Help a Router-Stupid Person

loltsundere

My internet's running agonizingly slow, again. I have a router, but I don't really speak its language beyond the basics.

I went for a time with the router unsecured. I know that's dumb, so there is no need to tell me that. During that time, hooked up to it almost always were me, Natalie, and the Wii. At 9:00 PM every night, the internet would slow down horribly. Netflix Wii movies were impossible to watch, nothing loaded, etc. I was advised that someone was probably riding our network and that I should protect it. I secured it and BAM, fast internet again. The 9:00 problem was no more. Some douche was logging on every night and stealing my nets, but not anymore.

This period of fast internet only saw my computer and the Wii hooked up though. Natalie's computer kicked the bucket a while ago. Today, she finally got a new one and is breaking it in as I type. She had been hooked up to our network for about 20 minutes when the Wii Netflix suddenly had to buffer forever. My internet slowed down drastically as well. Our network is still protected, but it suddenly sucks again. What is happening?

I have a Linksys wireless G 24 GHz router, and all three of us are hooked up wirelessly. I am protected with a WEP, which I hear is not as secure, but it's the only way I can wifi with my DS, which I do often. I'm aware that this could be just our cable company sucking for the night, but the fact that it happened so soon after Natalie's computer hooked up has me a little worried. Plus, I am so bad with figuring out router problems. I had trouble even securing this one. :[ Can anyone advise me?

Omnutia

There is a chance that doucheface has looked up how to break WEP, which, by now, there are probably easy to use programs that will do it for you.
If you want to find out, I recommend running Wireshark (You might need to plug the computer into the router with Cat5.).

If you want to just use the shotgun method. Switch over to WPA and get a DS wifi dongle. It acts as a WEP encrypted network repeater but you can plug and unplug it from your PC when you need to use it.

If you need help with the changing of encryption, I can be reached on Skype.

...

Good Omnu, good boy. Have a cookie. WPA the network and enjoy.

Zykrome

If you want to find out, I recommend running Wireshark (You might need to plug the computer into the router with Cat5.).

This might not work if the switch inside the router doesn't forward the packets that go over wireless to the internets also to the Ethernet ports (which it shouldn't). You'd still see the broadcasts (ARP, DHCP and so on) though, but you'd also see those over the wireless.

Maybe it's not even your neighbor stealing your internets, maybe the new computer just downloaded a ton of updates when it was plugged in.

Techparadox

If you want to find out, I recommend running Wireshark (You might need to plug the computer into the router with Cat5.).

This might not work if the switch inside the router doesn't forward the packets that go over wireless to the internets also to the Ethernet ports (which it shouldn't). You'd still see the broadcasts (ARP, DHCP and so on) though, but you'd also see those over the wireless.

To which the solution would be to go get a small four-port hub, put it in between the modem and the router, and then jack your laptop running Wireshark into the hub. That's probably more work than most people want to deal with and most people also don't have a 4-port hub sitting around gathering dust; I keep one around for network diagnostic purposes. I'd second Omnutia's suggestion - switch the router over to using WPA w/PSK (preferably WPA2 if your router can do it - although if your laptops are running XP you'll need to make sure you are running SP3 or apply the WPA2 hotfix) and go get a DS wifi dongle to plug in when you need it.

Rym

Maybe it's not even your neighbor stealing your internets, maybe the new computer just downloaded a ton of updates when it was plugged in.

More likely still, most older buildings have poor cabling and limited bandwidth access to ISPs. Cable-based Internet connections are particularly susceptible to this, and at peak times (evenings) the local area usage can kill your own performance.

Techparadox

More likely still, most older buildings have poor cabling and limited bandwidth access to ISPs. Cable-based Internet connections are particularly susceptible to this, and at peak times (evenings) the local area usage can kill your own performance.

And while that may be true, one would think that if that were the sole cause then the connection would have still continued to go to crap in the evenings when peak usage shot up prior to the addition of the new PC to the mix. From what we know, it didn't - the network went to hell as soon as the new PC hooked up to it. After re-examining what we know, the steps I'd take for troubleshooting this issue would be as follows:

1. Shut down the new PC and see if the problem goes away
• If the problem does go away, fire it back up and see if the problem recurs. This could be the new PC downloading Windows Updates, like Zykrome said. Check your Windows Updates in Control Panel to see if that's the case. If it is, shut it down and plug it directly into the router instead of hooking it up via WiFi until the updates are finished.
2. Change your WEP key, reboot the router and see how long it takes for the problem to recur.
• If it's someone leeching off your WiFi then the problem will probably go away and then come back somewhere down the road. Re-secure it using WPA and get yourself an adapter dongle to plug into one of the other PCs when you want to use the Wii or your DS online

Granted, we're discussing this several hours after the fact, so the better question would be: What ended up happening? Did the problem go away or did the connection stay crappy all night?

...

If it is, shut it down and plug it directly into the router instead of hooking it up via WiFi until the updates are finished.

This won't make a difference if the bandwidth problem is behind the router instead of a bandwidth problem between the router and wireless laptops.

Techparadox

If it is, shut it down and plug it directly into the router instead of hooking it up via WiFi until the updates are finished.

This won't make a difference if the bandwidth problem is behind the router instead of a bandwidth problem between the router and wireless laptops.

