Problems with new Netgear Wireless router!

[Cydone]

Hello Toms Hardware community,

I just installed a new Netgear Wireless router as my old Netgear router wouldn't allow me to get download speeds past about 30mbps. The new one works, but most of the time it will only allow 10-25mbps, and only about 5% of the time will it go up to the 60mbps I SHOULD be getting.

Having called both my ISP and Netgear(which was a joke of a call really. I could tell the lady I talked to there at Netgear was reading from a "script" probably called "basic how to fix guide" lol), they haven't been able to fix my problem. I was wondering if you guru's could help me with this, before I have to have some random guy from my ISP come and fumble around with the wires in my house lol?

 

[Cydone]

NEW Router: http://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/WNR2000.aspx
OLD Router: http://support.netgear.com/product/wnr1000v3
Modem: Cisco DPC3208 VoIP Modem

Should you guys need the specs of my PC they are as follows:
MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128564
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438016
USB WiFi Adapter: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166049 (but also have this one as a backup) http://www.linksys.com/en-apac/products/adapters/AE1200
OS: Windows 7 64bit SP 1

ISP: Charter Communications/Broadband Connection - SUPPOSED to be getting around 60mbps download from them
# of Devices connected: 2 (PC and an Xbox 360 used for streaming Netflix

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Can you post speedtests from both WiFi and Ethernet connected devices? They'll help to find out what the problem is.

 

[Ra_V_en]

First i would do is to pass the routers, just use lan cable directly from modem to the PC, this would give more hints whats going on. Speedtest before and after to see the difference.

 

[Cydone]

Wireless Connection:

Direct connection via Modem:

Now again, sometimes the connection via wireless is good. Like the first screenshot was taken about 30mins prior to the second, as I had some connection issues with the wired modem and had to delete my saved networks in COMODO Internet Security. Once I did that, I took the second screenshot. After that, I hooked my wireless back up and am getting around 55mbps, but that has happened before, right before it drops back down to the ~10-25mbps it seems to be regularly getting. Is there something I can check on my computer that may be bottlenecking my connection??

 

[Someone Somewhere]

WiFi is consistently inconsistent, unfortunately.

My advice would be to try changing channels, and see if your gear supports 5GHz.

 

[Cydone]

I have tried switching channels to no avail. Also, it doesn't support 5Ghz.

 

[Cydone]

Something weird happened the other day. I was getting the slow internet speeds again and I've noticed when I unplug and plug my USB WiFi adapter back in, it fixes the problem, for a short period of time. Well I tried that the other day and as soon as I pulled the WiFi adapter out, it blue screened my PC. I NEVER have BSOD issues with this computer. In fact, this is only the 2nd BSOD I've gotten in the last 9 months. Does that give anyone some insight into what may be my problem? Or is that just a freak occurrence??

 

[Cydone]

Anyone have any advice from what I posted ^^^^ there?

 

[Ra_V_en]

Well you found the origin of the problem yourself. It seems that usb stick is not working properly... im not surprised you got BSOD while running on Wifi and unplug it, try to rip off CPU from mobo while running the windows and check what will happen. It's indeed usb but network cards are quire important in OS's and such things can happen when you rip off instead of manually disconnect the usb device using manager.

Getting back to topic, its quite obvious there is something not right with that USB stick... maybe its the drivers maybe its the device itself, you won't know for sure until you try on different wifi card.

 

[Cydone]

The same thing happens with BOTH USB WiFi sticks that I own. Could it really be that both, from different manufacturers are bad, or could it be something in my settings on my comp?

 

[Ra_V_en]

Not really, that would be very unlucky situation. The symptoms tells its wifi card but in this case the suspects extends to software/drivers/os and even the router itself.

Probably on your position I would just make a backup of Users folder dump the OS, make a new installation with drivers only and watch the results. In Users folder you have settings for vastly most of the software, which would make that re-installation less painful. Thats not the very sophisticated solution but when software fails, thats probably the easiest and quickest way in most scenarios.

If that wont help then you can be 99% sure its either sticks or the router.

You said you linked the modem with the PC, you could try to do so with the router via lan cable... that might drop some more clues if its the router chip or its firmware.. after that point to solve the puzzle you would have to get some new wifi card and/or the router to make a final verdict.