Slow download speed through modem/High download speed through wi-fi router

[Woozie]

This is quite a doozy, so I'll do my best at explaining what's going on. I'm also living in Europe (Romania), so if this isn't the right place to post, let me know.

I. Some six months ago I've encountered an issue with my download speed where I would effectively download stuff with around 500kbps instead of the regular 4-5 MBps (primarily using Steam). I've contacted people from my ISP and for a month they were constantly coming over and testing the speed on their laptops. At times the speed would be fine on their laptops, while at others it would be as low as on my PC. This, of course, was using both their testing page and speedtest.net .

So, after a month of calling back and forth, having them tell me it's my PC that's causing it, I reinstall my OS (Win 7 x64), I scan my PC for viruses/malware and I even change my network internet controller. Before changing the NIC, I brought the PC over to someone living in my same area, only to get good speeds (both on speedtest and while actually downloading stuff via Steam) on BOTH NICs. The issue got magically fixed a week or two later after a few days of (really) angry calls and lots of shouting. During all this time, I was using a direct connection going from the ISPs modem into my PC, no wi-fi router whatsoever.

II. Shortly after, I found myself downloading stuff with some 9-10 MBps (again, actual speed, via Steam) and for a good couple of months I had no issues. In this time, I was using the PC as I always use it, with the same programs. A few days ago, the issue returned. The tech guy on the phone couldn't fix it. A team came over only to get good speeds on Speedtest. This had them starting the entire "it's your PC" charade over and over again. Anger resurfaced, but luckily I got a more communicative individual the next day.

He tried replacing cables, he tried replacing the modem with another one (same make, same model) nothing worked. When he added the wi-fi router in between the modem and my PC, the speed was back up. If prior to this the highest point was 9MB (again, using Steam), this time around it was downloading at 11.1 MBps. Constantly. I did this with the guy there and he seemed completely baffled (as am I). Currently, connecting directly through the modem has me downloading stuff at 500kbps while through the wi-fi router I get 11Mbps. Note that this is WITHOUT using the wi-fi function. It's just adding something in between the modem and the PC.

Now, I don't know much about internet connections (you could consider I'm just now learning the terminology), but I do know speed can vary. However, I think we can all agree that from 5 or 9 MBps to 500 kbps constantly, well, that's a pretty high jump (the ISP's tech guy on the phone agreed with me on this one, although, it might have been just for the sake of it). My contract with the company was signed a handful of years ago, when the network wasn't as strong. It stipulates some 2Mbps. Over the years, however, the speed has got increasingly better under the same contract (despite my current place being a very small town) and my neighbors seem to be getting the same speed, although they rely far less on internet than I do.

I've a hunch the issue is with their network (although they claim it's only me that's getting these speed problems). I'm also not using an anti-virus (I did install one and Malwarebytes when the issues popped up again to check for bugs, but my PC is clean, according to the scans). The issue also literally popped up after some 4 days of being away and not using my PC at all.

If anyone made it so far, my question would be this: Is there a chance there might be something I'm overlooking with my PC, given what I've changed and how I've had months with no issues? Or, to go further into arcane territory, might anyone have any idea as to what's causing this? PC specs and model info below:

- AccEOC21 modem provided by the ISP
- D-Link DIR-615 Wireless Router 300 Mbps
- Intel i5-4460 CPU @3.20 GHz
- Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 3 MoBo
- Nvidia GeForce 960 GTX 4GB Vram
- Kingston, DDR3, 8GB RAM
- HDD Seagate Barracuda 1TB
- Inter Tech Energon 750W Power Supply
- Windows 7 64bit
- ISP : RCS/RDS (Digi)
- DSL Cable

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[boosted1g]

Wow that was a long post.

If the 4 days away from PC involved shutting it off or even going into sleep mode then of course downloads are going to be slow.
The PC is now 4 days behind on antivirus and windows updates which is going to run in the background and use up your total bandwidth.

As far as computer getting much slower speeds connected to modem vs router (connected to same modem) is baffling.
While a standalone router typically performs better at handling WAN-LAN throughput on many devices, it is still connected to modem and thus confined to the same boundaries.

If you are using DSL and needing to use PPPoE connection then its possible that was slowing down communication and causing direct-to-modem connection to be slower.
Only thing I can think of is that the PC had a low MTU configured for modem only that then degraded your speed.

If this is a modem/router combo (so more than 1 LAN port on modem) then also possible that port is bad

 

[Woozie]

Wow that was a long post.

If the 4 days away from PC involved shutting it off or even going into sleep mode then of course downloads are going to be slow.
The PC is now 4 days behind on antivirus and windows updates which is going to run in the background and use up your total bandwidth.

