Slow wireless file transfer speed

[sdjensen]

Hi,

I am new to windows 7 and I am experiencing a small network problem. I can only transfer files with 1,3MB/s which is only like 20% of what 56Mbps should teoretically perform.

Here is my setup:
Computer A: Laptop - connected with wireless-n (144 Mbps according to network and sharing center) - win 7 prof 64-bit
Computer B: Desktop - coneected with wireless-b (56 Mbps according to network and sharing center) - win 7 prof 64-bit
Router: Linksys WRT160N V2

I am really disapointed that I can't even get 50 or 75% out of the teoretically speed

 

[RedBirdDad]

There's a little confusion on what the terms mean.

First off, when Windows shows a connection at 144Mbps, it refers to 144 Mega *bits* per second. Notice the small "b": Mbps.

Data transfers however tend to be measured in Mega Bytes per second: MBps - See the big "B"?

Wireless speeds for 802.11g top out at a 54Mbps data rate. But actual throughput is about half that, 25Mbps at best. Convert that to MBps and you get something around 3MBps. This is on a good day, with the wind at you back on every other 2nd Tuesday in leap year.

If you share the wireless connection with other devices (Like another laptop), all bets are off. It can and will be considerably less. Also take into account interference from other wireless routers, other devices like cordless phones in the same band, microwave ovens, etc. and the number goes down even more.

In your case, the bottleneck is Computer B with it's 802.11g connection. Since you already have an 802.11n wireless router and 802.11n on the laptop it's worth it to swap the wireless card on the desktop or just wire it directly to the router if you can. Be advised though, in order to get full speeds on 80.211n the ethernet connection to the router must be Gigabit Ethernet.

 

[aem]

I usually blame my ISP for speed issues, and perhaps the overdue non payment of my internet bill.

 

[RedBirdDad]

I usually blame my ISP for speed issues, and perhaps the overdue non payment of my internet bill.

:roflmao:

 

[sdjensen]

Wireless speeds for 802.11g top out at a 54Mbps data rate. But actual throughput is about half that, 25Mbps at best. Convert that to MBps and you get something around 3MBps. This is on a good day, with the wind at you back on every other 2nd Tuesday in leap year..

I wrote: I can only transfer files with 1,3MB/s which is only like 20% of what 56Mbps should teoretically perform. So there is no confusion on what the terms mean.

In your case, the bottleneck is Computer B with it's 802.11g connection. Since you already have an 802.11n wireless router and 802.11n on the laptop it's worth it to swap the wireless card on the desktop or just wire it directly to the router if you can. Be advised though, in order to get full speeds on 80.211n the ethernet connection to the router must be Gigabit Ethernet.

I know computer B is the bottleneck that is why I wrote I would atleast expect the transfers to be atleast 50% of the teoretically speed of 54Mbps. But since my last post the transfer rates has all gone to hell - 200kb/sec at tops which is very very very slooow - please give some advice...

 

[sdjensen]

I usually blame my ISP for speed issues, and perhaps the overdue non payment of my internet bill.

I don't see what my ISP should have to do with file transfers on a local network???

 

[madtownidiot]

Most routers by default will limit file transfer speed to about 20% of the available bandwidth. 20% of 54 Mb/s is 10.8 Mb/s which works out to 1.35 MB/sec. hope that answers your question

 

[brady]

It's wireless...

 

[madtownidiot]

It's wireless...

Of course it's wireless. If it were a wired connection it would be either 100Mb/s or 1000Mb/s.. of which only 20% would still be available for a single, one-way file transfer between two connected computers. With a wireless connection.. the available bandwidth drops proportionally with the strength of the signal.

 

[sdjensen]

Most routers by default will limit file transfer speed to about 20% of the available bandwidth. 20% of 54 Mb/s is 10.8 Mb/s which works out to 1.35 MB/sec. hope that answers your question

well right now I would be satisfied with 1.35MB/s but I only get 100kb/s

 

[brady]

It's wireless...

Of course it's wireless. If it were a wired connection it would be either 100Mb/s or 1000Mb/s.. of which only 20% would still be available for a single, one-way file transfer between two connected computers. With a wireless connection.. the available bandwidth drops proportionally with the strength of the signal.

I was agreeing with you

 

[Phone Man]

I don't know the answer, but I gave up on Wireless B for my wife's laptop and went with Power Line connection and never looked back.

Jim

 

[RedBirdDad]

Wireless speeds for 802.11g top out at a 54Mbps data rate. But actual throughput is about half that, 25Mbps at best. Convert that to MBps and you get something around 3MBps. This is on a good day, with the wind at you back on every other 2nd Tuesday in leap year..

I wrote: I can only transfer files with 1,3MB/s which is only like 20% of what 56Mbps should teoretically perform. So there is no confusion on what the terms mean.

In your case, the bottleneck is Computer B with it's 802.11g connection. Since you already have an 802.11n wireless router and 802.11n on the laptop it's worth it to swap the wireless card on the desktop or just wire it directly to the router if you can. Be advised though, in order to get full speeds on 80.211n the ethernet connection to the router must be Gigabit Ethernet.

I know computer B is the bottleneck that is why I wrote I would atleast expect the transfers to be atleast 50% of the teoretically speed of 54Mbps. But since my last post the transfer rates has all gone to hell - 200kb/sec at tops which is very very very slooow - please give some advice...

56Mbps is a data rate, not a throughput. The way wireless works is based on signal strength and SNR, you'll associate to the AP at a certain data rate. Let's say it does actually associate at 56Mbps (bits per second). The throughput won't be anywhere near that. Ideally, it might be 25Mbps (bits per second). If you move, the data rate can and will change based on changes in SNR and Signal. So your throughput will change as well.

I agree that 200kbps is pretty sad. How are you measuring the throughput? What tool or program are you using?

 

[madtownidiot]

then the idea is to eliminate other possible causes.. firewall settings on either computer, realtime AV scanning, RF interference (which might not be curable), out of date network adapter drivers, fluctuating signal strength..

 

[dragon6687]

Same Problem

I too am having the same problem in wireless file transfer rates. Since it has nothing to do with the ISP or my download rates from the internet the modem is thrown out the window in this discussion. I have multiple PC's connected to my network, all at a wired gigabit connection. When doing file transfers wired, the speeds are around what I would expect. However, I also have two wireless n capable laptops, and whenever I try to do a file transfer from one of the wired computers (like my server) to the laptop I will get maximum speeds of only 200k/sec if I'm LUCKY! And this is while the wireless status claims I'm connected at 130mpbs or higher. Due to the fact that I have had this problem on multiple routers and places I'm finding it hard to beleive that it is NOT somehow an issue with the new 7 OS. It seems also it doesn't matter the OS of what I'm tranfering off from, whether it's XP, Server 2008, or another 7 machine, the problem stays the same. So, anyone have any better ideas than what has already been posted? I'm know RedBirdDad and I would greatly appreciate the help.

 

[HeinzHarald]

Make sure you enable file transfer with 40 and 56 bit encryption. Can make quite a difference. For me it means about a 100-150% increase in transfer speed transfering from a Windows Home Server.

 

[dragon6687]

Make sure you enable file transfer with 40 and 56 bit encryption. Can make quite a difference. For me it means about a 100-150% increase in transfer speed transfering from a Windows Home Server.

Yea it's set to that and it makes no difference =\ oddly enough I actually get faster download rates on my wireless off of websites than I do transferring stuff wirelessly over LAN