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View Full Version : 50Mb Major Difficulties in obtain Speed


Buffalo12
05-08-2009, 23:46
I had a 50Mbps modem installed today and now, 10 hours later, have still not been able to resolve the issues and obtain a reasonable speed. Had some great support from the Virgin install engineer, the Virgin 50Mb Helpdesk and the Netgear Help desk but nice as the support was I have not got the resulted I wanted.

Initially we could not get any reasonable when direct connected to the modem and poor speed also occured with the Netgear (at times this dropped to <1Mbps.

After the install engineer left and having spoken to Virgin 50Mb Help desk and the Netgear Helpdesk I ran the following tests:

1. With Kaspersky 8.0.0.359 through Draytek Vigor2910VGi a speed of 21mbps was achieved.
2. With Kaspersky 8.0.0.506 through Draytek Vigor2910VGi a speed of 25.1mbps was achieved.
3. With Kaspersky 8.0.0.506 direct to Modem a speed of less than 1mbps was achieved
4. With disabled Kaspersky (Windows firewall only) direct to Modem a speed 49mbps was achieved.
5. Uninstalled Kaspersky and installed pcguard (Virgin download)
6. With PCGuard through Vigor a speed of 23mbps was achieved
7. With PCGuard direct to modem a speed of 47mbps was achieved.

It should be noted that the Draytek Vigor2910VGi Firewall is only certified to 15mbps so achieving between 21mbps and 25mbps should probably be considered good.

Throughout this tests were also conducted using the Netgear WRN2000 and always failed to achieve a speed > 1mbps. There were problems with the Netgear firmware upgrade when the device froze during upgrade and eventually, with Netgear Helpdesk support, managed to get the latest firmware installed.

It seems that Kaspersky has problems with the firewall at higher speed or there could be a conflict on handling with the modem (just a possibility as I do not know why that should be the case it is just that it seems that the Firewall is throttling access).

I have attached an image of the Modem Downstream values. Apparently the key level is the power level which ranges from -7.42 to 8.11.

The 50Mb team believe that there may be an issue with the power level.
Whilst that may be the case I believe that the issue is a Kaspersky conflict and that the Netgear modem is SNAFU.

They are due to visit again on Monday but to replace the modem but I believe that the WRN2000 also needs replacing.

Thoughts please.

AbyssUnderground
06-08-2009, 00:55
Power levels are too low. They should be as close to zero as possible, and have a max deviation of +/- 3dBmV for a stable connection.

Buffalo12
06-08-2009, 01:43
OK, have struggled with the Netgear Router I packed it away.
I then tested through to the modem direct from the PC and obtained a 48mbps upload. Felt this finally proved vthat the router was at fault.

Then thought that I would try the other network card in the machine. Switched over restarted the modem and tried a direct test this resulted in a 51mbps download speed.

Unpacked the Netgear router, powered up etc and tried with the second network card

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/08/43.png

Now I am confused, it seems that the Marvell card is the one causing the problem. Will now config the other devices and run for a time.

WillPS
06-08-2009, 03:43
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/08/42.png
This is what I'm getting pretty consistently, with or without the router in place. I'm pretty sure this is a signal level problem... can anybody make head or tail of these cable status screenshots for me?

Nidge
06-08-2009, 04:52
The guy on the Helpdesk told me the other week that Kapperskey will slow down your connection.

General Maximus
06-08-2009, 09:38
it is the router that is the problem dude. I was using a Linksys WRTG54G and my speed stayed at 20mbits even when i upgraded to 50. It was only through connecting direct to the modem that I realised that it was the router that was the problem. I replaced it with the new Lynksys WRT150N and it worked a treat, 50mbits all the way now :)

Buffalo12
06-08-2009, 11:38
I believe that there are a number of issues that, when combined, can tip your system over the edge and convert you from a smiling satisfied customer to one who is tearing their hair out and kicking the cat....:D

At the moment my system is stable at 50Mbps and hopefully it will remain that way.

Below are some of the thought processes I went through, some areas of assistance I used and some of the issues that I was faced with. Also my own opinions and observations which you are free to ignore. I hope that this helps and does not confuse.

Firewalls

Firstly there is the PC resident Firewall. It seems that the Kaspersky firewall can cause problems. Remember that any firewall is intercepting the data traffic and checking as well as checking at the TCP/UDP levels. Depending on the machine processor power this has the potential to slow traffic and hence the resulting speed. If you consider that PCGuard uses the Kaspersky Anti-Virus engine as its base and works well where as Kaspersky struggles. Windows Firewall, which is incredibly simple and has no visible impact on the traffic.

It may be, and this is pure speculation, that the older versions of firewall software in Internet security packages may creak as they are continually processes patched code.

