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Slow download speed on one PC

zahidaziz1
Dabbler
Posts: 18
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Registered: ‎16-03-2020

Slow download speed on one PC

I joined Plusnet Fibre Extra Broadband last Thursday. On my laptops, and on my LG TV, I am getting a good download speed of 45 Mbp, over wi-fi, and also if I connect a laptop directly by ethernet to the router (in hall).

My problem is with a desktop PC upstairs. I can connect it by powerline adaptors or by a USB wi-fi dongle (it doesn't have a wireless card). Both ways I am getting a download speed of about 15 or at the most almost 20, consistently, although one evening for a few hours it went up to 30.

I get the same difference of speed if I place a laptop right next to the PC, both on wi-fi (the laptop using its network card and the PC using its USB dongle or powerline adaptor). Laptop shows 45 and PC shows 15, with the same browser and the same speed measuring website.

I have looked up advice through Google and tried various things (re-booting PC, re-booting router, checking apps on PC, resetting network on the PC, flushing dns etc.) but they make no difference. I also logged in to the router and looked at advanced settings but got nowhere.

Can anyone offer any advice? Thanks.

8 REPLIES 8
Baldrick1
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Re: Slow download speed on one PC

@zahidaziz1  Welcome to the forum.

A few things to try

Split the 2.4 and 5GHz wireless bands See. https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/2-4ghz-and-or-5ghz-best-practice/m-p/1351966#M840 Try each band if your dongle supports the 5 GHz band.

Try different wireless channels by switching the wireless channel selection from auto to manual and try a different channel.

See here fore advice on Powerline units https://community.plus.net/t5/Tech-Help-Software-Hardware-etc/Powerline-Unit-Performance/m-p/1607450...

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zahidaziz1
Dabbler
Posts: 18
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Registered: ‎16-03-2020

Re: Slow download speed on one PC

I have tried the splitting with a new SSID name for the 5GHz. The bizarre thing is that the PC can't see this in the available networks. I can see it listed on my mobile phone with several neighbouring networks, but this PC doesn't show it, and in fact shows only four neighbouring networks (and my plusnet original one). The mobile phone shows about 12 networks.

zahidaziz1
Dabbler
Posts: 18
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Registered: ‎16-03-2020

Re: Slow download speed on one PC

I have tried different channels manually. Channel 5 gave a better speed of about 20 Mbps, but all others were at 15 to 16.

Baldrick1
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Re: Slow download speed on one PC

@zahidaziz1 

If you can't see your PC on the 5GHz band it's quite likely that your dongle doesn't support this band, not all do.

If it's a bit long in the tooth then this could be the cause of low wireless speeds. As time has passed new protocols have been introduced to increase speed.

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zahidaziz1
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Registered: ‎16-03-2020

Re: Slow download speed on one PC

Yes my dongle, although brand new, was single band. So I ran out to buy a dual band one. It detected the 5 GHz ssid, and instantly I started getting more than 40 Mbps! Thank you very much.

zahidaziz1
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Registered: ‎16-03-2020

Re: Slow download speed on one PC

Well, the above went fine for a long time. But now on 5 GHz on that PC I consistently get about 25 Mbps. The 2.4 Ghz is a bit better at about 32.

I have tried network reset on the PC and rebooting the router. It made no difference. But I remember that till sometime ago if I had this problem, these actions, or even simply disconnecting the wi-fi connection on the PC (from the Windows 10 system tray icon) and re-connecting, used to bring the speed back to over 40 straightaway. Now nothing makes any difference.

If I place my laptop next to the above PC and check speed on that, it gives me over 40 consistently and always! The laptop has a wi-fi network card. The PC used a USB dongle.

Another strange thing is that in the list of "available connections" my PC now shows not only my 2.4 and 5 connections but another 5 Ghz connection which has the number 2 added after the ssid of the 5 Ghz which I created. I can connect to that as well, getting the same speed. This was never there before, and it doesn't show on my other devices like my smartphone.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

zahidaziz1
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎16-03-2020

Re: Slow download speed on one PC

I have resolved the "5 GHz 2" problem. Sometime ago I was using a wifi extender, for about a day, and the "5 GHz 2" must have been leftover from that experimentation. So I have now made it "forget" "5 Ghz 2" and re-listed my connections, and now just "5 GHz" appears.

But the speed is not improved. In one test it did show 40, but otherwise it remain at around 25 Mbps. And in my Fibre broadband plan the guaranteed minimum is supposed to be 40!

MauriceC
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Re: Slow download speed on one PC


@zahidaziz1 wrote:
And in my Fibre broadband plan the guaranteed minimum is supposed to be 40!

Remember that the 40mps guaranteed minimum refers to the line speed NOT the speed via WiFi.  If the problem only shows on the one PC and not the laptop, I guess you need to search the PC for a solution.

Are other devices also using the PC for WiFi access?

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