Does a router affect download speed?

14 years ago

When I bought my laptop it came with a package of "discounts", some of which I wanted. Because a router was included I had someone set up a local network for my house. I can use the laptop anywhere in the house, but after the novelty wore off, I have seldom used the it except to take on vacation. I live way out in the country and the only high speed connection available to me is from a satellite or DSL from TDS. I am not very happy with my Dish reception or the company (no other way to receive TV out here except Direct and I think they will be very similar to Dish) so my broadband is with TDS. I was told to expect the laptop to be a little slow, and it is, because it is part of a network. My question is: will my DSL connection work faster if I turn off the router? Will everything else run OK with the router turned off? The man who set up my network lives 5 miles up the road and he can get Verizon. I am in such a rural area that my neighbors tell me other companies, other than TDS, will ever come out here in my lifetime.

Nancy

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Comments (2)

ravencajun Zone 8b TX
14 years ago
I would not take out the router it gives you added protection in that it has a built in firewall, if it was set up properly and securely it really should not alter your speed. My guess is that your actual speed from your provider for DSl is the source of your slow speed, especially since you mention you are very rural, for DSL to give good speed you must be with in a certain mileage distance from the co that you are connected to, if you are at the very end of the line you will have poor speed.
What I would do is contact your provider and tell them you are having very poor speed and ask them to come out and check for you see if it is bad lines between you and the CO which many times it is and when they repair or replace them the speed can change a lot.

Have you tried plugging your laptop directly into the back of the router and using it wired instead of wireless to see if you find any difference?
This site below has a good speed test you can see what your speeds are, try it at various times of day.

do you know if your router is a G, or an N? if you gave us the name and model we might be able to tell you a little more.

Also malware on the computer will definitely cause it to slow down, do you have a good current updated antivirus program on it and do you have either malwarebytes or superantispyware? if not I suggest you get malwarebytes free install it update it and run a full scan to see if it finds anything, it is free and should be updated and run weekly, it will not interfere with any existing security programs.
How to download and install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware application for Windows computers

Here is a link that might be useful: speedtest
gardurnit
14 years ago
Routers as far as I remember came at these speeds as they
were developed for home use:

1mb / sec , 10mb / sec, 100mb / sec.

Most people are using 10mb/sec . The fastest DSL connections are at 6mb / sec and that is very fast.

The fastest phone connections that I am aware of are at
1mb / sec (about) So the answer to your question should
be 'NO'.

The router should not be affecting your speed.

You can go to a speed test site and try it with and
without the modem I suppose.

I won't have time to come back to help. I hope this help
you feel better about your problem or maybe actually helps
by checking the speed.

http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

http://www.speedtest.net/

http://reviews.cnet.com/internet-speed-test/

a google search for speedtest will guide you to them.

Some sites have 'phone friendly' where the screens are
more suitable for a phone rather than full desktop
browser screen. Look for those links at the speed
sites rather than just any speed link.

This image shows what I mean:

http://s1.bild.me/bilder/012010/9203378clp11988.gif

Here is a link that might be useful:
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Does a router affect download speed?

Comments (2)

ravencajun Zone 8b TX

gardurnit

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