Wireless network performance extremely poor for some reason

[gilm0re3]

Basically what the title says. I currently using a Y50 laptop, Windows 10 Home, with an Intel AC 7260 NIC. When we switched over from Verizon to Comcast a few weeks ago, we started using our own Motorola Surfboard router/modem combo box. And for a while, my wireless network scores reflected pretty closely what I should be getting. About 10 feet from the router, I used to be able to get around 60 mbps. Now, I'm only pulling 2 or 3. For some reason, this very slow connection speed seemed to be messing with the DNS somehow, because if I was doing something on my laptop very network intensive like downloading a large file, even though I could continue downloading (albeit at a very slow speed I noticed), if I tried to navigate to any webpages while downloading, Chrome would continue to spit out varying kinds of DNS errors at me. 

 

So to try to remedy this, today I flushed my DNS using the command prompt, as well as following all the other steps from "Solution 1" as described by this online guide:https://www.wiknix.com/how-to-fix-dns-probe-finished-no-internet-in-chrome/

 

If anything, things seem to be worse now actually. Before, most of my network issues would be up in my bedroom, which is only 30 feet away from the router and with only 1 wall in the direct path of the wireless signal. If I came downstairs right near the router, I could get the network speed back up to around 60, and while I was in my room it would drop to 2 or 3. Now, I'm getting that 2 or 3 everywhere in the house, even sitting 10 feet away.

 

So did I make the issue worse by following the guide on the site? Or is something else wrong, like a driver issue? Thanks!

[MrBucket101]

motorola sbg6580 is notorious for dropping wifi connectivity, and in general just not having a very strong signal 

 

I would get a dedicated router, or setup an access point with an old router of yours

 

and updating your drivers and flushing your dns cache shouldn't have any real effect, when your laptop connects to your router it pulls the DNS info from the router. Maybe enable google DNS on just your laptop?

[dragoon20005]

check your wifi strength

 

also what wifi mode is the router spitting out?

[gilm0re3]

motorola sbg6580 is notorious for dropping wifi connectivity, and in general just not having a very strong signal 

 

I would get a dedicated router, or setup an access point with an old router of yours

I will check and see what we're currently running when I have the chance. I have noticed on my phone that it will drop a connection maybe 3 times every day. Usually at night though. But maybe it's doing it more and I just use my phone for longer periods at night, so that's when I actually see it. 

 

But yeah, will check on it though. Thanks!

[gilm0re3]

check your wifi strength

 

also what wifi mode is the router spitting out?

I do know from seeing the box when they first set it up that it is 802.11n, and I get 5 bars (or I guess 4 bars, cuz that's what the W10 wireless strength icon goes up to), so I should be fine. And like I said, even from 10 feet away, I'm still getting 2 or 3 when I should be getting around 60. I have benchmarked the router spitting out 60 right when they first set it up, so it's not that the router can't handle speeds that fast.

[gilm0re3]

Also, I just checked a wifi channel scanner, and besides one other house in the neighborhood that my laptop is picking up, we are the only people on channel 1. So the channel is not getting clogged up.

[dragoon20005]

I do know from seeing the box when they first set it up that it is 802.11n, and I get 5 bars (or I guess 4 bars, cuz that's what the W10 wireless strength icon goes up to), so I should be fine. And like I said, even from 10 feet away, I'm still getting 2 or 3 when I should be getting around 60. I have benchmarked the router spitting out 60 right when they first set it up, so it's not that the router can't handle speeds that fast.

ok check the security mode it s the router and your laptop is using

 

WEP will ony support up to 54MBps

 

also check if you only getting half duplex instead of Full duplex

[gilm0re3]

 

Basically, my one question is could following these instructions have messed up my network settings and possibly throttle my speeds?

[gilm0re3]

ok check the security mode it s the router and your laptop is using

 

WEP will ony support up to 54MBps

 

also check if you only getting half duplex instead of Full duplex

What's the easiest way to do that? 

 

I'm highly doubtful that that could be the issue though, because like I said, before today I could get 60mbps from 10 feet away, and now I'm getting 2. And we haven't touched the box at all besides unplugging it and plugging it back in over Thanksgiving while we were all travelling.

[MrBucket101]

 

Basically, my one question is could following these instructions have messed up my network settings and possibly throttle my speeds?

no

[dragoon20005]

 

Basically, my one question is could following these instructions have messed up my network settings and possibly throttle my speeds?

 

 

What's the easiest way to do that? 

 

I'm highly doubtful that that could be the issue though, because like I said, before today I could get 60mbps from 10 feet away, and now I'm getting 2. And we haven't touched the box at all besides unplugging it and plugging it back in over Thanksgiving while we were all travelling.

 

it should look like this

 

check this settings under your network properties

[gilm0re3]

[Sam Z Man]

Also, I just checked a wifi channel scanner, and besides one other house in the neighborhood that my laptop is picking up, we are the only people on channel 1. So the channel is not getting clogged up.

WiFi signals distort channel's in the nearest 2 channels to it, the closer the channel the more distortion.

[gilm0re3]

And here's the speedtest I ran from my laptop vs my phone in the exact same location

laptop:

 

phone: 

[dragoon20005]

And here's the speedtest I ran from my laptop vs my phone in the exact same location

laptop:

 

 

phone: 

does the router have a 5GHz band?

 

switch over to that band and see if the speeds improve

[gilm0re3]

motorola sbg6580 is notorious for dropping wifi connectivity, and in general just not having a very strong signal 

 

I would get a dedicated router, or setup an access point with an old router of yours

 

and updating your drivers and flushing your dns cache shouldn't have any real effect, when your laptop connects to your router it pulls the DNS info from the router. Maybe enable google DNS on just your laptop?

Turns out it is indeed that router. So, would that be the issue? Still wound't explain the very recent drop in performance.

[MrBucket101]

Turns out it is indeed that router. So, would that be the issue? Still wound't explain the very recent drop in performance.

No, the commands you ran have nothing to do with your router, they just clear out the settings, your computer will pull them fresh from the router in that instance.

 

As I mentioned before, the sbg6580 has wifi connectivity issues.

 

Combo units in general are never good. They're just the worst of both, squished into one enclosure. You get much better performance splitting the devices up as then you have 1 device dedicated to one task. Wouldn't be such an issue if someone would come out with an actual quality unit, but most of the ones on the market are just a mismash and had the routing functionality thrown in last minute.

 

AND, I'm just now seeing the screenshots of your speeds from both devices.  If your phone is getting 20/10, then your laptop should be doing the same. ONLY as long as it has the same wifi adapter. If your laptop can only do 802.11b or 802.11g then that might explain the speed difference.

 

To rule out software vs hardware, I would boot the laptop into a linux distro and see what kind of speeds you get. Burn it to a CD, or install it to a jumpdrive, boot into it, and select "Try it out without making any changes"