WHAT IS MY PROBLEM? ROUTER OR MODEM?

[mike-y]

I have two PCs (One is Vista one is XP) set up to use my Charter cable 10M internet service. I am using a Motorola SB5101 modem and a Netgear MR814 router. Ethernet cable connections at both PCs. If if just connect my Vista through the modem I do get 10M service on Speedtest. If I connect up both the Vista and the XP though the router my Vista speed drops in half to 5M and my XP speed drops in half again to 2.5M to 3M. What is going on? Logic says the router is the problem. I am not a computer jock so please keep it simple guys. Thanks.

 

[eibgrad]

I'm not 100% sure how you're measuring this, whether it's one PC at a time, or both simultaneously. But if it's the latter, then the effective/measured bandwidth would be approx. HALF for each PC since the bandwidth from the ISP is shared. Add another PC and simultaneously measure them and it’s now it’s approx. a THIRD. And so on. It's not 10mbps "per computer" once you’re behind a router, not unless one PC has EXCLUSIVE access to the router.

 

[mike-y]

Thanks for reply.
OK, with both computers connected the bandwidth would be split 50/50 say and I should get 5Mbps on each PC. With both PCs using the router simultaneously, on the Vista (which connects by cable to the router; the router is wireless to the XP PC) I get 5Mbps, but on the XP across the room I only get 2.5Mbps - half of that again!
Conclusion: the 5Mbps on the Vista is correct per your explanation, but why the 2.5Mbps on the XP across the room? Is the wireless communication to the XP driving it down? The adapter on top of the XP is a LINKSYS WUSB11 version 2.6 (2.4Ghz).

 

[eibgrad]

Well now you've changed the scenario. You initially said "Ethernet cable connections at both PCs".

First tell me the performance of the wireless connection when it's the ONLY device actively being tested. That gives me a baseline for comparison (being only wireless B, I wouldn't expect much better than 5-6mbps under real world conditions).

 

[mike-y]

Sorry about that.
The adapter sitting on the XP PC across the room connects to XP with a USB cable.
Vista PC is connected to modem via ethernet cable.
Charter 10Mbps service.

TESTS using Charter speed tester:
With just Vista PC connected to ISP via modem DIRECTLY - 10Mbps
With Vista PC connected to ISP via the router (and adapter to XP unplugged) Vista is - 5Mbps
With Vista PC ethernet unplugged, speed on XP - 2.7Mbps
With BOTH Vista and XP PCs using the router - Vista 5Mbs; XP 2.7Mbs

Nothing was running on either PC other than IE/speed test.

Modem: Motorola SB5101
Router: Wireless Netgear MR814
Adapter: Linksys WUSB11 ver 2.6

Hopefully I have provided all the info needed

 

[huntluck]

in xp the bandwidth is 20% reservable

try in

run cmd

gpedit.msc


administrative templates then network then Qos packet scheduler then limit reservable bandw.. open it enable it

bandwidth

type "0" in that and close reset the pc and connect again


i hope it will help