[Solved] Slow internet only through router

[Sakuya]

I'm having a serious internet problem where I only get slow internet through wired and wireless connection to my router. My internet plan on Time Warner Cable Oceanic gives me up to 20Mbps download and up to 2Mbps upload. When I connect directly to my modem, I get normal speeds of around 15. When I test my wired and wireless ethernet connections, I get anywhere from 0.5 to 6Mbps download and 1.5Mbps upload. Speeds tested on SpeakEasy and SpeedTest when only 2 devices connected to router and nobody is downloading or doing anything. Here are the things I've tried to do but download speed remains slow:

1. Power cycle
2. Upgrade firmware
3. Reset router to factory default settings
4. Changed to NEW router ASUS RT-N66U, upgraded firmware and tested on factory settings, still slow.

Both PCs are using Windows 8, 2.4Ghz band wireless on channel 11, 20MHz, WPA2 AES. That's pretty much all the settings I ever mess with on the router. I'm not sure what the problem is and it's killing me. I was not getting consistent speeds of 10-15 but at least it was still bearable. It only started happening this past month when the speed went down to 3 and I haven't changed anything. It seems it's only affecting download speed as upload speed seems to be normal all the time. I can understand if it is slow on wifi since I live in a condo with many other networks, but this is the case on wired connection too.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Just did another speed test:

SpeedTest
Download 3.40 Mbps
Upload 1.54 Mbps
Ping 15ms

SpeakEasy
Download 1.22 Mbps
Upload 1.79 Mbps

[sophisticles]

http://www.winbeta.org/news/how-force-windows-8-use-100-your-bandwidth-and-prevent-ban...width-limiting

Also check to see if your router router allows for 5Ghz connections.

[Sakuya]

http://www.winbeta.org/news/how-force-windows-8-use-100-your-bandwidth-and-prevent-ban...width-limiting

Also check to see if your router router allows for 5Ghz connections.

Thanks for the quick reply. I actually saw that page, but it couldn't find gpedit.msc even when I try Run. As for the 5GHz, yes it does but my PCs actually don't support it. I tried turning off its radio since I don't use it but it doesn't make any difference.

[redwudz]

gpedit is only available on W8 pro and Enterprise and maybe not at all on W8.1, I believe.
Besides, it still sounds like a router/modem problem, not a PC problem as you have described it.

[jagabo]

Never mind.

[Sakuya]

By the way, I noticed IPv6 and QoS are disabled by default on my router. Would it make any difference if I enabled those? And do ethernet cables make a difference? For my wired LAN connection, I use a 24AWG Cat6 550MHz UTP ethernet cable.

[jagabo]

By the way, I noticed IPv6 and QoS are disabled by default on my router. Would it make any difference if I enabled those?

Shouldn't.

And do ethernet cables make a difference? For my wired LAN connection, I use a 24AWG Cat6 550MHz UTP ethernet cable.

Cables can make a difference (you don't want to use an old 10 Mb/s cable) but that Cat6 cable should be fine.

[Sakuya]

I tried a different ethernet cable, new one, still makes no difference. While I did power cycle the modem and router, I never tried pressing the Reset button on the modem... Should be the same as unplugging it, right? I'm afraid of wiping whatever settings was set on there by the cable guy. I have no GUI access to the modem by the way.

[jagabo]

You can probably access the modem's setup via a web browser. You just need to know the IP address. Ours is 192.168.100.1. I don't think there's much you can set there though.

[fritzi93]

Have you tried talking to TWC support? (I know, who wants to fight with ignorant techs for whom English is a second language?) But maybe you could request a wireless gateway (router/modem). Or you could buy a compatible gateway or router, which should be listed on the support pages. At any rate, the support pages should have the IP address for accessing the modem setup.

