High download speed, yet pages load slow

[Wd40]

I have starhub 100 MBPS cable broadband. But it feels so pathetic. I have had better performance from 256kbps broadband in India.

I used www.speedtest.net and I used to get like 10 MBPS when I am like 5 mtrs away from the cisco wireless gateway. When I am close to the gateway it is 50MBPS. When I connect using Lan cable it is 100MBPS.

Then I went to the router configuration and changed the channel number from Auto and tried a few random numbers and finally set it to 11 I think and now I get 100MBPS when I am close to the router and about 26 mbps when I am away from the router, yet when I browse the usual sites like facebook, gmail etc its still takes a while to load. It definitely doesn't feel like 100MBPS more like those dial up connections we used to have back in the days. Its not always this slow, but usually in the nights and weekends is when it becomes really slow. The download speed remains the same.

I wonder what is wrong, can somebody please help me fix this problem?

Another problem I have with my new Acer laptop, is when the speed is slow, the connection keeps dropping, I then reconnect to the wireless n/w manually and then its ok and then few minutes later, the connection drops again.

[zzm9980]

I have starhub 100 MBPS cable broadband. But it feels so pathetic. I have had better performance from 256kbps broadband in India.

It is. Get fiber, and don't use one of the big 3 as your ISP. For the big 3 your connections go through proxies which will act as choke points. But for the case below, this probably isn't the specific issue.

I used www.speedtest.net and I used to get like 10 MBPS when I am like 5 mtrs away from the cisco wireless gateway. When I am close to the gateway it is 50MBPS. When I connect using Lan cable it is 100MBPS.

You're suffering wifi interference then. Changing channels may help, but if you're on 2.4ghz (which you are since you're using channels 1-11) then there is probably little hop. Changing the channel will relieve it temporarily until some other wifi router also changes its channel, someone turns on an old microwave, or uses an old cordless telephone.

The only real solution is to buy a 5ghz router. I highly recommend the Asus RT-N66U.

If you want to test this inteference, ping the IP of your default gateway. Walk Let this always run. When your speed tests are slow, I bet you'll see response times in the hundreds or thousands of ms, or a lot of dropped packets. Normal response time on 2.4ghz should under 20ms.

Then I went to the router configuration and changed the channel number from Auto and tried a few random numbers and finally set it to 11 I think and now I get 100MBPS when I am close to the router and about 26 mbps when I am away from the router, yet when I browse the usual sites like facebook, gmail etc its still takes a while to load. It definitely doesn't feel like 100MBPS more like those dial up connections we used to have back in the days. Its not always this slow, but usually in the nights and weekends is when it becomes really slow. The download speed remains the same.

I wonder what is wrong, can somebody please help me fix this problem?

Already answered this above. The problems will come back once other devices in the area of you that are set to "auto" start jumping over to channel 11.

Another problem I have with my new Acer laptop, is when the speed is slow, the connection keeps dropping, I then reconnect to the wireless n/w manually and then its ok and then few minutes later, the connection drops again.

More symptoms of wifi interfernce. Replace the router as mentioned since that is the best option. However if your laptop is so old where its wifi card does not support 5ghz (quite possible given I know how cheap you are), buy a new laptop also. I highly recommend anything from Apple. Of course we both know you won't do that, so also look at Lenovo's. Just make sure your wifi card supports 802.11n 5ghz. 802.11ac is technically better, but it won't help more than 802.11n here. It just increases throughput, but your problem is lost packets due to interference.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Ignore zzms wifi tips for a moment, what's wrong with the wired connection?
It seems like you have your router set up incorrectly.
I have 200mbps with m1 , plus I run a VPN router which establishes a tunnel back to my office network and a sip deskphone which registers back as well.
I've had no problems, internet in Singapore is the best I've seen anywhere.
Sometimes I've had trouble with m1 doing upgrades and the connectivity conks out for an hour or something, it's a planned outage usually.
Starhub always seems to have more customers than say someone like myrepublic with whom I should have signed up in the first place, but didn't, I regret that.

Edit: Didn't see your comment about wired working at 100mbps correctly.my bad

[Wd40]

Thanks a lot ZZM, lots of useful tips there. I will try them out and update here, how it goes.

[zzm9980]

Ignore zzms wifi tips for a moment, what's wrong with the wired connection?
.....

Edit: Didn't see your comment about wired working at 100mbps correctly.my bad

Yeah, good job on reading comprehension.

[JR8]

http://www.rappler.com/technology/news/ ... able-break
'Asia-America Gateway Internet cable suffers break

(UPDATED) Reports say the break in the Asia-America Gateway occurred somewhere between Hong Kong and Vietnam
---



Relevant?

[zzm9980]

Relevant?

Not in this case; it's his local wifi.

[Steve1960]

I don't see any information on the location of said router. Where is it situated? Is there anything that could be blocking your WiFi signal? Metal cabinet? Its behind the TV?

I am running the stock Singtel router on 2.4Ghz and an Apple Time Capsule on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and they are located within inches of each other. I also have neighbors with WiFi (don't we all). Never had an interference problem with either WiFi network.

I do have the routers situated well away from anything else metal or electronic.

[zzm9980]

Wifi Interference isn't necessarily just having neighbors with Wifi. It's how many, and more so what other devices are nearby. More often it is other devices, like cordless phones and microwave ovens that cause the interference. Or, one neighbor that changed some settings on their router in a non-kosher way that is running amok. WD40 try moving yours though, nothing to lose. Best to run those ping tests mentioned while doing it. Also see if moving it during an outage helps or not.


It could even be someone running a wifi dos on the other neighbors. Digital vandalism?

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/6/611524 ... necting-to

^- same concept can be done in software by anyone easily, and against any wifi targets.

[JR8]

Yeah, before we got the connection set up last time around, I just scanned/connected and piggy-backed on neighbour's unsecured wi-fi.

It could be hit and miss at times, but otherwise decent.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Ignore zzms wifi tips for a moment, what's wrong with the wired connection?
.....

Edit: Didn't see your comment about wired working at 100mbps correctly.my bad

Yeah, good job on reading comprehension.

oh snap! I was reading on a phone

[zzm9980]

Ignore zzms wifi tips for a moment, what's wrong with the wired connection?
.....

Edit: Didn't see your comment about wired working at 100mbps correctly.my bad

Yeah, good job on reading comprehension.

oh snap! I was reading on a phone

You should go buy a bigger phone with clearer text. I recommend an iphone 6+ for you.

[x9200]

Getting 100Mbps on a 100Mbps plan is a true achievement on its own.

[Steve1960]

Getting 100Mbps on a 100Mbps plan is a true achievement on its own.

Is there a way of actually measuring real world speed accurately?

I used Ookla speedtest on my Mac Pro connected to the router via Ethernet. I have 200Mbps fibre and the download speed Ookla reported was 204Mbps.

Doesn't seem plausible to me!

[PNGMK]

After reading this I'm going to buy a 5GHZ router. At 1030pm sharp every night something messes with my 2.4GHZ router.