Also consider a clean install of the firewall.

Secondly there is the Firewall in the Router. The Draytek Vigor2910, which is an excellent Router, has a published throughput of 15Mbps and in normal operation achieves speeds higher than that. Draytek are unusual in publishing this type of data unlike many other Router manufacturers. Without that knowledge I would not have been aware of issues with the Netgear configuration.

Remember that it is possible for your PC firewall to conflict with your router Firewall.

The Router

The Router is important as well as its firmware level and configuration. The Netgear was abysmal until I managed to get its firmware upgraded and fully configured. The issues I experienced in upgrading the firmware meant that I could not configure the device properly.

Virgin should consider the standard loading of a configuration file on to their routers. Sky manages to do this with the Netgear routers that they supply. It would also allow the Router to be supplied preconfigured with TKIP security (although this should not be based upon the MAC address as that is identifiable in QoS packets).

It would be nice to have a list of routers that are known to perform well and their configuration parameters.

It would also be nice to have a router with Gb LAN capability. I now have a number of devices running through a 100Mb LAN which is going to throttle my 50Mbps even if those devices are not connected to the Internet and are only Intranet oriented.

All testing should be done with no other devices attached to the Router.

The Network Card

It may be that my Marvell NIC was teetering on the edge or that it is just and old and potentially damaged card (it is almost 5 years old). It was set to 100Mbps Full Duplex where as the Nvida nForce that is working well is set for full auto negotiation (as it is working I am not going to touch that parameter).

Both my cards are capable of 1Gbps but that seems irrelevant but must be remembered that a 100Mbps card is the minimum.

Cabling

Quality cabling is required. My first Telewest cable was a flat thing which still resides somewhere behind my PC. Avoid old cabling even if it is easy to find in the spagetti behind the machine. For control I would recommend a quality Cat 5e shielded or Cat 6e shield cable from a reputable supplier. Cat 6e is not expensive now (very cheap on Amazon, expensive at PC World).

If you have problems try to get a brand new cable or get the Virgin engineer to use theirs as at least that takes your equipment out of the equation.

Device Power Supply

A clean protected power level may have an influence. Do not expect consistency from a cheap power board daisy chained through other power boards. We all do it but when there are problems ensure that you have a clean power supply for all devices in the test cycle.

The Modem

It seems there can be problems with the modem, possibly in my case the line power level, which can push the configuration beyond its capability. This also applies to the upstream devices etc which are totally under Virgin's control.

The Browser Configuration

It seems that Firefox can cause some delays and I initially did all my testing on IE7. However, both can throttle depending upon their configuration and also interaction with your configured firewall. It would be nice if a non browser based test package was developed and made available.

The Test Sites

I used three test sites (two Virgin Sites and SpeedTest.net). You must be sure of the capability of the site you are downloading from as these can give a false picture without you are being aware.

A Control Environment/Configuration

I am surprised that the Virgin installation does not first test with controlled known equipment which is proven. This would be a simple pack of known router and known laptop.

Patience & Control

Network issues can take a long time to resolve even if you have the right testing equipment. Be logical and methodical only changing one parameter at a time and then evaluating that parameter against different changes. Document each step so that you know what you have changed.

Do not lose your temper. Not only does that make it difficult to understand what you have done to the system but also it makes it easier for the various help desk people to help you.

The Help Desks

You will probably call multiple help desks in order to resolve each of whom will believe that it is not their equipment at fault. Be firm, communicative but above all pleasant. Do not be offended if they tell you to do something that, you think, makes you look stupid. Remember they do not know you and have to deal with all types of people. If they ask you to do something which you think is irrelevant ask them, pleasantly, as to why that is required explaining why you do not believe that is an issue or a step that may assist resolution. Remember that, in the main, they know their stuff even if they are based in India or Central America. If dealing with those counties remember that English may be their second language and even if their first language they may have different ways of saying things and also thinking.

I would say that in this problem the Help desks of Kaspersky, Draytek, Netgear, Virgin Technical and Virgin 50Mb were great. Sometimes we went down dead ends but they put a lot of effort into it and were very pleasant. Thank you.

Google Help

Be circumspect of any "Google Search" based research. Yes it can help but it can also send you down really convoluted paths with changes which can have significant impact. If you do change key areas make sure that you can revert to the previous configuration and if you cannot revert then make a backup image of your machine before you make the change.

Time

This is not a fast approach. It took me 10-12 hours of solid work to obtain a stable performant system and I am glad, as I am sure that they are, that my family was away yesterday. Now they can come home and see me smiling.

Luck or Intuition

Heaven knows but it always helps. So if you are having problems then good luck.