give me any advice on which "wired" router would be best for 20 Mbps service? Thanks for any help or advice.

[monkeymonkey]

Im no expert for that router but I do know that some router's chipsets seem to hold sync more stably than others, particularly on long lines.

It may be worth trying a different router but again, im not an expert to recommend you a particular model.

Lets hope some router expert pops by..

[angus49]

Thanks Double Monkey I can use all the help I can get.

[johnwill]

Many routers don't have the processing power to route packets at higher bandwidths. I have a 15mbit/15mbit connection, and older routers will only give me less than half of that.

[angus49]

Thanks John,

The Linksys BEFSX41 has been an exceptional router for me but it is getting pretty old. Wanting to stay with wired connections can you or someone else advise me as to what newer wired routers would handle 20Mbps speeds?

[johnwill]

Well, I have a D-Link DI-615 and a ZyXEL NBG-415N, both of those manage full bandwidth for my 15mbit/15mbit fiber connection. I suspect most newer routers will do it, the processor power has steadily increased in SOHO routers.

[ghost187]

www.samknows.com


go to this site typwe in ur phone number and postcode, it wil ltell u what ur line can handle and how far away from the exchange u are


Section 1 - PC/Software Related

Before completing the below please see the minimum PC/Apple Mac requirements for Virgin Media broadband. These can be found by clicking here.

Once you have confirmed that your PC/Apple Mac meets the minimum requirements please continue to the below questions to establish whether the fault lays with your PC/Apple Mac or possibly with the Virgin Media broadband connection.

1) Is your PC/Apple Mac generally slow? Yes/No


If the answer to the above question is YES then we would suggest you go through to our Online Chat so one of our technicians can check the PC basics. A slow PC/Apple Mac can cause an internet connection to appear slow - an internet connection can only perform as fast as a PC/Apple Mac will allow.

All done?


2) Have you performed a full Spyware and Virus scan on the computer? Yes/No


There are many programs available to protect you from Spyware and Viruses. We would suggest that you complete a full system scan on all computers connected to the internet before going any further. If you are using our PCGuard software you will find this product includes protection against both.

All done?


3) Have you deleted your temporary internet files, cookies and history? Yes/No

For instructions on doing this please use http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260897

All done?

4) Use the tool “msconfig” and untick all running programs that start on boot.

For instructions on doing this please use http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560



Please note, once you have tested the connection with everything from msconfig un-ticked, please follow the steps in the link above to enable all of the programs again.

All done?


5) Uninstall any P2P (Peer to Peer) software

Peer to Peer software can slow an internet connection as it can often upload/download or shares files in the "background" so you might not necessarily be aware that many large files are being shared, therefore slowing your whole internet experience. We can suggest that you remove such software, however we can not be held responsible for any lost or damaged files that you have previously shared (should this happen during removal).

For instructions on doing this please use http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314481 (for PC) and http://docs.info.apple.com/article.h...en/c1os10.html (for Apple Mac).
All done?


If you experience any problems following the above instructions, if you have any questions or if you would like any further assistance then we would suggest that you use the Online Chat, where one of our technical support agents will be able to explain anything you need to know.


IMPORTANT: Please do not continue onto the next section until you have completed all of the above instructions. If you have not fully completed these we will be unable to raise this issue any further for you.


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Section 2 - Hardware

1) Number of PCs connected

You may be lucky enough to have more than one PC or Mac within your property, however if more than one of them is connected at the same time, the bandwidth has to be shared out between them all - causing things to slow down! For the duration of your testing, we would advise that only one PC or Mac is connected and online. This includes any games console that connects to the web as well (PS3, Xbox, Wii etc).

All done?


2) Your modem or router

Whenever possible, try the connection using the Speedtouch 330 modem that may have been supplied to you in the 'Virgin Broadband Starter Kit', this is because the modem saves the hassle of disabling your wireless connection and plugging/unplugging ethernet cables.



If you are unable to use a Speedtouch 330 modem, and connect via a wireless router instead, please ensure that either the wireless network is security enabled or that the wireless signal is disabled altogether. If you need any help with this, either consult the manufacturer, or contact us using our Online Chat.

All done?


IMPORTANT: Please do not continue onto the next section until you have completed all of the above instructions. If you have not fully completed these we will be unable to raise this issue any further for you.


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Section 3 - Internal Setup

The way you have things setup in the house can have a big effect on what speeds come through to you. Below is a little list on what you need to check for the internal setup. So, can you please ensure you;



1. Swap the ADSL filter attached to the modem/router.

2. Remove anything you have connected to any phone socket in the house (phones, sky TV, fax machines etc).

3. Remove any extension cables that may be between the modem/router and phone socket.

4. If there is any electrical equipment near your modem/router, turn it off - remember not to just put it into standby!

5. Plug your modem/router into the BT Test Socket, if you don't have one, don't worry, just use the Main Socket!


If you need some help identifying the test socket, click here



IMPORTANT: Please do not continue onto the next section until you have completed all of the above instructions. If you have not fully completed these we will be unable to raise this issue any further for you.


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Section 4 - Testing the speed

OK then! As you've done all of the above, we're well on the way to pinpointing the cause of the problem, and it would suggest that the problem does not lie within your house. The next step is to perform some tests to see what speeds you are actually receiving - different people have different perceptions on what is 'slow'.



Firstly, here is a little indication on what BT, and ourselves, consider acceptable speeds for the different packages you may be on;



100kps or more - acceptable on 512kbps products

200kbs or more - acceptable on 1Mb products

400kbs or more - acceptable on 2Mb, 4Mb & 8Mb products



There are many independent speedtest websites out there, however we will need you to perform your speedtests using the website http://speedtester.bt.com/. The website will ask you for your telephone number, you will need to ensure that this number is the line that you have Virgin Media Broadband on (including area code). Shortly, it will then ask you for your 'username', don't worry, this is just your Virgin username (the one with '@adsl.virgin.net' on the end of it). A speedtest will then be performed on your line, make a note of the results for future reference.



You will need to perform at least 6 of these tests at different times of the day (morning, afternoon and evening) so that we can see if there is any pattern to the test results. If you have any problems performing these tests, come back to our Online Chat and we can help.



IMPORTANT: Please do not continue onto the next section until you have completed all of the above instructions. If you have not fully completed these we will be unable to raise this issue any further for you.

[ghost187]

Sorry for sum of the jargan and the links abouve like "click here " wit no click avil
it coppyed from a email the isp i work for send out :P