Really slow??

[ShannonLi]

hello guys i recently connected two computers through a router here hows it went :

I put the cable modem wire into the router and then from the router to the computers but here comes the problem whenever i use the internet from the other computer the OTHER one become dial up like speed can anyone help me out?

[Panama Red]

Did you connect the modem to the router WAN port? The computers get connected to the LAN ports. Did you use the Network Wizard to set up the Home Network? Did you install the Router CD that came with it and configure the router before you added the second computer? All necessary to a functional Home Network with multiple access to the internet.

[ShannonLi]

all i did was

I put the cable modem wire into the router and then from the router to the computers

and installed the routers cds but i havent tired the other things is that why its so slow? or is just that my cable is really really slow?

i mean how does a router work does it split the signal to make it weaker or what does it do?

[Rugpriest]

A router is designed to split network bandwidth equally, or at least proportionally to those that require it. If a 2nd computer starts using the bandwidth, the first will slow down briefly but it should even out very quickly.

Is the 'slow' computer's connection to the router generating lots of collisions? - This is quite rare on a router or switch but it could happen if the packets of data are not being responded to at the other end and so its doing lots of resending.

[ShannonLi]

what are "collisions?" one computer is downloading and the other computer slows down to 56k speed do you think its because its doing a lot of resending but even if so would the router do its job?

[Rugpriest]

Collisions are two packets of data sent from either end of the wire at the same time - hence they 'collide' and no data goes anywhere.

If one computer is doing lots of downloading then the other will slow down as the router prioritises more bandwidth to the pc that requires it. Its unavoidable really. Maybe it shouldnt go as low as 56k speeds but there will be a drop.

[bailey]

maybe I am looking at it the wrong way, but I thought that most routers have a built in switch and when data is addressed to a ip address, that the full bandwidth would be switched to that one address, and is switched to the next address in line with its own data. therefore not causeing any noticeable slowdown in a small lan.

[Rugpriest]

getting all of the bandwidth only half the time produces the same result as having half the bandwith all the time.

[bailey]

Originally Posted by Rugpriest getting all of the bandwidth only half the time produces the same result as having half the bandwith all the time.

and that would not be noticeable at all

[Rugpriest]

exactly

I dont know much here but I think the router/switch is prioritising to heavily towards the computer doing more of the downloading. ie 1 packet to comp a, then 3 packets to comp b, 1 to a, 3 to b, etc.

[mbossman2]

Originally Posted by Rugpriest exactly I dont know much here but I think the router/switch is prioritising to heavily towards the computer doing more of the downloading. ie 1 packet to comp a, then 3 packets to comp b, 1 to a, 3 to b, etc.

that's how traffic comes into a router, unless there is only 1 user, internet traffic comes in in spurts with various packets headed to different users. If you watch a line utilization report, you will see spikes and dips in usage, even in the same exact download stream as the PC/Router shoot back and forth acknowledgement and ecc bits pretty steadily and this opens up "gaps" for other folks' traffic to come down in the lag times (its called multiplexing).

Routers have more than enough processing power to handle the incoming and outgoing WAN traffic.

[yellohut]

have you tried plugging the slow computer into a different port on the router?

[lpc300]

What kind of router do you have? I have a Netgear 'b' and ran into the EXACT same problem. When I posted it last night, GLC told me to upgrade my firmware. Did that and it solved the problem. You may want to check your router's firmware, also.