How does a router work?

[Dark Rider]

I ask because I have a 3548 kbps downstream DLS connection. I can download at 350 mbps which is full speed. My wife connected to the other port on the same router can also download at 350 mbps at the same time.

How can this be if the limit on the phone wire it capped at 3548 kbps? Seems if we both try to download at the same time, we each should not get faster speeds than 175. How can a router do this?

If a router can do that.. and we know it can.. then why can't I get 700 mbps downloads when only I am downloading? Why can't I double my speed just like my speed and my wife's speed amounts to doubling the speed anyway?

 

[DirtRider]

It is not so much the line speed as such you need to look at your ISP package and what speed you are allowed on that. Then you also are you both using the same ISP to connect and how many concurrent connections do they allow. It becomes a bit complicated overall with all the factors taken into account. Yes you will have a maximum speed of your line and you would see some slowdown if you have a number of connections.

So lets just say your line can do 5meg and your ISP package is set to 1meg download. So two people connecting at 1meg would only make the total of 2meg still below your 5meg line capabilities. However if you now had 10 people connecting at 1meg then you would have a drastic speed reduction as you would be looking at a total of 10meg on a 5meg line

 

[Dark Rider]

But I have two connections on this one line and we do not have any slowdowns - it's a steady 3.5 mbps on each computer. Now If I add another connection.. like my kids Wii wifi, then we start to see slowdowns but only then. In my area, we cant get the 6 mbps fiber optics - twice the speed for just 5 more bucks a month - because my complex isn't wired for it. Still.. no slowdowns tells me there is no cap.. or at least, the cap must be above my rated line speed for the package I was sold. I'd gladly take half of that (1.5 mbps) to boost my single downloads.. It seems to me the limitation therefore is in the router itself.. that's the point that throttles the connection speed and divvies it up between the two ports.

I think someone should make some sort of device to take advantage of this. If I could download the same file from both computers at the same time, then merge the downloads onto one computer, I could in theory get the file in double time provided each download doesn't download the same packets doing double work.

( er.. wait.. that might be flawed - now i'm gonna give myself a headache LOL)

I have been on a waiting list for 3 years waiting for them to install fiber optic lines in this building. I'd gladly pay the extra 5 bucks a month. At this point I feel the ISP, AT&T is screwing us. Each year they tell us, " oh we'll get to that in a few months" Meanwhile, they keep wanting to go up on our prices. I think it's time for a better solution. Sadly, they are the only option in my complex.

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BTW, you ride gas, I ride electric. I can't go over 30 miles per hour on my electric bike, but it's pennies a night to recharge and I have a range of 20 miles round trip. I can easily beat city traffic to it's destination when they have to stop for red lights and stop signs. I agree, it's a great sense of being fun and being free.

 

[Britton30]

I have 2 PCs connected (wired) to a single modem, we both can achieve about 10-15Mbs. If I disconnect one the remaining PC will jump up to 25Mbs+.