As far as computer getting much slower speeds connected to modem vs router (connected to same modem) is baffling.
While a standalone router typically performs better at handling WAN-LAN throughput on many devices, it is still connected to modem and thus confined to the same boundaries.

If you are using DSL and needing to use PPPoE connection then its possible that was slowing down communication and causing direct-to-modem connection to be slower.
Only thing I can think of is that the PC had a low MTU configured for modem only that then degraded your speed.

If this is a modem/router combo (so more than 1 LAN port on modem) then also possible that port is bad

Thank you for getting through all of that. I'm fairly sure it's not Windows updates that are eating up bandwidth. As I expected, the fix was only temporary as I've been experiencing the issue again, even going through the router, for two hours or so now. I will wait until tomorrow but I honestly do not know what to do anymore...

Should there have been a low MTU configured, wouldn't that have meant it would have been impossible to get good speeds in the months prior to this second occurence? I have been running a direct connection (using only the modem) in that period of time.

Checking the modem, there are three Ethernet ports, but I've tried moving the cable into all of them and the speed is just as low. Then there's still the question of why/how the ISP people seem to (sometime) get good speeds on Speedtest when mine are low (they've never went so far as trying to actually download something).

 

[boosted1g]

1492 is the standard (not per say what is best for ISP) for MTU for a dsl connection using PPPoE.
To low reduces efficiency, too high and you start having packet loss (which means data is lost/corrupted and you have to retransmit the same data over and over again)

Typically for your issue to occur there must be some other source eating up bandwidth somwhere.

Keep in mind that with DSL connection the more people on the connection (not just your modem/router but all neighbors using your neighborhood hub) the more slowed down your connection will be. DSL is faster to decline than cable is.

 

[Woozie]

1492 is the standard (not per say what is best for ISP) for MTU for a dsl connection using PPPoE.
To low reduces efficiency, too high and you start having packet loss (which means data is lost/corrupted and you have to retransmit the same data over and over again)

Typically for your issue to occur there must be some other source eating up bandwidth somwhere.

Keep in mind that with DSL connection the more people on the connection (not just your modem/router but all neighbors using your neighborhood hub) the more slowed down your connection will be. DSL is faster to decline than cable is.

I will have to look up a tutorial on how to change MTU limits and try that. I know DSL connections can get bogged down, but so far we've had no issues.

I've been experiencing the issue again, for at least two hours. I've shifted over to my laptop (got it working again specifically for this). Initially, the speeds were fine there. 5+ MB download on Steam (going just through the router). After some 5 or 10 minutes, stuff became wonky. The tests were just as low and when I wasn't downloading with 500 KBps, the speeds were all over the place (one second 5MB, then 2MB, then 8, then 200 KBps, etc.). I feel like I'm in some sort of absurd play at the moment. Should I see this as a sign of network instability? Should I consider reinstalling my Windows again? (didn't help last time). I plan on buying a new PC soon, but I wouldn't want to rush it just to test out my internet.

In a last attempt, I might head out with my PC to some neighbours tomorrow to test how things are over there, especially if it persists.

EDIT: Used a guide off sevenforums (can provide a link if need be) and changed the MTU from 1490 to 1480. Problem persists on both my PC and laptop.

 

[boosted1g]

Realize too that DSL is by nature much more unstable as it is more prone to any changes in network congestion and distance from home to neighborhood hub

 

[Woozie]

Realize too that DSL is by nature much more unstable as it is more prone to any changes in network congestion and distance from home to neighborhood hub

I apologize if I sound desperate (it's probably because I sort am). I guess I'm used to networks being unstable for a brief period of time, rather than weeks or months on end. So, to see whether I should let the issue rest (at least on here) with the MTU change not solving the issue and a second malware scan unveiling just a PUP that I got rid of, is it safe to say that the issue is on my ISP's part (whether it's some fault in their equipment or simply the network acting up because of its type)? I tried looking over the resource monitor in the task manager and the highest consumption at the moment comes from KillerService.exe and NetworkManager both of which are necessary (?) and tied to my motherboard's driver's I believe.

 

[bill001g]

I have not totally read this thread since the advice seems solid. The thing that catches my eye in your last post is the killer drivers. I will admit I am very biased on this topic. This so called network acceleration is mostly marketing hype. Killer has massive problems with their drivers which cause all kinds of strange issues for people. This has gotten so bad they actually have a version of the driver on their site that has all the killer features removed.

This may not be your problem but it is highly unlikely that it will cause you any issue to remove the killer features.

 

[boosted1g]

Buy a different ethernet adapter for your computer (TP-Link makes a decent one for $10-12 USD).
The Killer brand adapters can have massive problems and there is no fixing it, this is why most all of the higher end motherboard lines that used Killer have now switched hack to Intel nics.

