Very slow internet speeds

[Guest]

I am running AOL DSL, and usually it's fine, but last week for whatever
reason, my connection got slower and slower. What used to be a 100kb/s
download speed is now closer to 10kb/s. I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless
router, with one computer hardwired and the other is a desktop with a
wireless card.

Windows XP Home SP1 - wired
Windows 98 - wireless

I thought maybe it was the router, so I plugged my computer directly into
the modem, and same thing, just as slow. I tried different Ethernet cards as
well, same thing. When I put the router back into the network, and tried the
wireless desktop, it was fast at first, then gradually worked it's way down
to be as slow as the other computer.

So now I have no idea if it's one computer, both, the modem, or the router.
I have noticed, under the 'network connections' section, a new connection for
'internet gateway' that I never saw before. Is there a way to turn that off
or undo the home network? Maybe that's what I did, set up the home/small
office network, but it could be anything.

Thank you.

 

[Chuck]

I am running AOL DSL, and usually it's fine, but last week for whatever
reason, my connection got slower and slower. What used to be a 100kb/s
download speed is now closer to 10kb/s. I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless
router, with one computer hardwired and the other is a desktop with a
wireless card.

Windows XP Home SP1 - wired
Windows 98 - wireless

I thought maybe it was the router, so I plugged my computer directly into
the modem, and same thing, just as slow. I tried different Ethernet cards as
well, same thing. When I put the router back into the network, and tried the
wireless desktop, it was fast at first, then gradually worked it's way down
to be as slow as the other computer.

So now I have no idea if it's one computer, both, the modem, or the router.
I have noticed, under the 'network connections' section, a new connection for
'internet gateway' that I never saw before. Is there a way to turn that off
or undo the home network? Maybe that's what I did, set up the home/small
office network, but it could be anything.

Thank you.

Chris,

Your report leaves me with several thoughts.
1) Your observation is consistent with an actual network problem. Have you
involved your ISP?
2) When you say "it was fast at first, then gradually worked it's way down...",
how are you making your observations? Do you have a meter, or are you watching
a download progress bar, or what? What hosts do you download from?
3) Consider getting something like PingPlotter (trial version is free), to
document ongoing line conditions.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/02/diagnosing-network-problems-using_11.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/02/diagnosing-network-problems-using_11.html
4) If you typically diagnose network problems by plugging the computer into the
modem directly, how is the computer protected when you do that? Do you practice
strong layered security (eliminating Layer 1 in your diagnostics, are Layers 2 -
5 strong?)?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/please-protect-yourself-layer-your.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/please-protect-yourself-layer-your.html
5) Please consider a thorough malware scan. Even if you have layered security.
Your symptoms are also consistent with a malware problem.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/dealing-with-malware-adware-spyware.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/dealing-with-malware-adware-spyware.html