[Technology] IT Help - Snail like download speed

[PeterOut]

Have you tried booting the laptop into Safe Mode (with networking)?

If you get the expected (faster) connection speed in Safe Mode, then it strongly points to either the network drivers (or some other software being loaded as part of your standard startup) that is causing the slow connection.

How to boot into Safe Mode - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/start-your-pc-in-safe-mode-in-windows-10-92c27cff-db89-8644-1ce4-b3e5e56fe234

 

[dadams2k11]

Press Windows Key > Search Device manager > Open Device manager > Find the WiFi Driver > Right Click and Uninstall.

At the top click the Scan for Hardware Changes and it should re install. If not then the WiFi card is caput.


Edit: Just seen you can connect to other WiFi. Do you know the loging to the router?

It could simply be the frequency it's trying to use. You have either 2.4 GHz or 5Ghz channels on the router.

Edit2: Just found this. https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Hub-One-5GHz-WiFi-issue/td-p/1696363

 

[StonehamPark]

[MENTION=18774]Rugrat[/MENTION]
Consider downloading and using this free (trial) AVG Driver Updater (I use it and have the full subscription).
It'll scan the whole laptop and alert you of out of date drivers that may have been missed - as well as auto download and update them.

Very very much recommend you try this. It's free, from a reputable company, and may solve your issue.

https://www.avg.com/en-gb/avg-driver-updater

 

[ozzygull]

Yes it was supplied by them.

Understood about an off the shelf router ... would be nice if I could determine if it were compatibility, and obviously that I'm not shelling out on a new router that has the same compatibility issues

Have thought about ordering one from Amazon, see if it helps, if not factory reset it and send back for refund, if it works problem solved.

 

[dazzer6666]

Assume you’ve tried the various Lenovo forums, but if not, does appear some on there have had a similar issue (includes link to a solution)

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...iFi-Download-Speed/m-p/5004775?page=1#5015110

 

[Easy 10]

Personally I'd jack it in and get a Chromebook. Wish I'd done it years ago.

 

[Rugrat]

Thank you to everyone for all the input ... I'm thoroughly exhausted but it might be fixed (as it's been intermittent I can't say for sure but it was running OK when I went to bed last night and it is this morning).

I think the suggestion of trying hotspot (thanks [MENTION=17571]StonehamPark[/MENTION]) motivated me to keep looking for the problem ... I was ready to bin off Plusnet and pay the penalty!!

Not entirely sure what fixed but likely one of

* forcing it to use 2.4 GHz only (counter intuitive I know) (thanks to [MENTION=473]Barnet Seagull[/MENTION] and [MENTION=20008]dadams2k11[/MENTION])
* turning router on/off ... only because the router re-set a couple of times with stuff I was doing but thanks to [MENTION=10856]1066familyman[/MENTION]

If this doesn't work then I'm going to replace router with BT Business Hub 6 (thanks [MENTION=27279]dazzer6666[/MENTION])

Anyway thanks to all ... likely one of you not mentioned that fixed it but did so much I'm not sure at what point I really got there

 

[1066familyman]

Personally I'd jack it in and get a Chromebook. Wish I'd done it years ago.

Or go one better.....

Bin off Windows and switch to Linux


Anyway, looks like the OP now has it sorted. Marvellous scenes.

 

[AIT76]

Another thing, if it hasn't already been suggested.

Have you turned the router off and on again. Not the usual joke, this genuinely works well with routers for all sorts of fixes.

https://www.howtogeek.com/165110/do-i-really-have-to-unplug-my-cable-modem-for-at-least-10-seconds/

My Humax PVR is connected to my home network via a wireless adaptor and often goes missing or slows to a crawl. The ONLY way to fix it is to to restart the router.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Thank you to everyone for all the input ... I'm thoroughly exhausted but it might be fixed (as it's been intermittent I can't say for sure but it was running OK when I went to bed last night and it is this morning).

I think the suggestion of trying hotspot (thanks [MENTION=17571]StonehamPark[/MENTION]) motivated me to keep looking for the problem ... I was ready to bin off Plusnet and pay the penalty!!

Not entirely sure what fixed but likely one of

* forcing it to use 2.4 GHz only (counter intuitive I know) (thanks to [MENTION=473]Barnet Seagull[/MENTION] and [MENTION=20008]dadams2k11[/MENTION])
* turning router on/off ... only because the router re-set a couple of times with stuff I was doing but thanks to [MENTION=10856]1066familyman[/MENTION]

If this doesn't work then I'm going to replace router with BT Business Hub 6 (thanks [MENTION=27279]dazzer6666[/MENTION])

Anyway thanks to all ... likely one of you not mentioned that fixed it but did so much I'm not sure at what point I really got there

Glad to hear you have a better experience on 2.4ghz. It sounds to me like Plusnet router doesn't handle the new wireless card on your laptop well
Although you've solved it, it's not ideal.

