Pathetic Network speeds

Aod · 24 Nov 2007 at 22:48

for convenience, i've networked my gaming PC and work laptop for sharing files and devices.

laptop is connected to the belkin router by 802.11g and intel wireless manager reports the connection speed as 54mb.
the PC is connected by good old fashioned cat 5e cable (although it is about 15m long) and reports the speed as 100mb

i'm transferring a folder from the laptop to the PC which is about 110MB, and it gave me an estimate of 11 minutes!

11 minutes? it didn't take me that long to bloody download the thing!

anyway, are there any ways i could speed up my network speeds, as this is a bit silly.

Mr. Brightside · 25 Nov 2007 at 09:27

You wouldn't happen to be running Vista on one of the machines would you? Sometimes Vista can decide to run really slowly for network transfers.

m_cozzy · 25 Nov 2007 at 16:26

Mr. Brightside said:
You wouldn't happen to be running Vista on one of the machines would you? Sometimes Vista can decide to run really slowly for network transfers.

Oooooh careful, suprised the vista fan boys havent been in here ranting about how good vista and how it must be the user if something doesnt work properly

Anyway, wireless, whilst great for web browsing and other light duty work is pretty poor for file sharing. Can you not plug your laptop into the router when you need to transfer large files?

Mr. Brightside · 25 Nov 2007 at 17:03

Hey, I'm using Vista Ultimate so I'm allowed to moan

110mBytes = 110 *8 = 880mbits

Given that the wireless connection is 54mbps, but assuming throughput of only half that (27mbps), the time taken should be 880/27 = 32.59 seconds. So I don't think it's purely a bandwidth issue, which is why I thought it could be software.

whitecrook · 26 Nov 2007 at 19:23

If runnin vista, ty monitor the speed in task manager performance, and if you are playing music when you are transferring the file, don't! Stop the music, then transfer.

If you do this when looking a the task manager network you can see the net speed go up and down.

Aod · 27 Nov 2007 at 23:02

nope, using XP pro (MCE) SP2 on the laptop and Server 2003 x64 (also SP2) on the desktop.

m_cozzy said:
Can you not plug your laptop into the router when you need to transfer large files?

that would kind of eliminate the convenience of the filesharing, i might aswell jusy use a flash drive if that were the case.

sidethink · 28 Nov 2007 at 07:58

Mr. Brightside said:
Given that the wireless connection is 54mbps, but assuming throughput of only half that (27mbps),

That assumption is a little high for most of the wireless networks I have worked on but still it should be faster. I rarely see throughput of higher than 5-10Mbit without using enterprise class wireless kit on both ends.

m_cozzy · 28 Nov 2007 at 08:17

sidethink said:
That assumption is a little high for most of the wireless networks I have worked on but still it should be faster. I rarely see throughput of higher than 5-10Mbit without using enterprise class wireless kit on both ends.

Absolutely agree. I can build a sun server remotely with a 4gb images over the cisco access points at work, truely remarkable bits of kit.
Consumer grade stuff is carp though, hence I have cat5 trailing all round my house

Aod · 28 Nov 2007 at 21:58

so, belkin 802.11g kit is crap? well, i'm not surprised. i guess i should look into getting another CAT5e cable stretching to my room then.