Terrible Internet Connection Yet Full Bars

[Zarotu]

Hi,

I have recently built a new computer and am using a Belkin N150 USB adapter, placed at the front of my case. Before, I had the USB adapter placed behind the case, but I presumed the case to be interfering with the signal, causing slow connections, even at full bars. After putting the USB adapter in front of the case, the connection was fairly good, until recently, when speeds started to slow down again. At first, I was getting around 16 Mbps. Now, I'm getting around 0.30 Mbps (again, at full bars). I don't know what is causing this sudden change in speed, but I was wondering if you guys know what I can do to improve my internet speed.

 

[Davidgilinsky]

dude are you sure that there is no problem with the internet connection coming from the router? try to check it with a different device or with your android phone install speedtest ()downloadable from plyastore) if the speed is still around 16mbps.
use your wifi adapter with a diff. computer if its still acting the same way try to install driver for it ( if it has one)

 

[LostAlone]

Connect your machine directly to the router by ethernet and see what kind of speeds you are getting. If you still get bad speeds, it's an issue with your internet connection, not the wireless transmission.

If your internet connection is fine, then try connecting with wifi from right next to the router and see how the speed is then. If the speed is still bad you have a wifi adapter that is either defective or not completely compatible with your router. If the speed is fine up close then the issue is likely some kind of interference.

Tracing the exact cause of interference is pretty hard in a domestic setting (I assume you would have already noticed any extremely large metal things between your router and PC, and that you would have turned off any powerful electromagnets you happen to have laying around) but there are some quick solutions to typical interference problems -

Change the channel that your router is using. There are often many routers in a small area in domestic places, and most are left on the default channels (1, 6 or 11 IIRC). Go into your routers settings and either tell it to autoscan for a clear channel, or manually pick a non-default one.

If that doesn't help then move the router or your PC. Think about how your house is arranged in terms of the number of walls between the router and the pc. Walls are both a physical barrier, and have metal things like pipes and cables in them which can cause interference. So try to find a more direct router between them. I would suggest moving the router rather than the PC.

If that still doesn't work then you may need to look into alternative arrangements. I would suggest power-line adapters to get your machine connected directly but keeping your house free from dangling cable.

 

[makkem]

Hi
If possible try connecting to your router using an ethernet cable this will tell you whether its a wireless problem or a computer/router problem.
It could be that you are getting interference on your wireless signal.

 

[Zarotu]

The desktop is in another room, otherwise I would have connected the computer to the router via ethernet cable already. I'm pretty sure it's not the router as my laptop still receives great internet speeds.

Are there any cheap, yet reliable powerlines? The ones at Best Buy are around $50

 

[Davidgilinsky]

try to use the usb wifi with your laptop lets see if will show thesame problem, if it does that means you have a bad usb wifi adapter that needs to be replaced

 

[bill001g]

The desktop is in another room, otherwise I would have connected the computer to the router via ethernet cable already. I'm pretty sure it's not the router as my laptop still receives great internet speeds.

Are there any cheap, yet reliable powerlines? The ones at Best Buy are around $50

Before you go spending money on powerlines you need to make sure the problem is actually the wireless and not your connection. Either temporary move your pc close so you can use a short ethernet cable or spend the $10 to buy a long cable and just run it over the floor for 10 minutes to test. Powerline devices also have problems in some houses so you need to be sure you have good performance at your router first or you will never get this to work.

You want to avoid the powerline devices that only claim to do 200m these use the older generation of chipsets and do not work as well as the ones that say 500m. You will get nowhere near either speed, if you get 80m it will be about average.

 

[Zarotu]

Everything seems to be in order. It seems as though my Internet speed drops at around or near night time.