I was planning to write this post while connected to my 50Mbps broadband pipe but I have had to shift to my ADSL connection because of continued problems accessing the net over wireless. My topic was going to be online gaming but a few technical issues got in the way.

I should stress that this ongoing problem with wi-fi is not related to the 50Mbps service. When connected via Ethernet I am consistently getting speeds of about 45Mbps downstream.

This is a problem which highlights the vagaries of wireless networks. I’m sure everyone reading this has had a problem with a wi-fi network at some point and so my tale of woe will be pretty familiar.

Even though I can connect to the net my speeds are very unpredictable and even casual browsing has become painful.

“Looking up”, “Waiting for” and “Connecting to” have become the by-words of my experience as my browser struggles to load websites.

However, if I were to do a Speed Test (assuming I can load the website) it reports back that I’m getting speeds of between 15Mbps and 30Mbps – more than enough to enjoy lightning fast web surfing, even if it is well below what I should be getting at the upper limit.

So what is the problem? When it comes to wireless there are so many potential issues that can affect your connection speed and experience:

  • Other wireless networks on channels close to your router
  • Interference from other devices operating in the 2.4Ghz range – from cordless telephones to microwave ovens
  • Thick walls in an old house can block or slow speeds
  • Mis-configuration of the router
  • A low-spec computer

I’ve ensured none of those issues are the cause in this particular case. But experience with wireless routers and similar problems over the years with dropped connections and slow speeds lead me to believe that sometimes wireless networks have a mind of their own and just refuse to work.

Hardly a scientific explanation then, but before I throw in the towel completely I will be swapping in a different router, albeit an identical model, and finding out if my laptops have a problem.

If there’s a lesson from all of this – and I sincerely hope I’ll fix the problem – it is that any connection you have, be it ADSL, ADSL2+ or cable, is only as fast as the weakest point on your network.

I may have a fantastically fat broadband pipe right up to my door but if I can’t enjoy it, then what is the point?

A few people have suggested Powerline adaptors – I have a couple in the attic and I could give them a whirl but I’m going to hit a ceiling of 20Mbps and I prefer the freedom of roaming around the house with my laptop.

Assuming my problems are solved: I’ve had lots of really good ideas from readers about how to test my connection speeds and I’ll be using a lot of them today and reporting on them tomorrow.

UPDATE: I’ve swapped in a new .11n router and so far, things seem to be going well. I’ll keep monitoring before I definitively declare the problem is solved.

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