Download Speeds affect Browsing (and vice versa)

Cravez

Hi Guys

Hope this is in the right area. Looking for some insight in regards my connection speeds.

I am with UPC (30MB) but yesterday I got a new computer, same wireless card as the old computer, same UPC router. The new computer is technically better than the old one.

However, iv noticed that with the new computer when I start downloads my browsing is affected VERY badly and almost immediately. Similarly if the download is running and I open the browser the download speeds grinds to almost no speed at all (getting 0 kb/sec!), it sometimes picks up but only stays around 100-300 kb/sec.

This never happened on the old computer, I was able to browse fine and run downloads at 2mb+ per second at the same time before.

To note, I am not running torrents when downloaded/browsing and the main downloads affected are when using Steam

Speedtest.net results looked fine too. All steam settings look fine also.

Any insight/help appreciated. Thanks.

ShiverinEskimo

Presumeably you installed a fresh install of your OS with your new PC and therefore drivers for your wireless card?

If you let your OS install generic drivers for the wireless card it's common for issues like this to arise. Try and find the manufacturer's specific drivers for your OS and install them.

That should be your first port of call.

Cravez

Yep fresh new OS install and the drivers are up to date also.

cunnijo

Do you still have your old PC? If you do then swap the network card with the one in the new PC, as you say they are the same. It is a possability the newtork card in your newer PC may be defective. Worth investigating.

Cravez

I might give that a try, but not just yet to see if anyone else might have other options?

Btw, the new Wireless card has a stronger signal strength than the old one. Generally it actually performs better than my old one if I am just strictly downloading or strictly browsing. It's only when I try to do both when the performance really degrades on both

ShiverinEskimo

The card's not set to half-duplex or something like that? Check the advanced properties of the card and ensure it's on full-duplex.

Cravez

Right, I checked Device Manager, turns out I have two Network Adapters:

1) 802.11n Wireless LAN Card (what my older computer had)
2) Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller

I did order the first one (the 802.11n) with the PC so the Realtek must be part of the mainboard?

I checked the advanced settings on both, the 802.11n doesn't have many options, only 4 in fact and no Duplex options. See here

The Realtek PCIe has the most options and it did have a 'Speed & Duplex' option. The option was defaulted as Auto Negotiation but when I tried the Full Duplex options the slowdowns etc were still occuring. See here

ShiverinEskimo

The realtek GBE is your Gigabit Etherley LAN connection. If you're using wifi you can ignore this.

Cravez

Ok, but the 802.11n doesn't have the duplex option so what should I try next?

PogMoThoin

All wireless is half duplex, it uses the same frequency to send and receive, therefore can do one or the other, not both at the same time like a cable

Cravez

Hmm ok, so basically I'm stuck with it? Still strange though on how I could always download and browse before with reasonable speeds for both.

ShiverinEskimo

No there must be some issue somewhere. Best bet is to swap out the wifi card with the older one and see if it solves the issue.

Cravez

Tried changing wireless cards but the old one doesn't fit into the new motherboard, so that rules that out

ShiverinEskimo

So it's not the exact same hardware then which opens the possibility that perhaps the wrong drivers were used?

ED E

Yeah, I'd look at drivers and a possible QoS issue?