Connection issues

[mixxedstuff]

I know this isn't exactly the best place to ask, but it's a start.

My net connection, which is through cable, usually shows on speedtest at around 9.2Mb/s, and performs just as well. However, this computer has been having seemingly random bouts of absurdly slow speeds, maxing in the range of .44Mb/s. My upload speed is similarly bad during when this is happening, and it just tested out to .5Mb/s during one of these bouts. It often sits at 0 kb/s when it's acting up (I added a network monitor sidebar gadget specifically to watch this behaviour). Hell, even Runescape can't keep a connection despite its low bandwidth usage.

To make sure that it's this computer, I've tried out my laptop side by side, and it has perfectly fine speeds- suggesting that the router/modem are fine. None of the other 3-4 computers in the house are having these issues. I have switched out the network card (and got a significantly stronger signal), but this issue is still persisting. The old network card was an Encore ENLWI-N, the new one is an Airlink 101 AWLL6075. This problem has persisted across both Windows 7 (current) and Windows Vista (old installation). Attempting to access 192.169.1.1 during these times yields very slow loading of the config page, and scanning and printing hangs for long periods of time, presumably since my printer is waiting to receive information from the computer.

Does this ring a bell for anyone? Googling about for network issues is always a huge pain, most of what I've been turning up are posts from 2005 and earlier, and rather irrelevant.

EDIT: just tested again, got .23 down, .3 up =/

[Takagi]

Has this just started, or has it been a persistent case while using this computer?

[mixxedstuff]

It's been happening for something near 6 months, I think (since it's a year old or so). It was a mild inconvenience but the past week it has gotten more noticable and has gotten in the way of coursework.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Is that b bits or bytes?

[mixxedstuff]

Megabits. Updated the general computer speed, which is around 9.2Mb/s down, 1.9Mb/s up; I was working on flawed memory by saying 3-5 instead of actually testing it.
A new speedtest on the slow computer yielded .29 down, .41 up.

Ping is 100 vs 115.

EDIT:
Well, recent developments seem to be suggesting that the router may be the culprit- my laptop today started having the same symptoms, and my mom mentioned that her desktop was also having issues. While troubleshooting and trying a wired connection today, my laptop couldn't get any sort of internet connection through the wired connection (only my dad's desktop was connecting that way), yet it could connect well wirelessly. And speeds, for the moment, are tolerable again. Let's see how long this lasts.

EDIT: Hah! not long at all!

[Underdog]

You just admitted to playing runescaoe still. Nelson laugh.

[mixxedstuff]

I admitted to it a while ago when that dedicated thread to it was active, and i admit to it again.

Pbbbtttt.


Though I can't really play it lately due to the dropping connection. I can only imagine trying to play MW2 right now... What a nightmare that'd be.

[Bami]

I remember having issues like this around 4 years ago. My router started acting up and closing connections for no reason at al.

Upgrading the firmware of the router and putting in pieces of wood (really!) in the UTP sockets so that the connectors made better contact fixed it. The thing is still running smoothly to this day.

Can you for example try running a ping -t for a while and see what kind of packetloss you are experiencing? Or try connecting two computers by a crossover cable/ ad-hoc wifi connection and ping eachother to see if the problem lies in the hardware of the computers or the other network equipment.

[mixxedstuff]

The firmware was the newest version, and wireless connections won't benefit much from shims 

we went out and got a new router, and things are back to high speeds again.