Intel 6230 slow & inconsistent connection

Hi. I got a new XPS 15 L502x and I've been having troubles with wireless connection. The laptop uses the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 wireless network card.

We have a 3.0 mbps internet connection, but when I connect wirelessly I only get around 1 mbps... I have tried connecting directly with an ethernet cord and I got the proper speed, so it's definitely my laptop's wireless card that's acting up.

I have tried messing with the wireless adapter settings, such as disabling 802.11n Mode, changing Preferred Band, Transmit Power, and Roaming Aggressiveness. Each time I change something I check my speed in Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test, and I have found little changes. I still do not get our proper over 2 mpbs connection.

My computer is pretty new, so I doubt any malwares are on it. I ran Ad-Aware and also SpeedUpMyPC to make sure, and I am still getting slower connections.

I've had this laptop for over a month now, and I've been enduring slower internet connection. Please help me fix this

EDIT: We use a 802.11b WEP connection btw. Not sure how useful this information would be, but here it is.

 

Its not your laptop card thats the problem, its the fact your using a 802.11B router and WEP. Upgrade to a Wireless N router and use WPA2-AES and your speeds will be where they should be.

 

Can you explain why an 802.11b router is giving me slower connections?

 

I could go in great detail on how wireless networking works but that is far too much detail. So, instead, I will refer you here instead and provide a base outline of why wireless B negatively impacts your throughput.

In essence, wireless B has a maximum throughput of 11Mbps. In actual performance, due to encapsulation overhead of wireless packets, you will see a maximum of 5.5Mbps under ideal conditions. Meaning no interference from other wireless devices or objects that impede the signal.

If you combine that with the fact wireless antennae degrade overtime with age and that wireless signal strength degrades over distances, you now see why your actual throughput over wireless B is so slow.

Thats not even taking into account the limitations of the hardware in your current router. Most likely it has very low RAM and a very slow CPU, and just like a computer, the more it has to process the slower your actual throughput over wireless will be. Like a firewall, your wireless encryption (WEP), QoS, DHCP, DNS, etc etc etc.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, that makes sense. I'll get a better router soon and I'll post here how it went. Ty