Extremely Slow WLAN Throughput

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amsgator

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Feb 10, 2014
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10,510
So just when I thought I got my wireless home network up and running I'm disturbed by the very poor throughput I have been getting. I used LAN Speed Test as well as timing it manually and I am getting roughly 10Mbps throughput on a 802.11n network. Yes Mbps, not MB/s. I realize the 300Mbps rating is theoretical, but 10Mbps isn't even useable.

The router and all of the wireless cards are 802.11n (2.4GHz). I have an excellent signal on my desktop (RSSI ~ -40dbi) and a good signal on my laptop (RSSI ~ -60dbi). I've also tried two different routers and it made no difference.

There is roughly 30 feet between each computer and the router, and 1 wall. I used inSSIDer to choose the channel and the channel I am using (11) is vacant.

As a little experiment, I moved the router and computers so the router was within 2 feet of each computer (about as close as I could get them without stacking them on top of each other). The RSSI on my desktop was -25dbi and on the laptop was -33dbi, so both are considered excellent signals. That said, I was only getting a throughput of 20Mbps.

My desktop is running Windows 7 Home Premium and my laptop is running Mac OS X 10.6. My intent was to set up an NAS, but at this speed I'm not going to waste my time or money.

I'm at my wit's end. If anyone could help me I'd greatly appreciate it.
 
Solution
spdragoo
Yes, that would work too. Basically, you want to try & duplicate the problem with identical hardware (hence the testing you already did with different routers). If you're still getting the slow WLAN connection at Starbucks or some other location, then the problem is with the adapters.

I suppose, though, that it could even be a driver or Windows-based issue causing the problem. You might want to verify you have the latest drivers and check for any recent Windows updates, just in case they're causing a problem.
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spdragoo

spdragoo

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Oct 17, 2011
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Just because the channel doesn't show any other wireless networks in use doesn't mean something else might not be interfering with it. Try switching the wireless channel to a different setting, & see if the speed improves.

Also, I noticed that you've tested with other routers, but have you tested with other adapters? Have a friend test with their laptop on their home wireless network, then have him test when connected to yours: if he gets a slower connection on your WLAN, then there's something about your location that is very bad for Wireless-N connections; if his connection is unaffected, there's an issue with your desktop & laptop wireless adapters.
 
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amsgator

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Feb 10, 2014
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10,510
I don't know that anything could be interfering when the router and computers are within 2 feet of each other?

I tried channels 1, 6, and 11 with no change. I'll try to have a friend come over or borrow another computer and try that.
 
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amsgator

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Feb 10, 2014
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10,510
I was able to use my wife's computer and same thing. I tried transferring between my Mac and her Win 7 laptop, and the Win 7 desktop and her Win 7 laptop. Same thing. I find it hard to believe every computer has a shot network card.

I can't find the specs on any of the network cards to see if they are 150 or 300Mbps cards. My best guess is the desktop is 300Mbps since it appears to be 2T2R. I'm unsure of the laptops, so they may be 150 which would limit it some, but I just can't see if knocking down to 10Mbps even then.
 
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amsgator

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Feb 10, 2014
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10,510
If I take my two laptops to Starbucks, get on their wifi and set a unique workgroup so I'm not visible to anyone else, can I run a LAN test there? I'm just trying to figure out if I'm being limited by my cards, the router, something in my house, etc without buying and swapping things. If I can get a good speed over another Wifi network, I can eliminate my cards as the problem. This is a lot easier for me to do than borrow a friend.
 
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spdragoo

spdragoo

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Oct 17, 2011
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Yes, that would work too. Basically, you want to try & duplicate the problem with identical hardware (hence the testing you already did with different routers). If you're still getting the slow WLAN connection at Starbucks or some other location, then the problem is with the adapters.

I suppose, though, that it could even be a driver or Windows-based issue causing the problem. You might want to verify you have the latest drivers and check for any recent Windows updates, just in case they're causing a problem.
 
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