Low WiFi bandwidth problem?

[zambelli]

This is a bit of a weird problem but I'm hoping somebody might know a solution...

I've got an Asus A8V-E Deluxe motherboard with an on-board Asus 802.11b/g WiFi card. I believe it's actually a Marvell Libertas card, rebranded for Asus. The driver version under XP Home is 2.7.1.10, from Asus.

Anyway... My WiFi card recently started experiencing very low connection speeds, alternating between 1 and 2 Mbps. This was never a problem before. 54 and 48 Mbps were quite common before. Of course, the moment this started happening I suspected my WiFi access point device so I restarted it multiple times, all without luck. Then I remembered to check the connection speed on another computer in my home network - and was surprised to find that the other computer was still connecting at full bandwidth. So clearly the issue was isolated to just the Asus WiFi card.

I have dual partitions on my computer, one XP Home SP2, and the other XP Pro x64. I rebooted into both partitions - and got the same problem in both environments. This leads me to believe that the problem is in the hardware, not the software.

I haven't introduced any new electronic or wireless devices to my household recently so I can't think of any obvious sources of interference. Even if that were the case, it'd be strange that they would be isolated to just one room of the house.

Has anyone experienced similar issues with their WiFi cards? This model in particular? Any ideas what might be causing the low connection speeds?

Thanks in advance!

[Inventive Software]

Did you update the drivers for the card recently? Try rolling them back to an older version that you had working properly (System Restore or uninstall >> reinstall older version) and see what happens.

[jeffy]

If you can, try relocating the PC temporarily. My friend had a similar issue, the cause was unbelievable for me: just a few new pieces of the standard furniture somewhere in the way and his signal strength was gone... There were drop-outs and it failed to connect stable until he relocated the small external antenna.

[Blue_MiSfit]

wifi is t3h sux... I just moved into a new room in my house and was forced to switch to WiFi because the room isn't wired up yet..

Aside from the occasional dropout it's been pretty solid, but nothing beats a good hardwired 100 full connection.

I suggest the same - move some stuff around a bit, maybe get an external high gain antenna. They're not much $, and they make a lot of difference - especially if you can get it up high in the room.

~MiSfit

[zambelli]

Well, it's definitely not the drivers because both OS installs (Home and Pro x64) are having the same issue - and I hadn't even booted into the x64 partitition in several weeks prior to starting to experience the issue.

I can try moving stuff around, but it's unlikely to be a case of obstruction: the access point is about 2m away from the computer. In fact, the WiFi card has one of those attachable portable antennas - I could probably sit it on top of the WAP. :)

[Blue_MiSfit]

Just out of curiousity, if you're that close, why are you on wireless? Hardwire that hot momma!! :)

~MiSfit

[burfadel]

Just out of curiousity, if you're that close, why are you on wireless? Hardwire that hot momma!! :)

~MiSfit

Yeah exactly! wifi is only really designed for cases where hard wiring isn't practical. Its speeds are actually a bit misleading, the rated speed is only in an ideal situation with ONE way traffic, and even then it won't usually reach close to full speed (actual transfer rate). I'd say try using a different channel, there could be a neighbour or something using the same channel and its interferring with it!

[Shinigami-Sama]

Well, it's definitely not the drivers because both OS installs (Home and Pro x64) are having the same issue - and I hadn't even booted into the x64 partitition in several weeks prior to starting to experience the issue.

I can try moving stuff around, but it's unlikely to be a case of obstruction: the access point is about 2m away from the computer. In fact, the WiFi card has one of those attachable portable antennas - I could probably sit it on top of the WAP. :)

you're in the cone of silence, just move the AP a few feet away and you should be fine.
Sometimes you can sit right on the edge of it and be fine, move a centimeter and you're dead.

[zambelli]

Well, since the problem kept persisting, I did in the meantime switch back to wired LAN - for this computer. However, now the other computer - the one that used to be fine - is experiencing the 1-2 Mbps problem.

I've tried changing channels (frequency bands) on the WAP, without luck. Should I just assume the WAP is hosed?

FWIW, there are no access points in the vicinity whose signal strength is over 25%, so it doesn't seem like a case of WiFi interference.

