I am having very real connection problem just at present to the point that I struggle to do anything at all on-line. I put the computer on wireless and moved it to the front room That has weakened the signal, cutting the nominal bandwidth from 100 to 54 Mbps per second. I say nominal because the real speeds were always a lot less. However, it may also be that I have just run out of my download allowance.
I am trying to run a test to see actual speeds, although downloading the test connection is proving difficult. It has been downloading for ten minutes!
While I'm waiting, the practical effect is that I simply can't post properly. I don't want to return the computer to the previous configuration, I really want to work in the front office. If I'm right about the choke but still have some upload capacity, the wireless connection status shows that 70,000 data packets have gone out in the last four hours as compared to just 19,000 in, then I may be able to work round the problem to some degree.
This post is a practical test. If I'm right it should upload. The speedtest download has just failed again. Signing off to post.
Postscript
Well, it did upload. It was slower, but within acceptable limits. However, the blog front page itself did not load properly. I am going to focus over the rest of the month on preparing material that I can then post, so actual posting will be limited until I sort this one out.
Postscript two
The amended heading says it all, but I will do a proper thank you post. I may not have solved the problem entirely, but Netgear technical support is superb.
12 comments:
Jim
I find it very difficult to have much sympathy for your stated reduction from 100 to 54 mbs when my internet connection operates perfectly well (has done for about four years) at the blazingly fast proffered speed of .4599 mbs
Talk about the country-city divide. I think maybe one of us has a slightly less than complete grasp of just what that means.
kvd
ps said with bemusement at your perceived 'problem'.
I fear that you misunderstand me, kvd. I said that the real and nominal speeds were a lot less. When I shifted the computer, it took me twenty minuted to download a Facebook page. Even now when I have moved the computer, my notional wireless 54Mbps translates to an actual 7. Better than yours, but still no cigar.
Jim
I misunderstood totally. Only 7 mbs! I can now see why you were rioting in the streets! That is absolutely shocking and I hope your update2 indicates that you've found a fix.
kvd
You still misunderstand me, kvd! My actual download speed at the worst was in the kbs!
No misunderstanding Jim. My actual best speed is always measured in K's not M's so I understand, daily, how you felt/feel at such poor service.
As I said: city-country perceptions, or should that be (dare I suggest) entitlements?
kvd
ps just joshing. Country people just simply adapt to what they are granted by city folk, and make do.
Still adjusting to this role reversal, kvd! Mind you, I don't mind you arguing my usual case. Seriously, though, not being able to work from my office and then having to move the computer back to the kitchen was a real pain.
Jim, I knew you'd catch up to what I was doing, but there is a serious point - as I expect you understand without my pointing it out.
Anyway, I hope all now is in order (just as I fervently hope that someday the metropolitan Aussies realise just how well served they are in comparison to their country cousins) It is not as if I'm even in 'deep country'; those are the people who I really feel for as we discuss 'megabytes'.
With your sort of bandwidth I'm assuming your internet useage involves a lot of video download? Just asking, because my main interest lies in words, text, and the occasional picture.
What a 'new world' I have in prospect! But there I go again, being "sarky".
kvd
Staying with role reversal for the moment, kvd, if you look back at http://belshaw.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/bring-on-nbn-and-now.html you will see that I have complained before about speeds and that was when the computer was located in the kitchen near the modem. Then I wished that I was in Armidale!
If you have twisted copper pairs, ie the same as me, then you should be able to receive ADSL broadband. Some country people can't for technical reasons - transmission across long phone lines is just too poor.
I don't download a lot of video, it's too slow. And I won't know whether or not I have solved the problem until I move the computer back to the office. My feeling is that the wireless signal from the modem will still be too weak.
Jim you're getting far too technical for your own good now!
Your wifi network will be operating at 100 mbs - as is mine. That allows you to 'shift stuff' around your house at reasonable speed - music, video, etc. - sourced from any device on your home network. That works just fine for me, too.
What I thought you were talking about was your connection to the big wide world? Mine certainly is adsl and is presently (i.e. last 4 years) delivered via copper, with a max of roughly 450k. I used to have a satellite connection - still have the dish - which delivered 250k and was a marvellous improvement on my 48k modem, but I replaced it when I started providing clients with the ability to log into my (v. expensive) video stream while overseas.
So, they and I now share 450k, and it works very well, and I don't miss missing anything which you seem to be missing - and it intrigues that you have a need for such speed in connecting to the big wide world?
Video excepted of course - hence my earlier comment.
kvd
Hi kvd. The notional speed for the service is 100mbs with wired connection through the modem. This appears to drop to 54 with the wireless. Both measures come from the connection icon. The problem I had before was that the actual speeds as tested were, for download, about 7 per cent of the rated capacity, sometimes lower. I couldn't properly access simple video and sometimes even simple web pages were slow to load. Downloading big pdf docs was a pain as well.
The modem is in the kitchen since that is where the connection is. Initially I had the computer there, but once I got the wireless link connected, I moved it to the front alcove since this is where my office is meant to be. That's about 40 feet away. My connection speeds and especially download collapsed. It took ten minutes, for example, to download a dozen emails including frequent time outs. I couldn't even run a speed test because the nettest front page proved too big to actually download.
To properly test the wireless connection, I had to move the computer back to the kitchen so that cable could be re-established. Netgear found a problem with the connection, and the whole set-up routine had to be repeated several times. The whole thing took more than two hours. The wireless speeds are now okay, although there is still that frustrating tendency to drop out at inconvenient moments that seems to be common with wireless.
I have yet to move the computer back to the from room to see whether or not it will work there.
Sorry for the length of this explanation, but I am so dependent upon the bloody system for everything I do.
Hi Jim
I guess this is extending the conversation further than deserved, although I do feel for your predicament, and know how frustrating such stuff (which one gets used to) can be. It is now such a 'necessary' part of all our lives.
Just so's we are both on the same page, your connection to the www is via phone line - twisted pair adsl - which comes into your house, and is plugged into your modem. The modem is then plugged into your wifi router, enabling you hopefully to then place your actual computer anywhere within wifi range, and also attach other devices such as wifi-capable mobile phone, iPad, music centre, et al.
But in order for the tech people to interrogate (and modify) the modem settings it must temporarily be plugged directly into your computer (i.e. bypassing the router) - hence your trucking the computer up and down the hallway.
As to speeds, there are two separate components: 1) the wifi home network speed associated with the particular wireless router you have (this is pretty well standard at 100 mbs), and 2) the adsl connection to the www, via your modem.
Not suggesting you fall into this category, but a lot of people think that if they've got a 100 mbs home network, then somehow miraculously their adsl (which might be anything from 250k up to gigabits) will 'increase' their access speeds if at the lower end, or 'increase' their wifi network speeds if at the higher end.
A bad wifi setup is indicated by your hassles moving round the house; normally anything within 100 feet is pretty reliable and normally operating at close to maximum efficiency - i.e. 100 mbs.
A bad adsl-to-modem connection is indicated if your rated speed into modem is a lot less than your ISP plan rate. These are two separate issues.
Anyway, the very best of British on a sunny Sunday; and I hope it all just goes away soon for you. Life is far too short.
kvd
ps to all tech heads: the above has been 'simplified'. Please don't crucify me except for obvious errors ;)
You have captured it pretty well, although I don't actually have a router with a single computer.
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