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Mysterious bandwidth problem

fitzdesign
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎19-01-2010

Mysterious bandwidth problem

I have a number of PCs connected wirelessly to my ADSL router.
Until about three weeks before Christmas everything was fine, with speeds to all machines at around 5.5-7Mbps.
Suddenly, overnight, my main desktop PC (running Vista Ultimate) stopped accessing the internet, despite the fact that my wireless laptop (also running Vista Ultimate) still has no problem getting those speeds. I also have an XP desktop which seems to have the same problem as my Vista desktop, though that connects via Ethernet.
Researching vigorously, I learned that it might be due to one of the following:
1) Windows update
2) Firewall problem
3) Antivirus problem
I run Zone Alarm and AVG to protect my desktop, but McAfee and Windows Firewall on my laptop.
I tried turning them al off, reinstalling them, changing to Windows Firewall instead of Zone Alarm and reverting to the last patch prior to Windows Update running, all with no effect.
I pondered whether to install Windows 7 on my machine, but decided to wait.
In the meantime I ordered a second monitor for my desktop. The relevance of this will become obvious.
Weeks passed, still no internet from my desktop, though I did occasionally see "Unrecognised" messages in Network and Sharing Centre.
My second monitor arrived and I installed it.
Since I installed the second monitor, I'm getting bandwidths on my desktop of around 0.5Mbps! I'm writing this from my desktop. I can['t understand why installing a second monitor would make any difference to my desktop's bandwidth.
Regardless, any internet is better than no bandwidth, but how come when I run Speedtest.net on my laptop I get 5Mbps+ still, yet when I run it on my wireless desktop (which is next to the laptop) I only get 0.5Mbps? Incidentally, I had my desktop wired to my router originally, but when it wouldn't work I bought a wireless card, hoping that would fix the problem (which it didn't).
Does any one have any ideas? Any suggestions for things to try?
3 REPLIES 3
MikeyM
Grafter
Posts: 140
Registered: ‎06-01-2010

Re: Mysterious bandwidth problem

This may or may nor help but I had a similar problem with a family members connection, I solved it by changing the channel on the wireless router, something they had recently bought had started interfering with the wireless connection.
Worth a shot anyway.
All the best
Michael.
MikeyM
Grafter
Posts: 140
Registered: ‎06-01-2010

Re: Mysterious bandwidth problem

Just too add that I think the source of their problem was Christmas lights. Since you state there weeks before Christmas seems similar maybe.
fitzdesign
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎19-01-2010

Re: Mysterious bandwidth problem

I tried the channel change idea a while ago but to no avail (and we didn't have any Christmas lights this year, so it's not that either - though a nice idea! Smiley )