Hi folks,
We have a home office with 2 computers and a printer on a little ethernet network. Here's the setup:
cable modem > router > hub to computers and printers
It's all connected with ethernet cables, don't want wireless (or should I?).
[update: the problem is gone now, no need to read on unless you're
that bored today. ;) ]
Recently we discovered that the downloads were excruciatingly slow and did some checking with online speed tests from our ISP (the cable company here). It seems that when we connect a computer directly to the cable modem the speeds are fine, yet when we go through the router they decrease by as much as 60%! Went to the store and ordered a new router. The sales guy asked about speed - I'd had no idea that routers had speed capacity limits - but he didn't seem to really know what he was doing, sooooo... Long story short, it looks like we still ended up with a router that still isn't "up to speed". (It's listed by the manufacturer as having 10 Mbps max, our internet service is for 15 Mbps. When
testing without the router we do get between 14 and 15 Mbps. With the router we get 5 to 6 Mbps.)
I hesitate to go back to the store without doing more of their homework for them beforehand. Any clues from network gurus out there are much appreciated, specifically:
Can routers really slow down the download like this?
If so, then do we need a router with just enough (to match our service potential speed) or should we get one with as much speed potential as possible?
Do I need to replace out all the cables and the hub too? (Argh.)
I've heard that wireless can be less reliable, less fast, and then there's the foil hat issues. ;-) Any good arguments in favor of wireless?
I'm about to try connecting the computers directly to the new router to see if that helps. [update: this did the trick!]
Thanks for any wisdom and advice.