BEFSR41 Router Slowing Down Cable? Hmm.

[c4p0ne]

Well we just got a cable modem over here (comcast cause thats the ONLY choice we have in west-bumblephuck here). Anyway after testing on various speed sites the results were in the range of 1500/1600kb down. After installing and configuring the BEFSR41 Router, all of a sudden the 800kb/down barrier apparently cannot be broken....

Bottom line, is there any way I can remedy this situation other then putting a bullet in my own head at this bloated expensive ::cough:: "service"?


:( :( :(

[mnosteele52]

Let's start with the basics, please read here (http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85224) so that we can properly help you. Also make sure you have the latest firmware for your router.:)

[c4p0ne]

Nope nothing there on routers and this particular issue...


Anyway, I am thinking that this MAY be a result of faulty testing on the varous sites due to the "hiccup" phenomenon that is appartenly occuring now to me after I have put in this router.. Hmmm. It seems as though I'm not getting a "steady" stream of data for a long enough period of time in order for the results of broadbandreports.com (for instance) to be calculated with any accuracy... I will keep testing.

does anyone know of any other "speed" testing sites for broadband users?

[mnosteele52]

Well the reason I asked you to read there is so you would answer the questions so we can make sure things are tweaked properly and to make sure you followed my suggestions such as make sure you reset everything, updated everything and make sure you are spyware free. And if you did all those things we could go from there because I would know you have done the "basics" and I could eliminate them as the problem.:) :D

[c4p0ne]

Spyware/Rootkits and Virus/Trojans spam etc.. and this system (or any system of mine past present or future) are like oil and water, they just don't mix. ever. Ok so thats 1. Next, yes I have tried multiple scenarios including the "virgin" config as well as the super-tweaked highly "l33t" parameter changes offered by almost a dosen speed sites including speedguide. I am certain this is a problem with the router, perhaps some kind of router misconfiguration maybe... I have determined now that the problem is not with how much bandwidth I am capable of getting, but this strange hiccup crap that brings me back to the "wonder years" shall we call them about 3 years ago on Verizon DSL (then bell atlantic).

I just cant manage to get a steady "floodgate" "fullblast" STREAM of say 1.5m/down for more then about 2 or 3 seconds, then I get a slight pause for maybe a half second up to another 1 and 1/2 to 2 seconds sometimes.. And this continues. This is baffling, however what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger and so therefore I am determined to obliterate this ghey anomoly even if I do wind up having to put a bullet in my brain.

;)

[mnosteele52]

Well I might know something or have a link for you that may help but since you won't answer any questions I guess you'll have to figure it out yourself.:)

[c4p0ne]

What questions?

[c4p0ne]

Oh I found them.. sheesh.

1. First of all CableNut I will not use because it wipes my registry entries clean to default settings and cannot "retrieve" for some reason any settings from the registry (probably because it wipes them all out upon execution).. Poor coding.

2. Comcrap Cable @ 1.5/128 and NO PPoE or other erroneous encapsulations involved. (pure connect) However I'm connecting thru a Lynksys Router.

3 - Tweak results at suggested page:

MTU = 1500
MSS = 1460
Default Receive Window (RWIN) = 256960
RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 2 bits
Unscaled Receive Window = 64240
RWIN is a multiple of MSS
bandwidth * delay product:
Your RcvWindow limits you to: 10278.4 kbps (1284.8 KBytes/s) @ 200ms
Your RcvWindow limits you to: 4111.36 kbps (513.92 KBytes/s) @ 500ms
MTU Discovery (RFC1191) = ON
Time to live left = 48 hops
TTL value is ok.
Timestamps (RFC1323) = OFF
Selective Acknowledgements (RFC2018) = ON
IP type of service field (RFC1349)= 00000000

**Note that this is only one of many, MANY configs I have tested with the same "hiccup" results.

4. Ten tests with average results (from all) of 1116kb/84kb (this reeks). Note that the speed is probably higher but the tests simply cannot (at least i dont think so) be accurate with this constant 1 to 2 second "pausing" between each 2 or 3 second spurt of data.

5. All FW/IDS systems/TCP level Drivers/Router FWalling removed (shivers). No spyware (using superior Ad-Aware for removal).

[mnosteele52]

1. If you would like my assistance I recommend CableNut, it's not poor coding, it's superior coding that removes all other tweaks so they don't interfere with CableNut and CableNut allows you to tweak EVERY setting that effects your connection.

