WiFi question

Simster

"the man's an arse"

Jul 7, 2003

54,188

Surrey

• Apr 4, 2013

• #1

Morning all,

I wonder if someone out there will be able to help me. I have been underwhelmed by my WiFi speed at home. Too often, it stutters when streaming iPlayer on my tablet, and the other day a half hour tv programme took an hour and a half to download to my iMac, which seems a ridiculously long time.

I'm really not sure what to blame. It could be:
#Virgin, my internet provider
#My Virgin modem
#My Belkin router and possible poor signal strength (to my tablet)
#The connection hardwired using Ethernet cables to my iMac (but via the mains). I don't think it's this though, as I've just invested in some new 500mps hardware.

What I need is some diagnostics stuff to root out the problem. Has anyone else looked into this kind of issue and what did you do?

 

Bozza

You can change this

Helpful Moderator

Jul 4, 2003

55,720

Back in Sussex

• Apr 4, 2013

• #2

First things first, hardwire something into the Virgin router and do a speed test.

Make sure nothing else in the house is drawing data at the same time so you get an accurate read.

Do this at different times of day - particularly during the evening when demand on any shared resources across your leafy commuterbelt neigbourhood is likely to be high.

 

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP

Jul 5, 2003

61,750

Location Location

• Apr 4, 2013

• #3

Have you tried seeing what speed you're getting ? Try this

Broadband Speed Checker - THE UK's No.1 Broadband Speed Test


Dunno how many meg you should be getting (mine package is "up to 10m") but if you're anything below 5 then you should get on the phone to your ISP.

 

Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...

Mar 18, 2010

29,789

Hove

• Apr 4, 2013

• #4

Simster said:

Morning all,

I wonder if someone out there will be able to help me. I have been underwhelmed by my WiFi speed at home. Too often, it stutters when streaming iPlayer on my tablet, and the other day a half hour tv programme took an hour and a half to download to my iMac, which seems a ridiculously long time.

I'm really not sure what to blame. It could be:
#Virgin, my internet provider
#My Virgin modem
#My Belkin router and possible poor signal strength (to my tablet)
#The connection hardwired using Ethernet cables to my iMac (but via the mains). I don't think it's this though, as I've just invested in some new 500mps hardware.

What I need is some diagnostics stuff to root out the problem. Has anyone else looked into this kind of issue and what did you do?

Click to expand...

I guess a simple test is to run speedtest.net on your iMac connected via ethernet to your router with wifi turned off to see what genuine speed VM is giving you, then in turn try with the wifi. I think speedtest also have an app for the iPad/tablet.

Then you need to investigate whether your wifi is being effected by say a neighbours wifi, or telephone signal or other interference. You might need to access your Belkin router settings to try out a different channel to see if it is an interference issue.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/227973/six_things_that_block_your_wifi_and_how_to_fix_them.html

It's worth noting that your wifi strength is weakened for every device that accesses it. I've hardwired the devices that I can using ethernet and POWERLINE adapters this leaves the wifi free for our mobile devices such as our iPad and iPhones.

 

TWOCHOICEStom

Well-known member

Sep 22, 2007

10,565

Brighton

• Apr 4, 2013

• #5

I had a similar problem. When I connected my computer to the Virgin Super Hub by ethernet, it was awesome.

I logged into the settings of the Hub and changed the wifi channel. Give that a go. Any channel will do - just to see if it works.

 

H

Herne Hill Seagull

Well-known member

Jul 10, 2003

2,977

Galicia

• Apr 4, 2013

• #6

I ended up changing to BT from Virgin because their router is designed to avoid clashes with other WiFi signals. There are so many WiFi networks in my street (I can see 13 when I look with any device in my house) that it was getting laughable, slowing up and dropping out altogether in the end. BT's router has sorted all that out, though the f*ckers left me and thousands of others without internet altogether over Easter because of some problem at their exchange.

 

Simster

"the man's an arse"

Jul 7, 2003

54,188

Surrey

• Apr 4, 2013

• Thread starter
• #7

Thank you gentlemen. I shall take heed of your advice.

 

Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch

NSC Patron

Oct 27, 2003

21,005

The arse end of Hangleton

• Apr 4, 2013

• #8

Possibly a stupid question but why are you using a Belkin hub ? If it's because your Virgin modem doesn't have wireless then I'd suggest asking Virgin to upgrade you to a Virgin Super Hub - you'll get 4 ethernet ports and decent speed wireless ( ask the engineer that installs it to tweek the wireless settings such as the channel so you get the best out of it ). I've got a super hub and I had a PC that was very slow when connected via wireless - a driver upgrade on the PC solved it straight away so you might want to see if there's something you can update on the tablet as well.