Noob wireless network - slow file transfer

[r_holmes22]

I have two laptops running XP Home. Both have integrated wireless cards and happily access the Internet wirelessly via an 802.11b router, but it's not the Internet I'm having problems with. I want to transfer some large files (6-7GB) from one computer to the other. I've 'shared' the folders containing the files I want to transfer and can drag and drop the files between the two computers. So far, so good. The problem is this all happens incredibly slowly! It takes upwards of 90mins to transfer a 500MB file. Is this normal, or should it be happening faster than this? Both computers are connected to the network at 11Mbps.

 

[Fark_Maniac]

While your machine says you are connected at 11Mbit/s, you won't transfer files that fast. You'll only really get 3 to 3.5 Mbit/s, which is 375KB/s. So to transfer 500MB at 3Mbit/s, it should take about 22.5 minutes. If it is taking 90 min, I'd say get some network cables and temporarily connect them just to transfer the files.

When you are transferring, go to your task manager and click on the networking tab. It should tell you what you are really connected at and percent utilized...that will tell you how fast you really are transferring. You could also get a program called DU Meter, that will tell you right away your transfer speeds.

 

[r_holmes22]

That's terrific. Many thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a go when I get home.

I came across a thread on another forum which suggested that programmes that claim to optimise your computer's Internet access speed can actually have a detrimental effect on your home networking speed (by altering the MTU value). Does this sound right? I have used the Internet optimisation feature of System Mechanic on one of the computers.

Although I've been accessing the Internet wirelessly for several years now, I don't have much experience of networking two home PCs.