Slow home network - I don't know how to debug this!

[pumog]

I have a cable internet connection and a wireless linksys router that I bought about a year ago. We have had 3 computers hooked up to the router for the last year and the connection speed has generally been great with no issues. For the past few months, my internet connection has been super slow (dial-up or worse) on all of the computers.
Also, getting a file from another computer (i.e. file sharing) is very slow, as is the time it takes to print to the network printer.

I have tried connecting the cable modem directly to one pc and the speed is back to normal, but as soon as I hook it back up to the router, I'm back to the slow connection. I can try replacing the network cable or the router. It doesn't seem like it would be a problem with either of the computers (virus) since it is affecting both computers.

Is there anything else that could cause a sudden loss of speed like this? Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, even though it's slow, the signel strength reads as "excellent".

[dajogejr]

Well...let's get back to basics on the computers.

Routers, etc., either work or not. They don't have OS's on them...so, they're either on or off.

ON these PCs, do you:

Have Virus Protection, updated and scanning regularly?

Run Anti-Trojan Software detection on them.

Run Malware/adware/spyware tools, updated and scanned regularly.


Download and install Microsoft's security updates and patches?

Sounds like you might be a victim or zombie passing along network traffic or spam without your knowing...

I highly doubt your router is suspect.


Since your signal is great, I think we can safely say it's not a connection issue between the PCs and the wireless router...

Lastly, when is the last time you updated the firmware on your router?

I just got wireless at home, and the Linksys router/AP had 7 month old firmware out of the box.

[pumog]

Thanks for the reply:

1. yes I have updated virus.
2. I never open attachments and am pretty savy about this, but I guess you never know. I have no spyware and use 3 anti-spyware progs regularly.
3. regarding most of your suggestions: if any of them were true, why would the speed not be slow when I hook the cable directly to the computer, thus bypassing the router?

4. Regarding firmware: how do I tell what to do about this? I checked under device manager and it says Instant Wireless PCI card v2.7. It is a linksys card. The driver is dated from 2002 but I couldn't find a newer one from the linksys site - in fact their driver was dated older than mine by a few months! So how would I check this firmware thing out?

Thanks again for your help.

[delRhode]

Originally posted by dajogejr
Well...let's get back to basics on the computers.

Routers, etc., either work or not. They don't have OS's on them...so, they're either on or off.



Just a side note... to say that routers don't have an OS on them is somewhat misleading... Linksys routers run a stripped-down version of Linux, which more easily lets them offer things like firewall functionality and web-based configuration, in addition to their basic routing function.

So far as troubleshooting this problem goes... since the slowdown affects all machines, and speed returns when directly hooked up, the only common things involved are the router and the wireless network it supports. Odds are the router isn't the problem (because its code lives in firmware and isn't readily corruptible)... which leaves the wireless network.

Do you live in an apartment, or where the houses are fairly close together? Could be that the machines in your wireless network are trying to share the same bandwidth as other wireless networks right around you, which could cause problems...

[dajogejr]

You're gonna have to look into the administration of your router and/or card to get the firmware version.

Have you tried switching channles?

Also...Microwaves and some cordless phones run on the 2.4GHz channel, could they be causing Interference.

One good test would be plug a pc directly into one of the router's Ethernet ports.

See if it gets better....it very well could be radio interference....

[dajogejr]

here is a pic of my router's page and firware version...I'm sure you have something similar...

[pumog]

My firmware is very old - in fact it's the first verion. BUT, along the way I stumbled over the setup page for my router and saw that it was set up for a default of 50 users. I changed this number to 3 and now the internet is fast! I guess that means that 48 people in my neighborhood were using my internet connection??/ AND I have WEP enabled. But it worked so why ask questions right?

[dajogejr]

Glad you got it sorted out.
WEP doesn't mean a hill of beans, anymore...it'll keep the casual wifi perp out, but...

I've seen guys crack that in less time than it took for them to fire up thier laptop.

How I sort out my wireless security is:

Broadcast on a different channel than default ( I think 6 is default)
Do not broadcast my SSID and
My Linksys allows me to only allow certain MAC addresses. So, that's about as good as I can get!

[RamonGTP]

Routers can indeed be in a state other than on or off. I've run accross routers that start slowing down just like yours did. I've ran accross others that would not issue a DHCP address to some computers, but would to others. In most cases all thats requried is a simple hit of the reset switch on the router. I don't think it was the 50 users causing it to slow it down, I think that changing it to 3 required the router to reboot itself. I believe it was that reboot that corrected the issue.

[dajogejr]

Good point, Ramon.
In his first post, he did say he went from Modem to router, and back...I took for granted he "shut them off" and then powered 'em back on.

You know what they say about "Assume"...

Personally...I've never had a router "slow down".

I have had some not issue IP correctly, etc, but...when they got the address, they either worked or not.

I do make it a good point to power cycle our switch stacks and router every month or so...
Same as our servers, a monthly reboot is a good thing, IMO.

[pumog]

Well, besides changing it from 50 to 3, I ALSO shut off and reset the the router - so maybe (as you suggest) it is faster because of that action, and NOT the change from 50 to 3. Good point...

I guess we'll never know which intervention was the one that did it...

[dajogejr]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Glad it's sorted...