You have 5 options.

1. Keep the laptop on 2.4ghz and risk not being able to connect to modern networks on the laptop if travelling
2. Create two SSIDs on the router, splitting the 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks. You can then force the newer laptop to connect to the 2.4ghz network only and and re-instate the full functionality of the wireless card.
3. Get a USB wireless card /replace the existing one
4. Change the wireless router
5. Talk to plusnet to see if they have any router config recommendations which will allow 5Ghz network to work for this card.

If it were me I'd do (5) anyway and if plusnet can't solve it, (2).

 

[dadams2k11]

Thank you to everyone for all the input ... I'm thoroughly exhausted but it might be fixed (as it's been intermittent I can't say for sure but it was running OK when I went to bed last night and it is this morning).

I think the suggestion of trying hotspot (thanks [MENTION=17571]StonehamPark[/MENTION]) motivated me to keep looking for the problem ... I was ready to bin off Plusnet and pay the penalty!!

Not entirely sure what fixed but likely one of

* forcing it to use 2.4 GHz only (counter intuitive I know) (thanks to [MENTION=473]Barnet Seagull[/MENTION] and [MENTION=20008]dadams2k11[/MENTION])
* turning router on/off ... only because the router re-set a couple of times with stuff I was doing but thanks to [MENTION=10856]1066familyman[/MENTION]

If this doesn't work then I'm going to replace router with BT Business Hub 6 (thanks [MENTION=27279]dazzer6666[/MENTION])

Anyway thanks to all ... likely one of you not mentioned that fixed it but did so much I'm not sure at what point I really got there

Is the 5Ghz turned off on the router? Can you login to the backend of router and turn it on?


Many of my customers have had this turned off and once turned back on, it as resolved the issues.

 

[Rugrat]

Glad to hear you have a better experience on 2.4ghz. It sounds to me like Plusnet router doesn't handle the new wireless card on your laptop well
Although you've solved it, it's not ideal.

You have 5 options.

1. Keep the laptop on 2.4ghz and risk not being able to connect to modern networks on the laptop if travelling
2. Create two SSIDs on the router, splitting the 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks. You can then force the newer laptop to connect to the 2.4ghz network only and and re-instate the full functionality of the wireless card.
3. Get a USB wireless card /replace the existing one
4. Change the wireless router
5. Talk to plusnet to see if they have any router config recommendations which will allow 5Ghz network to work for this card.

If it were me I'd do (5) anyway and if plusnet can't solve it, (2).

I've turned the 5Ghz off at the router. I've been as far away as I need and it still works OK, plus my bedroom firestick still works fine, so I'm declaring victory. If I find that this hasn't solved the problem I had planned to call Plusnet and if I do I will use your summary to try and have a sensible conversation (vs "we can't find anything wrong, goodbye")

Is the 5Ghz turned off on the router? Can you login to the backend of router and turn it on?


Many of my customers have had this turned off and once turned back on, it as resolved the issues.

No harm trying, will turn it back on and see what happens

 

[dadams2k11]

I've turned the 5Ghz off at the router. I've been as far away as I need and it still works OK, plus my bedroom firestick still works fine, so I'm declaring victory. If I find that this hasn't solved the problem I had planned to call Plusnet and if I do I will use your summary to try and have a sensible conversation (vs "we can't find anything wrong, goodbye")



No harm trying, will turn it back on and see what happens

Will be interesting to see.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I've turned the 5Ghz off at the router. I've been as far away as I need and it still works OK, plus my bedroom firestick still works fine, so I'm declaring victory. If I find that this hasn't solved the problem I had planned to call Plusnet and if I do I will use your summary to try and have a sensible conversation (vs "we can't find anything wrong, goodbye")

No harm trying, will turn it back on and see what happens

You should be fine as you'll still be able to share up to 54mbps across all your devices via 2.4ghz only. It's worth being aware though that if you have a lot of stuff going on and are pushing near the 54mbps limit, you may reach a wireless bottleneck and see some latency issues.

 

[Rugrat]

Will be interesting to see.

LOL ... I phoned Plusnet to ask as [MENTION=473]Barnet Seagull[/MENTION] suggested. I went through the entire (summarised) 10 hours of work I'd put into this. He told me to look on ebay and buy a BT Smart Hub 6 ... I can get for £30 and he has given me a goodwill gesture of £30.

I did it while on the line (bought for £25.99) and he's going to call me back on Friday to set it up

Say what you will ... I certainly wasn't expecting that and pretty impressed

I would never have thought router given every other device running fine ... 10 hours of my life I don't get back but happy ending

 

[1066familyman]

Result!

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Good result. Well done for persevering and fair play to PlusNet.