With Comcast, I started having problems recently. Throughput via Netgear router would occasionally drop to near nothing and my Rokus would lose connection. Same for a spare D-Link router I have. My Comcast wireless gateway, while it does not have the throughput of the Netgear router (~20 mbps vs 30), does not exhibit the same maddening slowdowns and the Rokus don't lose connection. My HTPC and netbooks still connect to the Netgear router no problem (different channel). Dunno why, maybe some obscure compatibility issue?, but for what it's worth...

[nic2k4]

Have you tried talking to TWC support?

Good advice, they should be able to figure it out for you, it's their network they should know how it works. I've heard of people getting the run around, but I believe it was with Verizon. I wouldn't be surprised if it needs a different MTU value than the usual 1500. Also, did you clone the MAC address of the PC that was connected to the MODEM, to the router?

[newpball]

I'm having a serious internet problem where I only get slow internet through wired and wireless connection to my router. My internet plan on Time Warner Cable Oceanic gives me up to 20Mbps download and up to 2Mbps upload. When I connect directly to my modem, I get normal speeds of around 15. When I test my wired and wireless ethernet connections, I get anywhere from 0.5 to 6Mbps download and 1.5Mbps upload. Speeds tested on SpeakEasy and SpeedTest when only 2 devices connected to router and nobody is downloading or doing anything. Here are the things I've tried to do but download speed remains slow:

1. Power cycle
2. Upgrade firmware
3. Reset router to factory default settings
4. Changed to NEW router ASUS RT-N66U, upgraded firmware and tested on factory settings, still slow.

Hmm, you even replaced a router and the same thing happens?
Kind of a mystery.

One thing to make sure, when you say you connect directly to the modem you test with SpeakEasy or SpeedTest as well right? You are not just relying on the modem parameters to tell you the speed? Because the actual internet throughput may be a fraction of the listed connection speed of the modem.

[jagabo]

Have you tried talking to TWC support?

Good advice, they should be able to figure it out for you, it's their network they should know how it works.

Beyond the cable modem isn't their network. They'll charge for a service call unless he has the "whole house" (or whatever they call it) service plan.

[usually_quiet]

Have you tried talking to TWC support? (I know, who wants to fight with ignorant techs for whom English is a second language?) But maybe you could request a wireless gateway (router/modem). Or you could buy a compatible gateway or router, which should be listed on the support pages. At any rate, the support pages should have the IP address for accessing the modem setup.

The list of compatible modems is here: http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/support/internet/topics/buy-your-modem.html

If a customer has both phone and internet service from TWC, then he has an eMTA or telephony modem. TWC apparently doesn't allow customers to buy their own eMTA. Instead, customers must use the eMTA supplied by TWC for telephone (on its own coax cable connection), in addition to a regular cable modem that they can buy themselves. However, according to what I read on a TWC support forum there is no charge for the eMTA when customers opt to buy their own cable modem.

[jagabo]

The problem likely isn't in the modem since he gets full speed with the computer connected directly to the modem.

[fritzi93]

The problem likely isn't in the modem since he gets full speed with the computer connected directly to the modem.

And yet, between modem and router...problem. Two different routers. I wonder if there's a bridge mode in the modem setup, and if it would make any difference.

I say the OP should grit his teeth and call TWC support. I've had a few episodes over the years where I've had problems, and after the usual bullshit got the call elevated past first tier of support, and got results. Once someone who knew what he was doing had a look it was: "yeah, the problem's at our end...fixing it now".

Mind you, I didn't take my own advice (about calling support) for my latest problem with Netgear router and wireless gateway. They pushed the new one on me and I had to get a tech out to look at it. (Long story, but it was another case of the problem being at their end). The thing is, I asked the tech before he left if I would have any problem with my router. He said he couldn't guarantee it, and advised me to use the gateway instead, as it wasn't "too bad" and would work for sure. He was right, and I'm using the gateway for my Rokus.

Just saying. I'm no expert on this.

[redwudz]

There is some testing the ISP can do at their end. I would certainly exhaust that option before having them come out to your location as that can be expensive.