If that still does not fix problem then I would at least shop around to see if you have any other options for ISP.

 

[Woozie]

I have not totally read this thread since the advice seems solid. The thing that catches my eye in your last post is the killer drivers. I will admit I am very biased on this topic. This so called network acceleration is mostly marketing hype. Killer has massive problems with their drivers which cause all kinds of strange issues for people. This has gotten so bad they actually have a version of the driver on their site that has all the killer features removed.

This may not be your problem but it is highly unlikely that it will cause you any issue to remove the killer features.

Hi Bill and thanks so much for giving my thread a read. Just to be sure, for my Killer E2200 Gigabit Ethernet Controller, the drivers in questions (which remove the troublesome features) would be the Killer Control Center 64-bit (last updated some 2 days ago) from their website? I will try installing them in an hour or two when my download decides to complete ._.

I'll try to look into a different ethernet adapter as well. If it isn't too much of a hassle for you, could you mention the model you had in mind, boosted? I did actually speak today to a person that's on a different ISP and they say their connection is stable. They also took a look at my PC (they're more savvy in this respect) and said that as far as software goes, there's nothing eating up bandwidth to warrant such speeds.I'll have to see if this other ISP have or can get cable up to where I live. Most of the area has been monopolized by my current ISP which isn't too encouraging, but one has to try.

 

[boosted1g]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704060&recaptcha=pass

I understand the ISP lack of choice. Here we have THE cable provider who is Charter Spectrum with max of 60mbps, and THE dsl provider who is Century Link with a max of a massive 12mbps, but you can pay well over $100 to get bonded lines to get 20 mbps!!!!!!!!!!!!!. There is supposed to be a company from Denver laying in Fiber in select areas to get up to 100mbps.

 

[bill001g]

I have not totally read this thread since the advice seems solid. The thing that catches my eye in your last post is the killer drivers. I will admit I am very biased on this topic. This so called network acceleration is mostly marketing hype. Killer has massive problems with their drivers which cause all kinds of strange issues for people. This has gotten so bad they actually have a version of the driver on their site that has all the killer features removed.

This may not be your problem but it is highly unlikely that it will cause you any issue to remove the killer features.

Hi Bill and thanks so much for giving my thread a read. Just to be sure, for my Killer E2200 Gigabit Ethernet Controller, the drivers in questions (which remove the troublesome features) would be the Killer Control Center 64-bit (last updated some 2 days ago) from their website? I will try installing them in an hour or two when my download decides to complete ._.

I'll try to look into a different ethernet adapter as well. If it isn't too much of a hassle for you, could you mention the model you had in mind, boosted? I did actually speak today to a person that's on a different ISP and they say their connection is stable. They also took a look at my PC (they're more savvy in this respect) and said that as far as software goes, there's nothing eating up bandwidth to warrant such speeds.I'll have to see if this other ISP have or can get cable up to where I live. Most of the area has been monopolized by my current ISP which isn't too encouraging, but one has to try.

They have changed their site massively since I last had a killer chipset. This is their instructions
http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/knowledge-base?view=topic&id=4

 

[Woozie]

Well, I did order the ethernet adapter boosted mentioned and it should be arriving today or tomorrow. On top of that, my drivers seemed to be up to date (thanks for providing the link, bill). However, I'm fairly sure at this point it's the network. The tests on speedtest tell me I've been sitting at around 20Mbps download speed. Yesterday actual speeds would spike up to 9MB and then gradually drop off to 0, only to jump from 200kbps to 4MBps and back to a vast array of values. I guess that made the downloads technically faster but navigating was a pain and playing stuff had its fair share of lagspikes.

As of a few hours ago, download speeds seem to be back. At the same rate, playing 1080p videos on Youtube works just fine. But, given my luck and the way things seem to go, I'm not expecting it to last until afternoon. I will have to at least find out if a different ISP has cable up to here, so that if this instability persists, I can maybe switch over. At any rate, you guys have been a great deal of help and I'd like to thank you again for taking the time to read through what's going on and, ultimately, help me know a bit more about a subject I'm not that well versed in. I hope you won't encounter my issue or any other for that matter.

I wouldn't necessarily mind the monopoly, boosted. The speeds were very good and stable until these issues occured (save for a disconnect here and there which does occur anyway). The trouble, I find, is that it kind of makes them comfortable and less prone to respond to actual issues (last time it took a month of calls to fix the same thing) which does kind of boggle the mind. It gets even worse when people in the area aren't as heavy users and, thus, are less prone of maybe reporting issues of their own.