2. OK.

3. RWIN is way too high.

4. OK.

5. Ad Aware has not been kept up to date for some time, this is one of the main reasons I suggest SpyBot.

What OS are you using?

As I said this is what I recommend and if you would like my help (and I will be glad to help you) you need to follow my instructions, too many people ask for my help and follow only what they want instead of what I suggest, then they still have problems and waste my time and theirs when the problem is something they decided they just didn't feel like doing.:D :)

[c4p0ne]

Actually, I would like to appologize to all of you who have been researching this issue on behalf of me as this apparently is an issue after all with Comcrap service. Just a few hours ago (long after I gave up and was ready to call Comcrap on Monday and scold one of their customer service reps as if they were an 11 year old child) I started recieving a steady "stream" of bandwidth that I was looking for at a cooked speed of about 165kb/down down which off the top of my head is probably about 1.3m/down raw... That still does not satisfy me but hey what the hell you can't win em' all.

Subsequently after that, the service went back to shyt. It is probably the remote puerto-rico-ville area I live in so I guess the blame cannot fall squarely on Comcrap. However I will give this issue a few more days (maybe 4 or 5) to "simmer" and see if it stops tasting bad. If not, the 11 year old scolding will have to take place along with a possible move back to Verizon. =(

But thanks for the help it is very much appreciated. And so is the patience fellas.. =D.

PS the RWIN *is* probably too high as you said, but again, my current config was only one of the myriad of cofigs I had done. Yes I will bump it down a notch. =)

[illestdynasty]

update router to latest firmware, turn OFF MTU, and leave all your other settings as they were. I REPEAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE THE ROUTER"S MTU SETTING......

[mwkirchner]

I also have Comcast and have good service from them. I originally posted in here and mnosteele52 helped me with my tweaking. I have been more then happy.

Maybe you should go back to 56K for a while and then come back to cable to realize how good you actually do have it.

I have friends at work who have 56K and they are all wanting to get cable ... but can not get it in their area yet. They have seen my speed and are jealous. My brother just got it in his area and he could not believe the difference it made.

[BaLa]

Originally posted by illestdynasty
update router to latest firmware, turn OFF MTU, and leave all your other settings as they were. I REPEAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE THE ROUTER"S MTU SETTING......

why is that?

[illestdynasty]

Originally posted by BaLa
why is that?

because the router doesn't take into account that the PC on the LAN side is tweaked to already have a MTU of 1500, and by default the router assumes that the PC is transmitting with a default MTU of 1460 and therefore adds the necessary packets(20) to the transmission making it 1520, and causes retramissions

[crazyjw1971]

I get a steady stream of data with my RWIN set to 26280. Its not the service. In my case, it seems as if my modem tries to REGULATE the downstream speed. I uncapped my modem once and had a chance to look at the config file (BTW, I WILL NOT explain how to do this. You wont have Comcast knocking on my door!) and could see certain lines in the "code" that told the modem how fast to download.

Your super high RWIN of 256960 is causing the NIC to take BIG GULPS of data and the modem says "Whoa Nelly! Calm down cowboy! Slow your roll!". It STOPS the data flow until it see's the data rate its supposed to see. Then it opens the flood gates back up. This happens over and over and over again.

Try the 26280 setting and see how it works for you. If not, try increasing and/or decreasigng your RWIN by multiples of 1460 until you can achieve a steady download stream.

HTH's

BTW... I use a Motorola SB4100 modem.

[illestdynasty]

Originally posted by crazyjw1971
I get a steady stream of data with my RWIN set to 26280. Its not the service. In my case, it seems as if my modem tries to REGULATE the downstream speed. I uncapped my modem once and had a chance to look at the config file (BTW, I WILL NOT explain how to do this. You wont have Comcast knocking on my door!) and could see certain lines in the "code" that told the modem how fast to download.

Your super high RWIN of 256960 is causing the NIC to take BIG GULPS of data and the modem says "Whoa Nelly! Calm down cowboy! Slow your roll!". It STOPS the data flow until it see's the data rate its supposed to see. Then it opens the flood gates back up. This happens over and over and over again.

Try the 26280 setting and see how it works for you. If not, try increasing and/or decreasigng your RWIN by multiples of 1460 until you can achieve a steady download stream.

HTH's

BTW... I use a Motorola SB4100 modem.
I use an RWIN of 51100 and get a constant speeds between 1400-and 1450