My wireless interent connection is so slow, but if I search & connect to someone else's wireless, it's good???

Question

I have no idea what's going on. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't bring up any Websites. My diagnostics showed that I was successfully connected, but that the upload and download rate was so slow that nothing would load, except for a google search page. I got the idea to try checking the network for an unsecured internet signal and try connecting to that, just to see if the problem was my local hardware. I found a signal and connected, and voila, my internet is fast and working. So, what's the difference? Why can't I connect on my network but I can on someone else's? I'm running shaw high speed internet, and a visit to their site shows they aren't reporting any outages. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Your internet can be slow on one connection and fast on another connection for a number of reasons.

1. The wireless connection you connected to which was fast probably has a different internet service provider and they offer better speed.

2. Your wireless router is probably not as good as the other router and this is important for wireless internet connections.

Answer 2

You didn't change the SSID on your wireless router, neither did a few of your neighbors, and the connection you think is yours is really a weak neighbor's connection.

Your router is bad.

Your modem is bad.

Your router is placed (or the antennas on your router and adapter are so oriented - they should each be looking at the other with the *side* of the antenna, and the two should be parallel) that you're getting a very weak signal from your router.

Solution (unless you think you can troubleshoot it yourself):  Call Shaw's tech support.