Taking Bandwidth

[Jabba]

I have noticed something that I presume is not normal.

I have a wireless router connected to the internet that is then connected to a four port switch.

The computer that is connected to the router directly (wireless connection) has upload bandwidth of up to 32 KB/SEC.

As I boot each of the other computers up...this then starts dropping by up to 2 KB/SEC....at least one of the other computers that takes some of the bandwidth is a fresh install with no applications installed that would use any of the bandwidth available.

By the time all the computers are online I am down to 26 KB/SEC...does a router allocate some bandwidth to each computer on the network regardless of if the actual computer is using it or needs it ?

I am going to try just using the router tonight and not the second switch...although this is going to be tricky due to cable length.

[FordGTGuy]

how far away are the other computers?

[Jabba]

Three are all on the same desk...the other one is about 25M away.

[FordGTGuy]

The closer ones are probably taking most of the bandwidth. How much bandwith is the farther away one get?

[Jabba]

What would they be using the bandwidth for then ? I hope you realise that only one is connected via wireless if thats what your getting at.

[X-ale]

Maybe God need's some extra bandwith to d/l porn to save the kitties! If He
does as much as all the guys combined it'll neutralize itself :D

But really, you should take care with those wireless connetion, how i got no clue but i've heard of hi-jacking. Don't know if it really applies to your case tho :?

[DeMoN]

are you sure you have no spyware on your computer? That takes up bandwidth. I had to get spyspweeper and spybot search and destroy to get rid of all of them. As far as I know, routers dont allocate speeds for different computers unless you have your router set up that way. From my expreience, whatever one computer does, it does with all the speed it has available. As I said, some other stuff is transmitting the info. Maybe its even windows. Go to control panel and double click on Administrative Tools then double click on services. You will see a whole list of so called services that either start manualy or automatically. Sort them by Startup type and start disabling the ones you wont use and setting manual to the ones you might.

One of them is the error reporting tool. You know how you get the message to either send or not send the report to windows on every crash? Well you should disable that and many other ones you dont need.

If I can think on something else, ill tell you.

[Jabba]

Maybe God need's some extra bandwith to d/l porn to save the kitties! If He
does as much as all the guys combined it'll neutralize itself :D

But really, you should take care with those wireless connetion, how i got no clue but i've heard of hi-jacking. Don't know if it really applies to your case tho :?

The computer that has the wireless connection is fine..that is uploading at 32KB/SEC its the other computers that are taking the bandwidth...I have my wireless network using 128 bit encryption though just in case someone marks my house down as a free internet hot spot

[gigdy]

over the summer in my apartment we were limited to 32kb/s total bandwidth for 3 cmputera and the fastest i could download even with the othe 2 computers off was 26kb/s.

[Jabba]

are you sure you have no spyware on your computer? That takes up bandwidth. I had to get spyspweeper and spybot search and destroy to get rid of all of them. As far as I know, routers dont allocate speeds for different computers unless you have your router set up that way. From my expreience, whatever one computer does, it does with all the speed it has available. As I said, some other stuff is transmitting the info. Maybe its even windows. Go to control panel and double click on Administrative Tools then double click on services. You will see a whole list of so called services that either start manualy or automatically. Sort them by Startup type and start disabling the ones you wont use and setting manual to the ones you might.

One of them is the error reporting tool. You know how you get the message to either send or not send the report to windows on every crash? Well you should disable that and many other ones you dont need.

If I can think on something else, ill tell you.

One has just been formated and is running the exact same version of XP that the laptop is using that can upload at 32KB/SEC...I have never seen that amount of bandwidth lost before and that was on computers that did have alot of spyware running etc....

[Jabba]

As we can see here...using one computer I can get over 30KB/SEC...as soon as the other ones are turned on...it drops to 26KB/SEC :|

http://www.jabbasworld.net/s2/1673.jpg

[mindgam3]

if the computers are all on and are all connected they will still be taking up bandwidth because they still "talk" to each other even when no applications etc are running. This shouldn't account for all of the bandwidth you're loosing because their "talking" when they're all on should hardly be using anything. Just a point to note, it is a bit odd

[Jabba]

Yes you can see the talking going on...with the flashing lights on the switch....but they are talking with each other I think...not with any computers on the internet (I hope) so it would be using network bandwidth and not internet bandwidth...which is what is happening here...think I am gonna try another router...or maybe I need to change some settings on it...if I don't have any luck tonight.

[AlienDB7]

With each of the computers freshly boot up, do a netstat in command prompt. You shouldn't see any established connections, if you do... may be you have spyware or worm on one of your PCs.

Yes, the PCs may talk with each other on the network but since the LAN bandwidth is 50-100x higher (100Mbps for wired and 54Mbps for wireless?) than internet's, there shouldn't be any visible effect on upload speed.

[Jabba]

With each of the computers freshly boot up, do a netstat in command prompt.

Good idea...also you can see if there are any open ports that are being used by trojans etc...

btw my wired network is 1000Mbps....that makes your point even stronger.

[jon_s]

Are you on a hub? If so that may be why you are losing bandwidth. Perhaps using a managed switch is the way forward because they don't share the bandwidth as a total, they have maximum bandwidth per port. :?:

[Jabba]

yep I have a 1000mb switch

[jon_s]

well, there goes that idea lol I take it, that it is a managed switch.

Something like:
http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=products_choose_product&cat_id=8&prodCat=Managed%20Switches

[Jabba]

Not quite that one...I think its the router thats fucking it up though.

[jon_s]

It certainly sounds like it, you are not supposed to lose bandwidth through a switch.

[Jabba]

Yep only started since getting the router.

[AlienDB7]

How are you setting it up? Like uplinking from the router to the switch and everything connected to the switch? Look for collisions on the switch and router, I'm suspecting a bad port is causing the problem.

Have a 100Mbps Hub connected to a linksys router myself. I was able to get 300-500k/s upload speed before my ISP capped my upstream ;) So definitely you shouldn't have any problem when you're using the switch/router combo.

[Jabba]

How are you setting it up? Like uplinking from the router to the switch and everything connected to the switch? Look for collisions on the switch and router, I'm suspecting a bad port is causing the problem.



Thanks Alien...thats exactly how it is set up....I am going to try as you suggest and move the ports around.

The only wireless router (with adsl modem) PC World had in stock was made by Belkin...which I know are a budget brand. My gut feeling is that this is to blame...having said that...its been excellent in every other respect and I would be hard to fault it...especially for £100.