Yes no obvious reason why Wi-Fi should be a limiting factor on upload in this case, and no way to tell if there is interference from a non-Wi-Fi device in the 2.4 band (without more expensive scanning equipment).

Other than trying a different router as suggested previously,

Do you have something else you can wire to the router LAN so you can test copying files between wired and wireless (this will eliminate ADSL as a factor to see if there is a Wi-Fi issue)?

This would include a mobile / tablet with Wi-Fi if you have the laptop wired to the router.

For example with an Android device I use a file manager to copy files to / from a Windows share (actually, Samba on Ubuntu), or run an FTP server on the Android device and copy files from a computer.

Edited by prlzx (Thu 02-Aug-12 16:05:16)

In reply to a post by slpj:

WPA-PSK Preshared Key: Blanked by me.
WPA-PSK Encryption: TKIP+AES
WPA-PSK Version: WPA+WPA2

This won't be the reason for upload speeds as low as you report, but I'd also suggest:

WPA-PSK Version: WPA2 only
WPA-PSK Encryption: AES only (not TKIP)

as if using encryption, TKIP (and WEP) can both limit the data rate compared with AES (and Wi-Fi logo devices made since 2006 have to support WPA2).

Hi,

Ian72, you asked, "Have you tried the speed test when connected to the router with a wire?" Yup, please see my first post. The download speed on wireless and wired are about the same, but the UPLOAD speed on wireless is much less than on Wired.

Prlzx,
I've tried asking Plus-net to supply me with another router, I'm waiting for them to respond. Meanwhile, that's why I tried using my next door neighbours wireless connection. The result was faster upload and pretty well instant loading of internet pages, even though overall, his talk talk broadband, is slower than my plus-net, according to speedtest.net. So I concluded it was my wireless setup. But are you saying it could still be my broadband connection? Is that what you mean by ADSL?

You also asked, "Do you have something else you can wire to the router LAN so you can test copying files between wired and wireless (this will eliminate ADSL as a factor to see if there is a Wi-Fi issue)?"

My girlfriend has a samsung galaxy phone. Would I be able to use this? It can connect wireless to my laptop and the router, and via USB to my laptop.

I also have an older laptop, with a Cisco wireless PC card (10Mbps), and a wired 3Com (10/100) pc card that I can connect. But it's pretty old and only runs Windows 98se, or NT4 at a stretch lol.

I'm a bit out of my depth with wireless networking issues and the connections you suggest above -- FTP etc -- so could you explain a bit more?

I've changed to WPA2 only as you suggested.

As for encryption, these are my only options on the configuration page of the router.

Encryption: Disabled
Use WEP Encryption
Use WPA-PSK Encryption


Edit.

After setting it to WPA2 only, it automatically set itself to AES only. So now the config page looks like this below.

Security Mode: WPA-PSK
WPA-PSK Preshared Key: blanked by me.
WPA-PSK Encryption: AES
WPA-PSK Version: WPA2

Thanks again.

Edited by deleted (Fri 03-Aug-12 10:12:17)

Slow upload speeds have nowt to do with slow downloading of Web pages; they are contra-directional.

If page requests are slow to go, then the required page will seem slow to arrive. Also, if any ACKs are delayed, then the sending server may see them as missing and retransmit.

Update:
After making the encryption and security changes, and nothing else, my upload speed has improved. Now maybe that's coincidence, or maybe Plusnet have done something to my line.

However, my wireless download speed is now about 2.5Mbps rather than over 3Mbps, and my wireless UPLOAD speed is now about .15Mbps rather than 0.05Mbps.

The result is that web pages are now loading significantly quicker on wireless, than they were before.

Can anyone please explain upload and download speed to me, as the upload speed definitely seems to affect the speed at which pages load. I thought loading pages was all one way traffic TO my laptop, and none going the other way. So how can upload speed be causing the slower or faster page display?

Thanks

In reply to a post by slpj:

So how can upload speed be causing the slower or faster page display?

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/multiuser/t/4145143...

In a case like this I would make a note of all the settings in the hub turn, then everything off and disconnect the hub from the line. Leave everything off for a couple of hours - do absolutely nothing.

Power up the hub and connect the PC - wired, and re-enter all of the settings but leave wireless turned off. Reconnect to the line and allow the hub to login and a session to establish. Take a note of line stats - in case you need them for reference later on.

Run a speedtest

Turn wireless ON - but without any encryption, yes someone might see an unsecure WAP, but it is a small chance. Disconnect the wired connection and then connect with wireless. Run a speedtest.

Introduce basic encryption - speedtest, increase encryption - speedtest &c.

When you do each speedtest, have TBB meter running with the window scaled to 500kbps and take a screenshot - for comparison.

Then look at the various results and TBBmeter graphs - what does it now say?

Hi Xray, you said "If page requests are slow to go, then the required page will seem slow to arrive. Also, if any ACKs are delayed, then the sending server may see them as missing and retransmit. "

Could you please put that in the kind of English someone like me can understand? Do you mean that my laptop is too slow making page requests? If so, why is it ok on my neighbours wireless connection, and not on my own? And why is it OK on my wired connection?

MHC,
Ok, I'll give all that a try. When you say hub, do mean my Thomson router? Also, can you please tell me what a TBB meter is? Is that some kind of software diagnostic tool?

Thomson may call it a router but it is more than that as it includes a modem. They were at one time called Gateways. But yes, that is what I refer to as the Hub.


TBB Meter - http://www.thinkbroadband.com/tbbmeter.html allows you to monitor and record the amount of data you use with history going back many, many months and you can aggregate several PCs that use one connection.

There are also plenty of test files and utilities available.