Am I stupid, or is my router broken?

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prelag

Weaksauce
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Dec 1, 2007
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I have a Netgear WNDR3800 wireless router. It's been rock solid since day 1. Last night I bought XCOM off of Steam and began to download it. I was getting 200kbps and I could not browse simple webpages.

At that point, I did a little research and saw people recommended turning off WMM. I did this and the download speeds jumped up to 500 kbps but were inconsistent. For example, they would jump to 500 kbps, then down to 200, then down to 100, then back up.

At this point I went to my cable providers website and did a speed test. It maxed out a 3 mbps on a 15mb pipe.

I plugged in a spare laptop directly into the modem and ran the same test, I achieved 17 mbps.

I've tried multiple devices on my wireless network to rule out my NIC. All of them go no higher then 3 mbps.

I have the security set to WPA2 AES

Am I doing something wrong, or is my router just taking a dump?

Can anyone recommend a reliable home router? It seems that every router I look at has some really positive reviews and some really terrible reviews. I have yet to find one that is almost completely positive.

Sorry for the long rant and thanks in advance.

tl;dr- Slow wifi speeds, need new router suggestions.
 
Did you try resetting the router to factory defaults and retesting?
 
Try resetting the router to defaults, then customize your SSID, etc. but leave all of the other settings alone. See what you get for speed. If it is still shitty then you may want to consider replacing the router.

I used to use a Linksys E3000, loved that dual-band Wi-Fi router.
 
Resetting to defaults is a good choice.

On the review thing... good luck on that one. Most of the really bad reviews are going to either be DOA devices or someone not knowing what the hell they're doing.
 
Ibhad a 3700 once. It appeared to have been part if what netgear does often, a bad batch.

Netgear is typically a cheap shit brand on consumer stuff. I would recommend doing a warranty swap on that router. Or get an asus n66u 56u.
 
If you're not a [H]ard user take a look at the Apple Airport Extreme.

Its a very high quality unit and almost completely bug free.
 
The WNDR3800 is an excellent router, just flash it with new firmware and/or check your PSU.
//Danne
 
diizzy said:
The WNDR3800 is an excellent router, just flash it with new firmware and/or check your PSU.
//Danne
Click to expand...

I flashed it last night to the new firmware and that allowed me to browse webpages while downloading off Steam. It did not fix the slow download speeds however.

I will try to do a hard reset tonight when I get home. If that does not solve the issue, I will probably go buy the Apple AirPort Extreme.

On a side note, I may have been getting these terrible speeds all along. I never tested the router when I initially bought it. The only thing that prompted me to test it last night was the inability to surf the net.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
 
how's the performance directly connected to the router over a wire, rather than the modem?
 
You probably have alot of other wireless users around you, knocking your speed back. As suggested, connect directly to the switch ports on your router and test the speed.
 
prelag said:
I've tried multiple devices on my wireless network to rule out my NIC. All of them go no higher then 3 mbps.
Click to expand...

So, wireless devices connected wirelessly to said router, have no issues.
Correct?

If that's the case, chances are it's your desktop then and not the router.
Verify by plugging a laptop in to the router to verify whether or not it has issues.
You could also try plugging your desktop directly in to the modem.

Testing @ the modem with a laptop does not rule out your desktop.

edit: I re-read OP. So your desktop is wireless also? You're not very clear on that.
 
j-sta said:
So, wireless devices connected wirelessly to said router, have no issues.
Correct?

If that's the case, chances are it's your desktop then and not the router.
Verify by plugging a laptop in to the router to verify whether or not it has issues.
You could also try plugging your desktop directly in to the modem.

Testing @ the modem with a laptop does not rule out your desktop.

edit: I re-read OP. So your desktop is wireless also? You're not very clear on that.
Click to expand...

Yes, my desktop is wireless. Essentially, the router works fine on all devices, I just get terrible download / upload speeds on every device.

I ran an SSID channel scanner and only had 4 networks in range. Of those 4, only one was running on the same channel. I went ahead last night and changed the channel on the 2.4ghz band to 1 since it was not in use. I still had the same issue and I could not get higher than 3 mbps using the cable providers speed test.

I'm not at home right now, but I plan on buying a new router today at lunch. Before I install the new router tonight, I will test the wired connection at the router and see what happens.

Are there any settings that would allow great speeds while hard wired to the router versus wireless? :confused:
 
if your going to grab a new router, might I suggest you try tomato or dd-wrt on the router before hand?
link

On a side note, my wdnr3700 has been rock solid for the past 2 years no issues at all.
 
prelag said:
Yes, my desktop is wireless. Essentially, the router works fine on all devices, I just get terrible download / upload speeds on every device.
Click to expand...

I apparently read the OP wrong.

how about wired to the router?

You could always try doing a factory reset and/or update firmware if it isn't up to date.

I'm no help on purchasing a new router though. I'm still rocking my WRT54G.
 
**Update**

I seem to have found the problem.

The wireless router is located in a bedroom about 10 feet away from my PC which sits in my loft. I noticed that when I did a speed test from my iPhone inside the room I got close to the full 15 mbps.

As I walked into the loft, I was still getting about 5-8 mbps. When I sit down in my office chair, I get the 1-2 mbps I've been experiencing.

It would seem that this is a signal issue.

I tried out the Apple AirPort Extreme in hopes it would pump out a stronger signal and had the same results.

