wifi security affects isp speed?

[BigDaddy703]

OK, sorry if this is the wrong section, but got a question. My roommate provides 50 mbps dsl for both of us, he was originally using WEP security for the wifi. Well we would never get faster than 20 mbps while using this. He decided today that he was going to change the password, but he couldn't figure out how to do it, so I told him I would do it. Well long story short, I don't like using WEP security, so I chose WPA security. (It was the one the modem actually had recommended marked next to it.) After setting the password, and reconnecting to the network, I did a speed test and the connection jumped to almost 40 mbps instead of just under 20. When I received the previously best result of 18.5 mbps, my computer was the only one connected to the network, and when I did the new speed test today, it was my computer, as well as his, and a phone connected. As unreasonable as it sounds, it seems as though using WEP security won't give you the connection speed you are supposed to receive, either that, or by changing the security method, I caused the modem to do a reboot, which is all I needed to do. Anyways hopefully someone can explain to me, why the connection is faster now than it was before.

thanks

 

[bill001g]

In theory you should be able to get to 54m with wep. This is related to how strictly a device follows the 802.11n standards. The rules say that the things like MiMO and wide channel feature are not allowed to be used unless you are running wpa2.

Like most the magic wireless numbers you get nowhere near the rates. 54m gets about 20m like you are seeing. Things like 150,300,450 get more but of course you get nowhere near those either but it will not even attempt to use these speeds if you have wep turned on.

The actual encryption of the data is handled by the radio chips themselves they tend to be fast enough to not cause a bottleneck just by encrypting, most wireless slowness is a result of interference and data retransmission.

 

[BigDaddy703]

In theory you should be able to get to 54m with wep. This is related to how strictly a device follows the 802.11n standards. The rules say that the things like MiMO and wide channel feature are not allowed to be used unless you are running wpa2.

Like most the magic wireless numbers you get nowhere near the rates. 54m gets about 20m like you are seeing. Things like 150,300,450 get more but of course you get nowhere near those either but it will not even attempt to use these speeds if you have wep turned on.

The actual encryption of the data is handled by the radio chips themselves they tend to be fast enough to not cause a bottleneck just by encrypting, most wireless slowness is a result of interference and data retransmission.

OK, I think I understood what you said, and thank you for your reply.

It is much better now though, I managed to play swtor last night without even DC'ing once! Haven't been able to do that since I moved back to Toronto last November!

Thanks for your explanation.