VERY slow download speeds

SheinessAM · 28 Aug 2011

Have a new WIN 7 Dell Inspiron 620, i3 processor with a built-in Dell 1520 LAN card (Atheros build). I can't get above 1mb download speeds. iMac nearby does 3mb-6mb, wired machine does 9mb, this machine under 1mb. in Safe Mode, speed picks up to 3mb.

At Geek Squad counter, 3 hours switching cards, putting my hard drive in a fresh box (!), Firefox, IE 64-bit, even ethernet connected... no change at all. Checked drivers... latest.

At home I have Linksys WRT150N router set at Mixed Mode, WEP, Auto channel. I've tried N-only WPA2/AES, N-only with a virtual mixed mode WEO, running through the channels. Nothing improves it, some combos make it worse or make the connection drop every few minutes. Mixed Mode WEP is stable if unproductive. And bear in mind---all of this was replicated at a Best Buy store with all other machines nearby clocking 6mb downloads.

Seems to point at a setting or config, NOT at my router, network, interference etc. My home other machines are fine; at Best Buy this machine did the same thing.

I've read posts about Internet Options/Connections/LAN/uncheck top half; resetting winsock at cmd.exe, many posts here seem like same problem with all different solutions working one person at a time:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/windows-7-64bit-very-slow-download-speeds/104e4f47-9968-4095-932b-bc451cdd4800?page=4&tm=1314542085043#footer
I'd sure love to know how best to set the router, IE, and anything else to make this machine happy. Two days of trial and error has me at wits end.

SheinessAM · 28 Aug 2011

PS-- this is a fresh build, machine is 5 days old.

Maguscreed · 28 Aug 2011

Has this been tried?
How to disable certain Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) components in Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008
I only ask because MAC doesn't support that feature, and it's possible it's causing trouble with your router as well.

SheinessAM · 28 Aug 2011

Yes, somewhere yesterday I did uncheck a box. Be damned if i can remember where any more. If I use one of the MS Fix It links, which do I want?

And what does the other mac machine on the network have to do with this problem? The macs are acting fine.

SheinessAM · 28 Aug 2011

Did you read through these: Windows 7 64bit Very Slow Download Speeds - Microsoft Answers

Lots of people with same symptons. Only the one WIN 7 box giving HORRIFIC, UNHEARD OF download speeds while rest of their house is fine. Sounds very similar. Makes me think there is a setting somewhere... maybe including and a dislike of certain router/network configs that blow up and churn teh download process down to nothing. Because when I came home, I did nothing different than bringing home a mac, an iPad, an Xbox or an Apple TV. I just gave it the SSID and the password, but Lord it don't work normal.

Maguscreed · 28 Aug 2011

SheinessAM said:

Yes, somewhere yesterday I did uncheck a box. Be damned if i can remember where any more. If I use one of the MS Fix It links, which do I want?

And what does the other mac machine on the network have to do with this problem? The macs are acting fine.

Yes, I'm saying mac doesn't use ipv6 (well not in the same way anyhow) which means it WOULD NOT be affected by the problem.
If that was the cause.

Darryl Licht · 28 Aug 2011

SheinessAM said:

...And what does the other mac machine on the network have to do with this problem? The macs are acting fine.

You need to relax my friend and slow down when you read... Magnus is trying to help you and you are being rude to him, because YOU cant slow down and digest what he is telling you???

Since this is a laptop, what are the results when you go wired on it? Same, or different speed?

SheinessAM · 29 Aug 2011

I apologize if that came across as rude. That was wrong.

I did not understand the connection mac<>my machine.

In any event, it is frustrating to buy a built machine for home use and spend two hours alone, three hours with a geek squad tech and another full day alone trying to make a machine run on a network. It shouldn't be that hard, we can all agree.

Mind you, the geek squad tech was stumped, and all these same symptoms were happening in the store, Ethernet or wireless, my machine or a new one out of the box, IE or Firefox, etc.

It appears I have fixed the problem, or at least found a suitable configuration. As part of tweaking on day three, I had created a second virtual network, keeping my one WEP with my old SSID to save changing configs on my kids' devices when they visit, and adding a new WPA2 so I could get true N service on the Win7 box. (Somewhere I read a post that Mixed Mode could be an issue, and also that you can't get N service with WEP encryption.) So with WPA2 encryption I switched to N-only and....This didn't help.

On a lark, I changed to G-only and rebooted the router. I also changed MIMO from Auto to 105mb.

The machine now screams. Screams. random? Win7 doesnt like Wireless N? I don't know, but this was an awful 3 days and if this is something known or to be known, what a shame.

SheinessAM · 29 Aug 2011

PS Daryll...it's an easy mistake...to not read. Read my first post again. I said "even Ethernet". Both wired and wireless at Best Buy, not my home, it got under 1mb downloads while wireless machines in the same spot got 7mb. As in my home.

I don't know if Dell makes a 620 laptop, but my 620 is a tower.

We can agree no user of a machine out of the box into a working network environment should suffer this. I'm not a scientist, just a user.

Maguscreed · 29 Aug 2011

Actually concerning wireless n. I've had very strange problems with wireless n and proper speeds on every operating system. Including linux and mac OS. I don't really know what the deal is with it. Even the most expensive wireless n devices often only seem to get about 1/4 or a 1/3 of their best speed even when placed within inches of the router/ap.