Internet is slow on WIFI but fast with net cable

windows-7 wireless-networking internet internet-connection cable

40,282

Many possibilities exists.

What type of Wifi are you using 802.11 a/b/g/n or etc If you got "a" there is your problem right there.

How strong does Windows report the signal strength? If the distance is <10ft as mentioned you should have full bars.

How many other wifi networks exist that overlap yours? If another wifi router device is using the same channel as yours they will fight each other. Depending on how close the other wifi router is it will reduce your reception quality significantly.

You could be using a USB wifi adapter. If the usb port were 1.0 or 1.1 or running at that version of usb there is your problem.

You wifi router could be malfunctioning. How old is it? Has the firmware been upgraded?

Go to the store with a friendly return policy buy a new one try it for a day and if it sucks also take it back for a refund. If the new one is awesome problem solved.

40,282

Moeed Farooqui

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Moeed Farooqui almost 2 years

I have Windows 7. When I plug in the network cable the internet works fast, but when I use WiFi it's extremely slow.

Please help me fix this problem and also mention if the problem is with my WiFi device or with Windows itself (or other software).
- user almost 11 years
  
  I'm curious whether your problem is latency or throughput. Using Wifi, please open a command prompt, then execute route print. Under IPv4 Active Routes, find the entry for destination 0.0.0.0 netmask 0.0.0.0 (the default route) and look at the gateway IP address (third field on the line). Then ping -n 2000 a.b.c.d, replacing a.b.c.d with your gateway address. It'll take a while but runs fine in the background. When it finishes, edit your post and add the summary printed at the bottom (the four lines about ping statistics and round trip times).
- user almost 11 years
  
  Also, log into your router or access point and look at wireless networking statistics or whatever it's called on your particular hardware. See if it reports packet counts, collision statistics or anything along those lines. If it does, please edit those numbers as well into your post. If there are other networks on the same radio channel as you are using, that will cause collisions (and require retransmission), which can greatly reduce the useful data transfer rate that you experience.
- Pete855217 almost 11 years
  
  This question doesn't really have an answer. You've just discovered the blindingly obvious: like-for-like, wireless is almost always slower than wired. The problem is not with Windows, it's your Wifi router. There's not much you can do to improve the router's performance, although your router may have a few settings you could experiment with. Time to buy a new one.
- Phil A almost 11 years
  
  What is the brand of your router?
- redknightalex almost 11 years
  
  Could you please include the brand and type of wireless router you have, if it's a combo router (many ISPs like to do that these days), how long you've had it, the temperature of where you live, and possible speeds. All of this can help to at least diagnose if it's a software or hardware problem. The other thing is that this may be beyond your control: when you have high humidity levels in the summer it can interfere with the wireless signal. I've also found my own ISP to be less reliable in the summer when energy demands are higher.
Moeed Farooqui almost 11 years

Dear, I am using it in my room so hardly a distance of 6 to 7 ft, No one is using it as I have protected it with password. I know it is slower than wired network but it was working fine earlier...
Moeed Farooqui almost 11 years

Dear, I am using it in my room so hardly a distance of 6 to 7 ft, No one is using it as I have protected it with password. I know it is slower than wired network but it was working fine earlier...
Canadian Luke almost 11 years

Wi-Fi routers also die, as do all equipment eventually. That is a sign of aging. Try updating the firmware, but for 6 ft, plug in and forget it
matan129 almost 11 years

Ok, update all the drivers. Like 80% of software issues are because of drivers.
Moeed Farooqui almost 11 years

How about re-installation of Windows?
matan129 almost 11 years

No need, it can't be the reason (unless it's super rare extreme condition that nobody heard of it before). Just update the drivers.
Moeed Farooqui almost 11 years

Oh man that was just for the example what If I want to sit 7 ft or 8 ft... so You are trying to say my WI-FI would be no more in coming days :'(
Moeed Farooqui almost 11 years

Can you tell me another problem related to that..My laptop's speaker have stopped playing songs whereas I can listen them in my headphone so there will be a driver related issue or driver update needed
matan129 almost 11 years

Probably drivers.
user almost 11 years

I doubt I'd call even slow WiFi "extremely slow". A few tens of megabits per second is still plenty more than a lot of people have downstream even these days. I'm guessing that the problem is latency, possibly introduced by radio channel congestion if the OP is the only one using the intended wireless network. If so, moving the network to another channel might help.
Canadian Luke almost 11 years

Or blown speakers. Save that for another question