RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Okay, tech-heads. I have a problem:
I've recently added a new computer to my household, bringing the total number to 3. There is one computer upstairs which is directly connected to the DSL modem. The other two computers connect wirelessly (one is a laptop, the other is a desktop with wireless card). In conjunction with adding this third computer, I ordered an increase in my DSL pipeline from my ISP (Qwest, if it matters). According to the website, my current internet connection speed is 3 Mbps/640 Kbps. The DSL modem/wireless router I have is an ActionTec (the one that the ISP provided along with the service when we first activated it). Here are the 'features' it claims to have:
Supports Windows@reg; 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and MAC@reg; OS-X.
ADSL and ADSL2+ compatible
Includes full featured router
Supports 2-wire broadband applications via 2-wire CMS solution
Four port 10/100 auto-detecting/auto-sensoring Ethernet switch
One USB 2.0 PC port
One USB 2.0 device port
Wireless 802.11b and 802.11g built-in
2-wire HyperG Wireless built-in
2-wire Wireless FullPass built-in
Lately, my internet connection at home has sucked. Despite my upgrade in service, it doesn't seem to have improved at all. I called my ISP and they claim that the pipeline is giving me the full 3Mbps. They had me run some diagnostics on the modem, check connections, and all that jazz but we couldn't seem to fix the problem. I'm wondering if the tech gurus here on the boards can provide me with some better guidance than "Barely-Speak-English-Lady" at Qwest tech support.
The laptop and the directly-connected computer upstairs are both Windows Vista machines and are less than a year old. The other computer is about 3 years old and is currently running Windows XP Home. I'm not a huge tech nerd, but I know enough to provide needed information to the people who are. If you need additional info, let me know and I'll track it down for you. I'm beginning to suspect that my DSL modem is the problem. It's kind of old (about 2 years) and the upstairs computer (which is connected to it directly via Ethernet) doesn't seem to be having the same problems that the wireless comps are. Thanks!
Can you provide make/model of the network cards of all the 'puters in your home, as well as any additional routers that you may have?
All I know is that my home computer is an HP bought at Quest Buy. The NIC is the built in on and I go straight through my ADSL modem. Once I get home, I will look up what the NIC is.
~glares~ Is this just another way to get me addicted to any other web comics, oh Demon Queen of Victuals? ~imagines a Web Comic titles "The Life and times of the Local NIC"~
Chief Technical Officer
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~glares~ Is this just another way to get me addicted to any other web comics, oh Demon Queen of Victuals?
I believe Lilith was just asking Fatespinner, but Fatespinner's post happened to be in that semi-limbo that posts sometimes temporarily get caught up in—but only for some people. So for those folks who could see Lilith's post but not Fatespinner's, that made Lilith's question seem like a general request...
Yay, technology!
~grins~ So I see! Isn't the internet wonderful?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Can you provide make/model of the network cards of all the 'puters in your home, as well as any additional routers that you may have?
The wireless card on my desktop is a D-Link AirPlus DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter. The desktop upstairs has a stock Ethernet card. No idea what kind, but it's a Dell. The laptop is this thing and also has a stock wireless card, no idea what brand.
The only router in the house is the ActionTec thing upstairs that's hooked into the upstairs desktop computer. It's an ActionTec GT701 Wireless DSL Gateway and Modem. My desktop downstairs is currently only receiving about 2/3rds of the packets it's sending. I don't know if that's normal or not. This computer (the wireless desktop downstairs) is the one with the bulk of the problems.
~glares~ Is this just another way to get me addicted to any other web comics, oh Demon Queen of Victuals?I believe Lilith was just asking Fatespinner, but Fatespinner's post happened to be in that semi-limbo that posts sometimes temporarily get caught up in—but only for some people. So for those folks who could see Lilith's post but not Fatespinner's, that made Lilith's question seem like a general request...
Yay, technology!
Honestly, I was just teasing Lilith about the fact that she introduced me to Shinga's Head Trip web comic. ~grins~ This makes about the 6th or 7th web comic that I read.
My desktop downstairs is currently only receiving about 2/3rds of the packets it's sending.
That's not cool. I'd start with DSL reports and maybe speedtest.net, to see if it is in your head (happens to me some days) or if it is genuinely slower. Probably do the standard crap (virii sweep, botnet sweep, spyware sweep, defrag, check for rootkits, look for driver and firmware updates, blah blah), and then maybe change your WEP key just to be on the safe side.
Aight, do you know if the router is in Ad-Hoc mode or Infrastructure? Because if it is in Ad-Hoc, chances are good it is trying to force your spiffy G card down to 11 (which should still be fast enough to eat that 3 down alive). You might try changing the channel your signal broadcasts on, or scooching the PC to a higher signal area (like say, a few feet to either side if that is possible at all). I'd also look about for fun stuff like a microwave, steel file cabinets, bluetooth devices, high end phones, fireplaces, and whatnot in between the router and the PC, all of which are going to do funky things to your signal quality.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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My desktop downstairs is currently only receiving about 2/3rds of the packets it's sending.That's not cool. I'd start with DSL reports and maybe speedtest.net, to see if it is in your head (happens to me some days) or if it is genuinely slower.
I did the Speedtest.net thing. This is what it came up with:
Speedtest.net.It looks like I'm getting about 2.5Mbps download, but only ~500Kbps upload. I assume that's normal for DSL? If that's the case, it would explain why I'm having trouble with online games and whatnot.
