Slow internet on 1 laptop but not the others.

[silents429]

Basically. I have my Laptop, that can't get speeds to 50mbps, and always gets about 10-15mbps on 50mbps internet.

I am wireless, and literally on the other side of the wall where the router is, plugging it in warrants 54 download, all other devices in my house on the 2.4 and 5.0 internet receive max speeds even my older Vaio in my room.

I have already gone and reinstalled my wireless drivers, tried a speedtest in safemode with no improvement, I can't see how it would be the router considering everyone else is fine.

I really don't want to believe it is the wireless adapter itself, considering Lenovo has a diagnostic hardware software that I had run a few times now saying its fine. The laptop has been given great care, and well. Wireless cards don't just up and die, I wouldn't think.


I don't have anything specific, and couldn't really find anything specific but the wireless card is a Lenovo Thinkpad 1x1 11b/g/n Wireless LAN PCI Express Half Mini Card Adapter (Made by Realtek) Drivers are dated to 2014
 

I am hoping we can find out what is wrong, Maybe my Router has a grudge against my laptop or something, I have no real idea. But I am a gamer and ping flaring up, slow downloads for steam, and streaming is just. Sigh.. Sometimes it reaches 30mbps but wireless it hasn't gone to 50 ever.

We already called TWC, and I have gone through the router page to find anything out of the ordinary (Following ASUS support and manual)


Please have a magical cure.


Edit- It is midnight and I am the only one online. I turned on the Asus QoS, and I get 43mbps, I am now lead to believe it might be my router, but question why everyone else reaches max speed still when everyones using the internet except me.

Also I know this is about computers so I don't know if router stuff counts or not :/

[Shane]

Wireless cards can just up and die, they can also slowly die and just get worse and worse.

But in this case it could be a number of different things. Some routers don't work the best with all wireless adapters out there, a lot of times there is firmware updates for routers to help improve the performance with some adapters.

It could be a number of things, the router, the wireless adapter, crappy drivers, the material in your wall between the adapter and the router and so on.

Right now there is 2 common factors. The router and the adapter itself.

You said the other devices work fine with the router, that is most likely because those are different model adapters and so they work differently. We know it isnt windows because plugging in a network cord gives you the full speed.

It could also just be that your router just needs a firmware update to better support more models

Shane

[silents429]

I have the newest firmware for the router.

I have tested my Vaio laptop in my room, and tested the wireless while next to the router, I receive the terrible speeds all the same.

I actually have a Amazon Kindle Fire HD 6, only 4 months old, that seems to get slow speeds too.

I really hope it isn't the wireless card dieing, I do have much older computers (a toshiba from 2003) with working wireless, and the Vaio I have you can hear stressing itself to continue running, I just find it way to coincidental for the newer more taken care of laptop to die.

It might potentially be the drivers, but I can't figure out what realtek model or whatever information I need for what the wireless card is. Since OEM drivers from Lenovo haven't been the grandest or up to date things I have had joy of using.

Anyway ways to narrow down the cause? If I take my laptop apart and check the wireless card will it have any noticeable difference then it did several months ago when it worked?

Otherwise we have a 50 foot ethernet cord I could convince them to let me run to my bedroom.

[Shane]

Nice thing is, in the laptops the wireless is just a small chip that can be taken out, and even replaced with a different one, from another laptop.

Drivers do play a big role, so does the router, and of course the adapter, this is why it is such a pain in the butt lol

For my devices at home, I was getting bad speeds on some of my devices and I tweaked my wireless settings and got the speed up.

First the wireless security has to be WPA2 AES in order to get the higher speeds.

Now I use the 3rd party firmware DD-WRT because I simply get better performance than the factory netgear firmware in my router. So here are my wireless settings, you wont have all these options in your router, but for the ones you do have you can try tweaking closer to mine and see if it helps. Of course after any changes to the wireless are done in the router make sure to reboot the router after.

Shane

[Boggin]

Even though all other devices (except the Kindle) work fine, simply rebooting the router can do it.

You can check which wireless adapter the Lenovo is using by pressing the Window key or clicking on the Start orb and type devmgmt.msc and press enter - click on View/Show hidden devices then expand Network adapters.

The quickest way to renew a wireless driver is to wire up to the router, right click on the wireless adapter and select Uninstall, but do not check the box to include software - and then reboot where Windows will reinstate it.

While I don't have an explanation for the Kindle, check to see if the laptop's speed is just as slow when booted up into Safe Mode with Networking.

With the speed being normal when wired, it probably isn't anything running in the background, but in normal mode go Start - type resmon - press enter and under the Network tab you can check which processes are using network activity as well as the total network activity by expanding the window below the top one.

To check the signal strength between the laptop and the router, open a command prompt and enter netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid

This will show the signal strength against the router's SSID.