[Shinigami-Sama]

Well, since the problem kept persisting, I did in the meantime switch back to wired LAN - for this computer. However, now the other computer - the one that used to be fine - is experiencing the 1-2 Mbps problem.

I've tried changing channels (frequency bands) on the WAP, without luck. Should I just assume the WAP is hosed?

FWIW, there are no access points in the vicinity whose signal strength is over 25%, so it doesn't seem like a case of WiFi interference.
try flashing the bios?
both d-link and linksys develop similar issues from time to time

[Taurus]

Well, just two days ago i got similar symptoms on a wifi lan setup.
Very weak signals, stuttering response.
This system was running fine for month.
After hours of trial and error and confusing diagnostics:eek:
I decided to upgrade the firmware of the linksys router.
And voila, all was running smooth for the first time ever.
So, as a last ressort, take this into consideration.
(Well, I guess your access point device is a router?)
Good luck on troubleshooting.

Taurus

[zambelli]

Yeah, my WAP is a router, namely the Netgear WGR614 v6. I upgraded it to the latest firmware last night and so far so the connection speed seems to be maintaining above 36 Mbps, but I still get disconnected like every 30 seconds when I VNC into the WiFi-connected system. It's like every burst of data is enough to interrupt the connection just long enough to disconnect VNC Viewer. I'm still not convinced that everything's OK, but it's slightly better at least.

Is there any trick to reducing interference, other than changing channels?

[Inventive Software]

Electromagnetic devices always create interference, so not having anything else like that near it is a bonus.

[foxyshadis]

Covering your room in an aluminum foil mesh? =p

Have you installed NetStumbler to find the least crowded channel in your area? That could also tell you what signals may be interfering. As for solving, directional antennae are one (expensive) option. Very strange how it suddenly went bonkers, and the quick dropouts, although spread-spectrum wireless phones can sometimes cause this. (The 2.4GHz variety.)

[zambelli]

Have you installed NetStumbler to find the least crowded channel in your area? That could also tell you what signals may be interfering. As for solving, directional antennae are one (expensive) option. Very strange how it suddenly went bonkers, and the quick dropouts, although spread-spectrum wireless phones can sometimes cause this. (The 2.4GHz variety.)
Thanks, Foxy, I will try NetStumbler. This is becoming really frustrating. At times I can connect to the router at 36-54 Mbps with no problem, but even then the connection seems unstable because VNC drops out nearly every 30 seconds and uTorrent reports speeds of 30-ish kbps. I don't think that's a bandwidth issue - I think that's maybe a dropped packets issue. At other times I can't maintain a connection speed greater than 2 Mbps at all and only resetting the router seems to temporarily relieve the problem.

My suspicion is on the router at this point.

[zambelli]

Indeed... The WiFi card's driver reports these statistics:

Transmit:
Total packets: 130740
Single retries: 8562
Multiple retries: 64220

That would seem to indicate that nearly every other packet is getting dropped and needs to be repeated multiple times.

Does anybody know if that's normal? An indicator of interference? Or an indicator of a nearly-dead router?

[Shinigami-Sama]

Indeed... The WiFi card's driver reports these statistics:

Transmit:
Total packets: 130740
Single retries: 8562
Multiple retries: 64220

That would seem to indicate that nearly every other packet is getting dropped and needs to be repeated multiple times.

Does anybody know if that's normal? An indicator of interference? Or an indicator of a nearly-dead router?
even on a WAP thats across a field >.>
I have no droped packets
utorrent speeds of up to 150kbps, usually 30-50
and no dropped packets, just dropped signal

so its looking like your poor WAP is dying if nothing is helping
you might try some manual persuasion at this point?

[Blue_MiSfit]

If by manual persuasion you mean forceful impact with a 10 pound sledge then yes, I wholeheartedly agree :D

Honestly though, a new WAP might be a good idea... Maybe get one from a big box store with a good return policy, just in case it doesn't fix the issue?

~MiSfit

[Shinigami-Sama]

If by manual persuasion you mean forceful impact with a 10 pound sledge then yes, I wholeheartedly agree :D

Honestly though, a new WAP might be a good idea... Maybe get one from a big box store with a good return policy, just in case it doesn't fix the issue?

~MiSfit

you have to pace yourself
start with a phone book

[Inventive Software]

Forget the phone book... sledgehammers at the ready! :D