The problem I've had most often with my modems is the ISP doing a software 'upgrade' that does more damage than good.
They generally won't admit this or correct it unless you ask. I regularly need to do a power cycle after their latest 'upgrade'.
Sometimes it's worse and they really mess things up.

And through experience, if the ISP has a 24hr tech service, call them at 3AM, their time. Then you usually get a bored tech with plenty of time on their hands and
they may be a lot more willing to help or advise you.

[fritzi93]

Yeah, watch out for them wanting to bill you for a service call. $

When I got my wireless gateway it set up okay and registered, then...nothing. I insisted to support that they had the wrong settings somehow, but they said they'd have to send out a tech and there would be a charge. I said before I'd do that, I'd switch to DSL. And I meant it, too. So they relented on billing me. And the tech found out withing minutes that it was just as I said, and spent several minutes on the phone getting everything reset at their end. Incompetent bastards.

Since the OP's modem is working, it might not be possible to avoid getting billed for a service call. I'd exhaust all other options first. I don't really see how a service call would fix anything in the OP's situation. This isn't a case where Grandma is simply incapable of hooking things up correctly. Maybe the problem is an ISP software upgrade, as redwudz suggested and they need to check *their* settings.

Well, good luck. My sympathies.

[jagabo]

Changed to NEW router ASUS RT-N66U

Do the LEDs on that router tell you what speed the wired connections are at? If so, do they indicate 1000 Mb/s? 100 Mb/s? 10 Mb/s?

[nic2k4]

As was mention by others, it would help to know your MODEM and router model number. If the MODEM is actually a gateway, that means it is a router and a router behind a router is trouble unless it's configured correctly. It's possible they have the MODEM set in bridge mode. In that case you should set the router WAN side to dynamic IP and clone the PC's NIC MAC address.

You can check the correct MTU value to use for the router WAN side with the PING command. Connect the PC to the MODEM, open a Command Prompt, and enter

PING www.google.com -f -l 1472

If you get a reply from Google add 28 to the value (makes 1500) and that's the MTU value you use for the router WAN setting max MTU. If the packets need fragmenting try 1468 and keep going down until you get a reply. It could go all the way down to 1272, so jump by 10 or 20, then go back up and don't forget to add 28.

Using IPV6 would be nice as it automatically adjusts MTU size and TWC has deployed it, but as mentioned in the link you should keep IPV4 enabled in the router and disable IPV6 for all the devices that connect to the network.

Another thing worth mentioning is DNS server. Some ISP's have a poor DNS setup, this results in delayed replies to page request or just no page loads... This won't cause slow download speeds, but it's best to use a better DNS server anyway. There are many free servers to choose from, the better known ones are Opendns, Google and Symantec. Just enter the server addresses on the router WAN page.

[Sakuya]

My modem was supplied by TWC many years ago and is a Scientific-Atlanta WebSTAR DPC2100r2, DOCSIS 2.0. My previous router was Netgear WNDR4300 and my new router is ASUS RT-N66U. The LED lights don't tell me the Mb/s.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will give TWC a call and see what they say. And thanks for that modem list, is good to look into in case I want to buy my own modem and not use TWC's modems. Seems like it's pretty much plug and play and not have to enter any settings like a router.

[Cauptain]

Setup your modem to full bridge, disable DHCP.

Setup your router to PPPOE, DHCP enable.

Make a fixed IP for your main computer. Go to router and add this in DMZ network.

Try and reply.

[usually_quiet]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will give TWC a call and see what they say. And thanks for that modem list, is good to look into in case I want to buy my own modem and not use TWC's modems. Seems like it's pretty much plug and play and not have to enter any settings like a router.

I recommend buying a modem rather than renting one when it is permitted and the savings in rental fees will pay for the modem in a reasonable amount of time. I bought my own modem (Motorola SB6121) when I switched to Comcast for Internet service. My savings in rental fees paid for it in 10 months and installation was painless.

[Sakuya]

Thanks for all your help. I switched to a Docsis 3.0 modem and I'm getting consistent 20+ Mbps download speeds now.