Netgear Help?

[Sakuya]

[New problem! Please see latest post and disregard this first post!]

Hi. I have two computers and I used my Netgear linkers to link them together in order to use one cable box for internet. For some reason, my computer's internet has gotten really slow lately. It's usually at night that this happens but today, it's slow at 11:14AM. Slow as in things wouldn't load, slow loading, etc. My main computer (the one that the cable box is hooked up too directly) is fine. Why is this? When I first installed it, it was like this. It only happened recently. Here is my Netgear stats:

Transmit Rate: Auto
Encryption: 128 bit
Signal Strength: 90-100%
Link Quality: 90-100%

I don't get what could be the problem.

[Capmaster]

Hi. I have two computers and I used my Netgear linkers to link them together in order to use one cable box for internet. For some reason, my computer's internet has gotten really slow lately. It's usually at night that this happens but today, it's slow at 11:14AM. Slow as in things wouldn't load, slow loading, etc. My main computer (the one that the cable box is hooked up too directly) is fine. Why is this? When I first installed it, it was like this. It only happened recently. Here is my Netgear stats:

Transmit Rate: Auto
Encryption: 128 bit
Signal Strength: 90-100%
Link Quality: 90-100%

I don't get what could be the problem.

I had that problem with my D-Link WAP. Try dropping the security to 64-bit WEP and then add the MAC address of your authorized machines in MAC address filtering

[Faustus]

and if that doesn't work then try doing a full reset on the router.

[Sakuya]

What's the reason for lowering it to 64 bit? Do I have to do this on both of my computers? As for MAC addresses, there's no place where I can configure the MAC address filtering. Anyway, for some reason after I restarted the computer, it's really fast again! But I won't be surprised if it will slow down by the end of today. So anymore help would be appreciated.

Edit:
If this affects anything, I usually leave the main computer shut off. Instead, I just turn on the sourge protector connected to the main computer to give it power. Then I turn on my computer and it would work. Would I need to turn on both computers in order to get high speed?

[handyguy]

Try just turning the modem off for ten seconds then on again.

[Capmaster]

What's the reason for lowering it to 64 bit? Do I have to do this on both of my computers? As for MAC addresses, there's no place where I can configure the MAC address filtering. Anyway, for some reason after I restarted the computer, it's really fast again! But I won't be surprised if it will slow down by the end of today. So anymore help would be appreciated.

Edit:
If this affects anything, I usually leave the main computer shut off. Instead, I just turn on the sourge protector connected to the main computer to give it power. Then I turn on my computer and it would work. Would I need to turn on both computers in order to get high speed?

Sometimes 128-bit can slow it down, but probably not as much as you describe. But it's one place you might get some speed back.

Glad it's working right agai. I don't see a connection to the powering up sequence.

The MAc address filtering isn't available on all units, so you probably have one that doesn't allow it. That just prevents an unauthorized card from connecting. It isn't perfect security but it's something.

[Sakuya]

After about one hour, it's slow again. Is there any other ways to solve this? It's only the internet I'm having trouble with. Even when it is slow, my downloads in my P2P programs are still downloading. I'm not sure how to turn off the modem. There is only a reset button for it.

[Capmaster]

There has to be some sort of AC adapter or point where it plugs in. Just pull the plug and wait 10 seconds or so.

[Sakuya]

No, it doesn't work. Could something be eating up my CPU time? I don't have too many programs on except for Bittorrent and eMule, and one IE browser. Maybe even AIM and Winamp. I guess that's it.

I do notice that in my Task Manager's Process tab (I am using Windows 2000), there are many mysterious things such as "smss.exe" and "csrss.exe" just to name a few. It uses around 300K to 10,700K. I don't know what they are. They just appear there automatically, even right after the startup.

[ViRaL1]

Do you have the icon in your system tray for your network connection? You might want to check to see if something is eating up your bandwidth when you're not doing anything online.

[Sakuya]

It only gives me the status of signal strength and link quality both of which are at the 90-100%. There's nowhere where I can see if something is eating away my bandwidth.

[Capmaster]

Sakuya,

Have you run an antivirus app recently? That might be wise.

[Sakuya]

Yes, I scanned my computer for viruses and deleted all the spyware, no viruses. The programs that I run are Bittorrent and eMule. Would they have any effect?

[ViRaL1]

If other people are downloading from you, yes. Try shutting these down for a while and see if it makes any significant difference.

[Sakuya]

Wow. It was! Right after I quit, the connection became super fast again! Thanks. I guess I will try not to go on the internet when I download stuff.

[ViRaL1]

Uh....how would you go about doing that?

[Sakuya]

Well...downloading programs like that connect even if the internet wouldn't. I asked on a Bittorrent forum and they said I have a large amount of upstream for uploading and it won't load the internet sites. So I have to lower the upload rate somehow.

[ViRaL1]

From the BitTorrent FAQ...
http://bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/FAQ.html

I don't want you stealing my bandwidth! How can I stop it from uploading?
You could hack the source to not upload, but then your download rate would suck. BitTorrent downloaders engage in tit-for-tat with their peers, so leeches have very little success downloading.
-----------------------------------------------------

I'd advise turning BitTorrent off altogether until you're actually downloading something that uses it.

[Sakuya]

Yes, that's what I've been doing.

[Sakuya]

I am sort of having the same problem again. Here's what's been happening.

Every so often, a webpage I go to won't load can gives me a "Cannot load page" error. Once that happens, then whatever page I click next for the next 5 minutes won't load either. But I do know that it's the connection problem, the website servers are not down. Even if I visit Hotmail, Yahoo, or Google during those times, it won't load. After 5 minutes or so, the connection would resolve itself and it would load again. And then repeat process. The weird thing is, during those error timeouts, eMule and BT would still go on for me at its normal pace.

It gets incredibly annoying. I did try closing down those p2p programs but it is not effective.
I contacted Road Runner (my internet company) and they asked me to connect the cable modem directly to the computer and not use the router to see if Netgear is the problem. But my hard drive is stored in a very inconvenient place, plus I do not know enough in case something goes wrong. So if anyone can help me, please do! I appreciate it.