It looks like I'm getting about 2.5Mbps download, but only ~500Kbps upload. I assume that's normal for DSL? If that's the case, it would explain why I'm having trouble with online games and whatnot.
Pretty impressive that you can get that close to your rated speeds (they lie, oh how they lie), especially with the dropped packets. Is that from the main PC, or the troubled one? Your gaming issue is probably more likely the high latency (209). DSL ping times tend to run a bit higher, and wireless compounds that. Any idea what the signal strength is on that pc?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Pretty impressive that you can get that close to your rated speeds (they lie, oh how they lie), especially with the dropped packets. Is that from the main PC, or the troubled one? Your gaming issue is probably more likely the high latency (209). DSL ping times tend to run a bit higher, and wireless compounds that. Any idea what the signal strength is on that pc?
It's the troubled one. The signal strength when I mouse over the icon is "Good." Is that what you're talking about?
The signal strength when I mouse over the icon is "Good." Is that what you're talking about?
That's the thing. Hmm, only good, eh? Now we're getting somewhere. Best to look about for interfering objects or devices, and mayhap move the pc a tad (assuming it is lighter than the object(s) bringing you woe).
It appears that you are not the only one with issues on this particular model: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13388402 (slightly technical, and requires a firmware upgrade).
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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That's the thing. Hmm, only good, eh? Now we're getting somewhere. Best to look about for interfering objects or devices, and mayhap move the pc a tad (assuming it is lighter than the object(s) bringing you woe).
Well, the router is upstairs, about 20 feet in an invisible straight line up and to the south that passes through the floor. Moving the computer is really not an option... moving the router isn't either (I'm going to kill the moron that decided that a 2-story, 3-bedroom house only needs 2 phone jacks). If it is indeed 'intervening objects' that are causing me woe, then the object in question is the floor... and that's not going anywhere. :)
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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It appears that you are not the only one with issues on this particular model: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13388402 (slightly technical, and requires a firmware upgrade).
Heh, that is a bit technical, but the instructions are easy enough to follow. The question is, can I do all those commands from any computer on the network or only the one directly connected to the modem?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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It appears that you are not the only one with issues on this particular model: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13388402 (slightly technical, and requires a firmware upgrade).Heh, that is a bit technical, but the instructions are easy enough to follow. The question is, can I do all those commands from any computer on the network or only the one directly connected to the modem?
On further inspection, it looks like the thread you linked to is a bit old. At the end of the thread, they started talking about trading in their old, buggy modems for the new '2Wires.' The modem I have is a 2Wire. Perhaps I already have the upgraded one? My DSL service started in October of 2005.
I'd be interested to know if the latency issue is on your side or theirs. You might try tracert or pathping. Umm...Start -> Run -> Type cmd <enter> -> pathping google.com <enter> -> wait impatiently for flibbertygibbets to datacize.
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Quick Question, Is the Internet Speed slow on all your PCs or just the ones Wireless?. How is the Wireless Connection? Are you getting a Strong Signal?
I ask because I had a Similar problem but only on my wireless computers, they kept losing packets and the speed was slow has hell, Seems that even though they were close to the woreless router, because of the material used in the construction of the house, the signal was not getting through the walls or floors well.
I ended up having to run a 20 Meter Wire to my Router to connect the PC and everything was fixed.
By the way I have a 3 story Duplex with only 1 Phone jack on the first floor and the Gaming room (Where pc is) on the third floor.
Not trying to solve your problem, just commiserating.
I just solved major problems on my network that were somewhat like yours, but mine started when I set my wireless router to log on to my broadband account instead of having the computer itself do this, allowing me to have as many computers online as needed.
I have a dynamic IP and I couldn't set the router to port forward. The solution was creating private static IP addresses on my home network and using the port forwarding functions on my router for my static IPs.
It took a helluva long time to learn how.
The fact that my router's interface is in Chinese added to the diffiuclty...
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Director of Narrative
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~glares~ Is this just another way to get me addicted to any other web comics, oh Demon Queen of Victuals?I believe Lilith was just asking Fatespinner, but Fatespinner's post happened to be in that semi-limbo that posts sometimes temporarily get caught up in—but only for some people. So for those folks who could see Lilith's post but not Fatespinner's, that made Lilith's question seem like a general request...
Yay, technology!
As I realize my error this morning...
I'm having a similar problem with my cable router. I had my router (doesn't say the brand name anywhere on it) set up in the Southwest corner of my living room and decided to move it to the North side.
Upon moving, everything was fine. 5 days later, my laptop, and home built pc couldn't even connect. My Vaio, which is located exact 8 inches away (and never moved in relation to the old setup) also lost connection. I could only hit the router using a cable (only 1 connected at the time, the other 3 wireless).
I went out and bought a new wireless network card (my D-LINK Air card always had problems) for the home built and this at least allowed me to access the router.
After 5 attempts with Tech Support, they finally came out an attempted to fix the issue. The Tech was able to connect, but he couldn't determine why the other two PCs could not (no new software, all clean).
He said that there was a problem with the router's power supply, stating that the power output needed to push the signal for the wireless somehow disables). I didn't believe him. He replaced the router and the power supply. And, 5 days later, the wireless devices stopped working.
Changing the channel on the modem didn't work either.
Not sure if this helps, or possibly anyone could suggest a better router.