Wireless on desktop is crawling while laptop is speedy.

**Kringler** · June 18th, 2012, 10:55 PM

So pretty recently my desktop started acting up in the form of its wireless network being at a crawl, intermittently failing, and having problems detecting my network, even. While my laptop, which I am presently using right next to my desktop (which rules out placement, not to mention signal strength on both is great), is as great as ever.

I'm pretty skilled in most terms of these, and would usually be able to fix the problem. I have tried just about everything, though, and the problem is still very much an issue.

I've reset my wireless drivers, I have reinstalled them, even, I've played with my DNS servers, I've done a few things router side, too. Hell, I even reformatted and reinstalled Windows, which I've done so much that I've started liking it. It needed a good cleaning anyways.

If there are any details that anyone would like, I can provide them. My desktop works great, otherwise. It is just really annoying having to use my laptop since my drunken friend fractured the screen. Which I'm also poor, so I don't have the money to purchase a replacement right now.

Thanks for the help.

Nick

Edit: Thought back on it and thought I could add more details.
Accessing the router's menu via my desktop is just as slow as the internet, and when I say that the internet isn't working, I mean that it can barely get a website. Most sites don't come in, and if it is basic, I can sort of get to it. It'll have some images. Maybe.

I have great hardware on my computer, too, so it's really angering having it out like this. I'm surprised by how debilitating it is having no internet on it is.

**paul9** · June 18th, 2012, 11:11 PM

Have you tried a different browser? There have been reports of the website filter on IE slowing things down, although I am not sure this is as extreme as what you describe.

**Kringler** · June 18th, 2012, 11:18 PM

I run far away from IE. At least until the latest release of it, which isn't so bad, actually. Anyways, I'm using Opera. Before I reformated, actually, I was using Waterfox, which is just Firefox, but further optimized for x64 systems.

Oh, I'm on Windows 7, by the way.

Thanks, though

**stroyal** · June 20th, 2012, 09:01 AM

Welcome to TechIMO!

What if you plug into the router with the desktop.

If you have wired, and you are close enough to run a cable, that would narrow it down to the desktop wireless, card, if it sped up.
This would be a second test, as I already suspect the desktop wireless.

If your laptop works, you can rule out the Router/Switch/WiFi.
It can't be viruses/malware/cookies/temp files, as you did a clean install.
All that leaves. is the WiFi, in the desktop.

What kind of wireless is this?
USB, by any chance?

**GroundZero3** · June 20th, 2012, 09:36 AM

What channel is your wireless running on? What kind of encrpytion are you using (if any)?

**bigBonehead** · June 21st, 2012, 10:42 AM

Are you using the Ethernet connection on your motherboard, or an add-in card?

I noticed a marked improvement when using an add-in vs MB

**Kringler** · June 21st, 2012, 07:11 PM

@Stroyal: I'm not exactly in a position to hook up directly to the router. It's not USB, actually, and it isn't PCI. I do believe it is some sort of integrated chip, as it is an RaLink Wireless Adapter. Took me most of a day to find the right drivers after reformatting.

The desktop is, much to my dislike, an Alienware. I build my own setups, but when you have a relative that is like, "Well, I've got $3k in credit for Dell. I don't use computers often. Want it?" You say yes. So I took the best they had and had my way with it; adding and replacing things, but as far as the wifi chip, I can't find it in the case. It's Alienware, so there is more plastic than components.

@GroundZero3: Channel 9 with the only other router in the area on Channel 3, that's with scanning for routers that don't broadcast their SSIDs as well. The encryption is WEP, which I know isn't as good, but I know this area (and my neighbors for that matter) aren't tech savvy enough to crack it.

@bigBonehead: I haven't used any ethernet lately. I'm at my girlfriend's parent's house over the summer while college is out. I'm using wireless to do everything, and as mentioned for stroyal, it is some sort of integrated card, I think. I tried looking further into it, but it's hell finding anything about the thing, and actually opening my computer ends up with me getting super pissed at the plastic components.

I might just go invest in a PCI Wifi card, in hopes that it would help, and it most likely would. I'd really like to avoid that, though, as I'm a jobless college student looking for a job while being dirt poor... Ironically with a $3k+ desktop he's trying to fix.

Thanks for the interest, and help, guys. I've been trying to fix this for about a week now, and it's not really gotten anywhere.

**GroundZero3** · June 22nd, 2012, 10:06 AM

What wireless router do you have? Are you using 802.11 B/G/N/A?

**Kringler** · June 23rd, 2012, 03:58 PM

Okay, so my laptop's monitor just finally died, so this matter got a lot more pressing. Now I have to do all my internet work on my phone...

@GroundZero3: I believe it is 802.11 G.

**surreal** · June 23rd, 2012, 07:46 PM

I might just go invest in a PCI Wifi card, in hopes that it would help, and it most likely would. .

I have the same problem and that didn't help me. My Mac works great and the desktop is working just like yours. (and it's new)

**stroyal** · June 23rd, 2012, 09:30 PM

I know this doesn't help, but on-board is PCI also.

It doesn't go into a PCI slot, but it is connected to the same buss.

I've never had my hands on an Alienware, but have worked on about 100 Dells, and have never had even the slightest problem, finding drivers on the Dell sight.

Dose this have a service tag like Dells. Alienware is a Dell company, isn't it?

If it is bad hardware the only way to test is with another card. Of course with on-board, you can't cross check, by trying it in another computer.
Is there an alarm in device manager, next to the wireless

The only easy computer hardware tests, are memory, and a hard drives.

Did you try, uninstalling the device in device manager, and restarting.

On a clean install, this usually works, because windows has most drivers, and is bad at installing them during an install.
The restart, install them properly.

**surreal** · June 23rd, 2012, 09:38 PM

Could it be your router? I think it might be mine and I'm just lucky that my laptop is better at picking up the signal even my phone has a very weak signal from the router when it's near the computer.

**Kringler** · June 24th, 2012, 05:02 PM

I have good WiFi on my phone, as well. My connections on all three, actually are marked at just about as high as they can get.

And yes, I've installed all the drivers off of Dell.com that pertain to me. But they didn't have a working driver for my network car, which I had to install. I've also done the uninstal restart, thing. My computer says the card works fine, and so does the RaLink application that is forcibly installed with the driver. One thing I did find, though, is that there are a shit ton of CRC errors. I get some working packets, but a lot of them aren't, and RaLink says it is CRC errors.