Help I am going insane!

[tjay2]

Hi

Firstly Merry Xmas

I am hoping to find solice and peace with my VM broadband service!

I have been on the 20mb line now since I upgraded to the VIP service about 6 months ago!!

The maximum I ever seem to get is 6-7mb so really bad service!
I have called VM so many time has engineers round and so on and so on!

Yesterday I had an engineer round again who checked my signals and was told there pretty much spot on!

So now im thinking maybe it is my equipment and nothing at VM end!

So how do I check what the config on my cable modem is?
Also I run through a wireless router! I am going to hardwire back into the modem this evening and see if I get higher speeds as I guess my router might be slowing things down. Although Im sure this is one of the tests I have been asked to try before.

Anyone else got any theorys?! Im using a Dlink DI-524 router. Someone mentioned firmware updates? My wireless network is good signal all at 54mbps

This is my first post so Hi to everyone as well so far ive been pretty happy with VM but being an online gamer etc the broadband is driving me insane

Thanks in Advance

Tjay

[r00t]

And without the router, you know basic troble shooting

[tjay2]

well im not really sure what things to try without the router

im sure i tried this before and my speeds were the same but ive tried so many things going to retrace all my steps

my modem is an ntl250

is this modem ok for 20mb and how do i check the config

[chickendippers]

First thing to try is this: http://www.virginmedia.com/help/20mb...timisation.php

You can check your modem config at http://192.168.100.1/ and you should see "Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 20480000" on one of the pages.

[tjay2]

thanks for the help!

how do i login to my modem though i have no idea of the username or password?!

[r00t]

user name and pass are root

[tjay2]

ok so have done all tests!!

as we speak im hard wired into the modem and im getting speeds of around 5mb so no improvement so its definately not my router etc?

i have looked at the modem config and the maximum downstream rate is 20480000

is there anything else i should be looking for or should i just get back on the phone to VM now!!

[MovedGoalPosts]

What are you trying to download and from where when you are making this speed assessment? Larger files can take a time to wind up to speed. Speedtest sites can be inaccurate thourhg using too small a file size, or themselves being congested.

That modem config is set for 20meg speeds. The modem is quite capable of 20 meg, so it's either the cable network being congested (for which there is no fix, other than just to periodically whinge at VM as do many other users), or something on your own computer. Could a firewall or antivirus program be blocking or slowing traffic?

[tjay2]

thanks rob after rebooting and letting things settle down i was getting an average of 17mb-19mb

so all is good from VM! Therefore its my Dlink DI-524 router that is the problem!

I am now hooked back up wirelessy to the router and am getting just 5mb!
Also if i hard wire through the router i also only get 5mb

I have done firmware updates and spoken to technical support at Dlink they say there is nothing i can do and advised i buy a newer router! But its not even that old any tweaking i can do on the router I thinking of just popping down pc world and getting a new one now though

Thanks

[MovedGoalPosts]

Routers do always have some impact in the speed of a connection. If nothing else they add an extra "hop" into the path the internet packets need to take.

I wonder if your router is on the same ethernet speed port setting as the modem, in otherwords it is not sensing 10meg when it should be sensing 100meg? Is there a more up to date firmware, or third party firmware available for the router?

As this is now clearly a router issue, thread moved to networking.

[tjay2]

thanks again rob

The setting on the router is definately at 100mbps
And the firmware is only about 6 weeks old! so that shouldnt be a problem!

I going to buy a new router i think as there seems to be nothing i can do now!!

So any recommendations for a wireless router!?

I would have a desktop pc connected wirelessy through a usb dongle and an xbox wired into the router!

Any ggood routers that will make sure I get at least half my 20mb speed;-)

[MovedGoalPosts]

The USB wireless, may well be a factor. USB is easy to setup but isn't always a reliable solution. USB relies on the computer's general resources to operate. Dedicated network cards have the hardware built in to do the job leaving the rest of the computer to get on with their other tasks. If you network the PC wired to the router using an ethernet port on the computer, do you see a speed improvement?

We used to find the Linksys WRT54G range was OK (WRT54GL being the best option now since that is designed to have whatever firmware you like loaded to it). However with increasing popularity of the pre-n speeds other routers may be preferred now.

[popper]

OC, the simple fact is the older cheaper routers just dont have that powerful a CPU inside them, and the more security options you turn on the slower the data processing throughput becomes.

whatever new routers you look at getting, make sure to check out the CPU inside it is at least good enough to push 20Mbit+ with all the security and other options turned on, 11N is a good option to look at today as its designed to push far more data through the interface, and so should have a more powerful CPU included...

[tjay2]

hi guys well ive been to pcworld and got a new belkin wireless n router!

it seems to be much better a few speed tests done over the last 30 mins range from min of 8mb to maximum of the full 20mb so a much vast imporvement as my average speed with the old router was about 4mb!

Only time will tell after a weeks worth of speed testing at peak times etc if this router is going to better!

[Richy99]

i picked up a d-link 635 N router other day and a belkin N usb adapter and can easily get fulll 20meg now via wireless