With the laptop next to the router, it should be at least 98%.

[silents429]

Hold up here. Are you saying it is possible for me to take the Vaio wireless card mah bobber out and put it into my lenovo laptop?
(Edit- Just tried doing that, Vaio card is twice the size and requires 3 cords plugged in, while lenovo one has only 2)

I have gone up and down and optimized the Router to the best of my knowledge, testing settings to various degrees. Right now it's secure and operates wonderful. Just not on this laptop.

I was and almost got the 3rd party firmware, but unfortunately I chickened out, despite having full support for it.

Guess the idea of bricking something worries me despite "hacking" a few other electronics of mine.

Even though all other devices (except the Kindle) work fine, simply rebooting the router can do it.

You can check which wireless adapter the Lenovo is using by pressing the Window key or clicking on the Start orb and type devmgmt.msc and press enter - click on View/Show hidden devices then expand Network adapters.

The quickest way to renew a wireless driver is to wire up to the router, right click on the wireless adapter and select Uninstall, but do not check the box to include software - and then reboot where Windows will reinstate it.

While I don't have an explanation for the Kindle, check to see if the laptop's speed is just as slow when booted up into Safe Mode with Networking.

With the speed being normal when wired, it probably isn't anything running in the background, but in normal mode go Start - type resmon - press enter and under the Network tab you can check which processes are using network activity as well as the total network activity by expanding the window below the top one.

To check the signal strength between the laptop and the router, open a command prompt and enter netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid

This will show the signal strength against the router's SSID.

With the laptop next to the router, it should be at least 98%.

Well of course I have attempted to reset the router, I already said no change during safe mode, I already said what wireless hardware is being used, just not the specific realtek model of it, I have already done everything I could relating to drivers.

Lenovo's access connections when turned on shows I have an 87% signal strength.

[Boggin]

If the 87% is when you are near the router, then that is quite low, so perhaps it is on the way out and you should source a replacement.

If you don't know the make of the wireless adapter, how have you done everything you can regarding its drivers ?

What does Device Manager/Network adapters list as your wireless adapter ?

While this is for something else but can apply to Lenovo machines, if you haven't already then you should check to see if yours came with Superfish pre-installed. https://filippo.io/Badfish/

I think I would follow up the auto removal with the manual steps if the machine is found to have Superfish pre-installed.

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/superfish_uninstall

[silents429]

If the 87% is when you are near the router, then that is quite low, so perhaps it is on the way out and you should source a replacement.

If you don't know the make of the wireless adapter, how have you done everything you can regarding its drivers ?

What does Device Manager/Network adapters list as your wireless adapter ?

While this is for something else but can apply to Lenovo machines, if you haven't already then you should check to see if yours came with Superfish pre-installed. https://filippo.io/Badfish/

I think I would follow up the auto removal with the manual steps if the machine is found to have Superfish pre-installed.

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/superfish_uninstall

87% from my bedroom. It goes up when I am next to it. Signal doesn't have anything to do with it.

" wireless card is a Lenovo Thinkpad 1x1 11b/g/n Wireless LAN PCI Express Half Mini Card Adapter (Made by Realtek) "
I don't know the realtek specific model. As in when you go to Realtek's site I don't know the model they are asking about. I still know how to go to Lenovo's site and get drivers.

I don't know what superfish is, but I am not on a pre installed system, I don't have any of the junk such as that on my computer.

[Boggin]

Distance from the router will affect signal strength and signal strength to speed is relevant http://science.opposingviews.com/wifi-signal-strength-affect-speed-24087.html

Go back into Device Manager/Network adapters, right click on the wireless one and select Properties.

Under the Details tab use the dropdown and click on Ids which will display the VEN & DEV Nos.

My Realtek is VEN_10EC&DEV_8176 as in  http://sciencespaces.com/search/PCI%5CVEN_10EC--ds--DEV_8176/

Put your VEN & DEV Nos into the top search box as I've typed mine to see if it has any later drivers for your OS than what you have installed.

You can check the date of your driver under the Driver tab.

As this is a 3rd party site, create a restore point before installing.

[silents429]

Distance from the router will affect signal strength and signal strength to speed is relevant http://science.opposingviews.com/wifi-signal-strength-affect-speed-24087.html

Go back into Device Manager/Network adapters, right click on the wireless one and select Properties.

Under the Details tab use the dropdown and click on Ids which will display the VEN & DEV Nos.

My Realtek is VEN_10EC&DEV_8176 as in  http://sciencespaces.com/search/PCI%5CVEN_10EC--ds--DEV_8176/

Put your VEN & DEV Nos into the top search box as I've typed mine to see if it has any later drivers for your OS than what you have installed.

You can check the date of your driver under the Driver tab.