I guess my only option is to move the cable modem out into the loft.

Does anyone know why I would be getting such bad interference only a few feet away from my wireless router? There is nothing turned on in the room except for the cable modem / router. I also shut down my PC and turned everything off in the loft. Interference remains.
 
thedocta45 said:
LOL
Click to expand...

yup.

Anyhow, you may look into a repeater or powerline networking...or...try 5g?

perhaps look into tomato or dd-wrt, both offer options to increase signal strength.

On mywdnr3700 the 5g signal is not strong however the bandwidth that it provides is great for HTPC use. barring that perhaps look into this

That would provide you with some additional oompth for your application. Otherwise perhaps tweak the desktop receiver a bit to see where the signal sweet spot is.
 
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prelag said:
**Update**

I seem to have found the problem.

The wireless router is located in a bedroom about 10 feet away from my PC which sits in my loft. I noticed that when I did a speed test from my iPhone inside the room I got close to the full 15 mbps.

As I walked into the loft, I was still getting about 5-8 mbps. When I sit down in my office chair, I get the 1-2 mbps I've been experiencing.

It would seem that this is a signal issue.

I tried out the Apple AirPort Extreme in hopes it would pump out a stronger signal and had the same results.

I guess my only option is to move the cable modem out into the loft.

Does anyone know why I would be getting such bad interference only a few feet away from my wireless router? There is nothing turned on in the room except for the cable modem / router. I also shut down my PC and turned everything off in the loft. Interference remains.
Click to expand...


Depends on what is in your walls. I have a friend who has the same issue. His walls have foil lined insulation, which is wonderful as shielding his wireless signal. Our solution was to go into the attic and wire his place with 2 Ubquiti unifi APs, we also added a drop to the basement for a third AP. One downstairs and two on the main floor each about 30' from each other. Now in the worst location he gets about 20mbps of usable bandwidth.
 
shyboi said:
yup.

Anyhow, you may look into a repeater or powerline networking...or...try 5g?

perhaps look into tomato or dd-wrt, both offer options to increase signal strength.

On mywdnr3700 the 5g signal is not strong however the bandwidth that it provides is great for HTPC use. barring that perhaps look into this

That would provide you with some additional oompth for your application. Otherwise perhaps tweak the desktop receiver a bit to see where the signal sweet spot is.
Click to expand...

Yeah go with powerline adapters, with the way signal works in your house your never going to be satisfied with speeds. Some places just get good signal past one room.

If your dead set on wireless pick up the powerline adapters and pop a few of those Airport Expresses where you need wireless signal.

I have done this in the past when trying to cover larger homes and homes with poor wireless signal.
 
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thedocta45 said:
LOL
Click to expand...

:mad:

In my defense, when I run a speed test from my master bedroom which is 15-20 feet from the router I get 15+ mbps.

The loft is 10 feet away, probably less (6-7 feet), and I get 1-2mbps.

The bedroom door opens to the loft with the router having a direct line of sight. My master bedroom has walls.

Very perplexing.
 
prelag said:
:mad:

In my defense, when I run a speed test from my master bedroom which is 15-20 feet from the router I get 15+ mbps.

The loft is 10 feet away, probably less (6-7 feet), and I get 1-2mbps.

The bedroom door opens to the loft with the router having a direct line of sight. My master bedroom has walls.

Very perplexing.
Click to expand...

how old is the house ? are these SOLID wood doors or ?
 
dashpuppy said:
how old is the house ? are these SOLID wood doors or ?
Click to expand...

House was built in 06. The doors are wood, but hollow in the middle. The test in my master bedroom was done with the door closed.

Also, my loft and master bedroom are separated by the same wall.

It's a whole lot of WTF at this point.
 
prelag said:
House was built in 06. The doors are wood, but hollow in the middle. The test in my master bedroom was done with the door closed.

Also, my loft and master bedroom are separated by the same wall.

It's a whole lot of WTF at this point.
Click to expand...

crappy router, changed default channel ?
 
Those routers have tons of wireless issues from my experience, I guess you need to weigh your time vs cost of a new one at this point...
 
I have cox cable coming out tonight at 6pm. I'm just going to have him move the modem next to my PC. I will then plug in directly. Hopefully having it in the center of the house will also improve speeds downstairs.
 
prelag said:
Yeah, I have tried two different routers with the same result. Both show full bars at my PC but download speeds are 1/10th of what they should be. :(
Click to expand...

then it's your pc probably a defective wireless card..
 
dashpuppy said:
then it's your pc probably a defective wireless card..
Click to expand...

Tried multiple devices other then my PC as well. 2 laptops, iPad, iPhone, all have the same issue when used in my loft.

Thought it might be my PC causing weird interference, so I turned it off and retested. Still, same problem. :confused:
 
prelag said:
:mad:

In my defense, when I run a speed test from my master bedroom which is 15-20 feet from the router I get 15+ mbps.

The loft is 10 feet away, probably less (6-7 feet), and I get 1-2mbps.

The bedroom door opens to the loft with the router having a direct line of sight. My master bedroom has walls.

Very perplexing.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong I just think its funny that no one thought to ask where the computers were located in relation to the router in the first place.

Occam's razor is always funny.

But I have seen this before where you can have los to the router and signal can degrade.

At that point its something in the walls that's blocking or otherwise effecting signal.
 
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