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Can a different NIC make a tenfold increase in speed?


JPsDad

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I just ran my first test using a TP Link TL-WN722N USB Wireless NIC.

My next door neighbour has COX cable and previously my download tests ranged from 0.3Mbps to 4.0Mbps. with the uploads generally a little faster (Centrino Laptop with IPW2200 Card, PuppyLinux5.2)

I just loaded Linux Minx 10 (into RAM from Live CD) and it supported the TP Link at Boot! I opened FireFox,to Testmy.net and was amazed to see it race through several successively larger downloads, then display

8.96 Mbps down, 1.1 Mbps up.

Even though it is about half the COX average, it sure is better than a half star!. Here is hoping that it lasts - time will tell.

JPsDad

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Hi, JPsDad

Welcome to Testmy.net

piggybacking off your neighbors wifi, i'm assuming you have permission. you'll probably never be able to accurately gauge the speed since you don't know his current package and what he or people in his household may be doing while your testing, they could be downloading movies or streaming netflix for all you know

in regards to the NIC question, having the correct drivers can make all the world of difference. it sounds like the drivers installed for the card on your PuppyLinux installation are probably not optimal. vs the drivers used for your TP-link card seem to be working well. so there are probably some issues with the driver for the IPW2200 card. i've actually ran into an issue like this with windows 7 and an old WMP54G internal wifi card. the driver installed by windows 7 worked but it did not allow the computer to download over 200kb/s, i looked online and it was a common issue since the card is so old and linksys has discontinued support/drivers for it however realtek who made the chipset have been developing drivers for it for windows 7 and had a working version that i was able to use and get the full speed out of the card

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Wireless over distance also is quite susceptible to interference. Out in the world you got wireless phones, garage door openers, radiation both natural and man-made (microwaves), radio, and blue-tooth. All these frequencies including those emanated from a florescent light are flying through the air you breath. If your WiFi (a wave) gets affected by interference (another wave) the data can be corrupted and need to be resent. The walls of your home, the 2x4's, the insulation and wiring, can to some degree prevent your WiFi (wave) from reaching your antennae. Windows and mirrors even reflect the signal. If your data is lost and needs to be sent a second time it will take twice as long and testing sites will report half the speed.

TriRan implied: If someone is using half the capacity you get half left. :icon_thumleft:

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