As this is a 3rd party site, create a restore point before installing.

I have already searched my with those ID's it links me to Lenovos page for the wireless card as named above. I already said my drivers are dated 2014

I am at this point almost 120% certain it isn't my drivers.

I don't have an option saying for Ven and Dev but the hardware ID is PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8176&SUBSYS_819510EC&REV_01

[Boggin]

Did the netsh command show up any other local users with strong signal strengths on the same or adjacent channels to you ?

Normally when speed is pulled down it's because of background programs/tasks, but as you have full speed when wired, that may not be it but wireless overheads can.

Resource Monitor may show what is taking up the bandwidth.

TCP Connections will show any Packet loss and the Latency for each connection.

[Shane]

Best test to do, if you can, try someone elses wireless. This way you are connecting to another router and you can see how it does.

If the problem is still there then you know it is the adapter. If it works fine then you know it is a compatibility problem with the router. The router itself is fine since it does fine for the other devices.

Not all wireless adapters are the same, just like not all computers are the same.

Shane

[silents429]

Best test to do, if you can, try someone elses wireless. This way you are connecting to another router and you can see how it does.

If the problem is still there then you know it is the adapter. If it works fine then you know it is a compatibility problem with the router. The router itself is fine since it does fine for the other devices.

Not all wireless adapters are the same, just like not all computers are the same.

Shane

If it were the router what settings would be affecting just my laptop?

I get full speeds when I am at the library still.

[Shane]

May not be any settings, might be a compatibility problem where it simply doesn't work the best with certain adapters.

Point is this, if you can take the laptop to another place, use their wireless and it works full speed and you get the speeds you except then the adapter and the drivers are fine.

Then for the router, all other devices in the house play nice with it and all work great. This means the router is fine to, it works.

The problem then is that the router and the adapter don't play nice with each other.

That comes down to the chip sets in the router and on the adapter and they may have some small differences in the way they are handling the wireless that is causing it to not get the full speed. There is a LOT that goes into making wireless work, so this is why you will see problems like this.

But what I have seen is the newer adapters seem to have less problems like this, mainly because the new standards that are being followed. Older cards however sometimes have trouble with newer routers because the routers are following newer standards than what the older adapter did.

Shane

[Boggin]

You could try using inSSIDer3 and its Link Score to find the best channel http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5936-inssider.html

Netalyzr could also give you some insight as to your WiFi performance, but as Shane has said, some wireless adapters and routers don't mix very well which is why you probably get normal speeds at the library but not at home.

Netalyzr requires Java http://netalyzr.icsi.berkeley.edu/

You could also contact Lenovo Support https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/selectproduct or your router support to see if there are any known issues between the wireless adapter and the make & model of your router.

[silents429]

The laptop was manufactured in 2011 I believe, The Asus Router supports AC and gigabyte speeds so I assume its a newer one.
 (Bought it in August)

I have already found channel 3 had the least interference with surrounding areas with a tablet app.

Resource monitor doesn't show anything out of the ordinary.

And the results here
http://n1.netalyzr.icsi.berkeley.edu/summary/id=43ca253f-27893-d9079a1a-6d8c-4566-b372

"Your DNS resolver returns IP addresses for names that do not exist "

Is this something to cause a problem I am having?

[Boggin]

I get that wildcarding with my ISP and think it's probably the ISP making some extra money on the side as I don't have any problems with my ADSL.

I think it's probably time to find out if there are any known compatibility issues between the router and the adapter, although I don't know what you could replace either with but as your Kindle is also affected, then perhaps you need to look for another router.

There is one more thing that you could try if the router has that option and that is to change the Channel Width from 20/40MHz to just 40MHz.

That will maintain the n data transfer rate although I'm not sure if it would have any effect on the actual bandwidth speed, but you seemed to have tried everything else.

Is the router still under warranty ?

[silents429]

I get that wildcarding with my ISP and think it's probably the ISP making some extra money on the side as I don't have any problems with my ADSL.

I think it's probably time to find out if there are any known compatibility issues between the router and the adapter, although I don't know what you could replace either with but as your Kindle is also affected, then perhaps you need to look for another router.

There is one more thing that you could try if the router has that option and that is to change the Channel Width from 20/40MHz to just 40MHz.

That will maintain the n data transfer rate although I'm not sure if it would have any effect on the actual bandwidth speed, but you seemed to have tried everything else.

Is the router still under warranty ?

I remember switching it to 40MHz for awhile but don't recall a change.

It is under warranty, but my parents aren't going to send it back for this reason. How would I go about finding if compatibility issues exist?

[Boggin]

Contact either Lenovo support from my link or Google for ASUS support, but I think Lenovo could have a list of compatible routers although this could be academic if your parents wouldn't return/change the router.