True, that's why I said if it is the Windows Updates on the new laptop then they should jack it in hardwired. If the problem isn't the laptop running Windows Updates then shutting off the new laptop won't make one bit of difference in the crap internet connection speed, they can eliminate that as a possibility, and move on to investigating other local possibilities, such as a freeloading neighbor (which would be eliminated from possibility by step number 2). Taking the steps listed in number two will help them figure out if it's some twit that has cracked their WEP key without having to run packet analysis, plus a general reboot of the router couldn't hurt. Taking both of these steps will rule out most local issues, short of a broken router; if the problem is still upstream from the router then the connection will still be crap after taking those two steps, at which point I'd suggest rebooting the modem and then getting on the horn to the ISP to get a trouble-ticket started.

...

True, that's why I saidifit is the Windows Updates on the new laptop then they should jack it in hardwired.

*headdesk* DID YOU JUST NOT FUCKING READ WHAT I WROTE? FOR FUCKS SAKE IT'S YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE, SPEAK IT.

Techparadox

*headdesk* DID YOU JUST NOT FUCKING READ WHAT I WROTE? FOR FUCKS SAKE IT'S YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE, SPEAK IT.

You stated that it could be behind the router, not between the router and the laptops. I thought, "Surely he's not so thick as to think I wouldn't take a broken router into account." I thought, "Surely if he meant that the router was bad, he would have said it." I thought, "Surely he'll recognize the fact that the last thing a user did before the problem started is usually the cause of the issue." I thought, "Surely he'll think that it's a damn huge coincidence that the problem started when the new wireless device was added to the network." I thought, "Surely he'll realize that most end users can't test for a broken router without having a spare handy and that the steps I suggested are covering all the bases outside of a network hardware failure." I thought, "Maybe if I restate my point he'll get the original idea of plugging it in hardwired was contingent on the issue being related to Windows Updates on the new laptop and the problem going away when the new laptop was shut down, which he apparently failed to grasp." I guess I was wrong on all counts. So tell me, oh guru of networking, what else could there be internal to their network (aside from a broken router or the other things we already ruled out) that wasn't previously causing issues but is causing them now and how you would test for that?

...

You are an idiot. Please, just fucking read what I wrote. If you're going to attempt to make fun of me, at least write something that's actually related for fuck's sake, you just look pathetic now.

If not that, shoot yourself in the balls and do the world a favour that way.

loltsundere

Thank you for the help, guys. I disconnected my laptop from the wireless and reconnected after a restart, and in a few minutes it went back to normal. I'm still not totally comfortable with what happened, though, and I think I'm going to switch over to WPA.

If you want to just use the shotgun method. Switch over to WPA and get aDS wifi dongle. It acts as a WEP encrypted network repeater but you can plug and unplug it from your PC when you need to use it.

And do this. I didn't even know such a thing existed. Thanks!

Techparadox

You are an idiot. Please, just fucking read what I wrote. If you're going to attempt to make fun of me, at least write something that's actually related for fuck's sake, you just look pathetic now.
If not that, shoot yourself in the balls and do the world a favour that way.

Whatever. The only thing that's pathetic here is your attempt to insult me and dig your way out of a hole. If you're referring to a problem upstream from them then that would be IN FRONT OF the router, not BEHIND the router. If you're referring to other issues actually behind the router, in their local network, then you still haven't given any information on what you think those issues could be or potential troubleshooting steps. Put up or shut up - either give a constructive solution instead of posting insults, or kindly go walk into a canal and inhale deeply once your head gets below the surface.

EDIT (due to new info appearing as I was posting):

Thank you for the help, guys. I disconnected my laptop from the wireless and reconnected after a restart, and in a few minutes it went back to normal. I'm still not totally comfortable with what happened, though, and I think I'm going to switch over to WPA.

Good to hear that things went back to normal after a reboot. Keep us posted if anything else weird happens.

Zykrome

If you don't wanna pay for a DS wifi dongle, you could just switch your router to WEP only as long as you play with your DS, and switch back to WPA afterwards. This can be a pain though, depending on the interface of your router, and all the laptops and other things on your wireless would have to reconnect after every switch. This should happen automatically, but your TCP connections might drop, so all the software would have to reconnect, too.

Another alternative: Get one of the new, fancier DSs, those can also do WPA. Although I'm not sure if they also do WPA for older DS games.

Techparadox

Another alternative: Get one of the new, fancier DSs, those can also do WPA. Although I'm not sure if they also do WPA for older DS games.

Therein lies the snag - the older games won't support WPA/WPA2 encryption due to backwards-compatibility with the DS Lite and DS Phat. It'd be less of a headache to just go hunt down one of the dongles and plug it in as needed for the DS. Good thing they actually had the insight to make the Wii WPA/WPA2 compatible.

...

Whatever. The only thing that's pathetic here is your attempt to insult me and dig your way out of a hole. If you're referring to a problem upstream from them then that would be IN FRONT OF the router, not BEHIND the router. If you're referring to other issues actually behind the router, in their local network, then you still haven't given any information on what you think those issues could be or potential troubleshooting steps. Put up or shut up - either give a constructive solution instead of posting insults, or kindly go walk into a canal and inhale deeply once your head gets below the surface.

I would punch you in the face if I could. Read the fucking comment with context you idiot.