USB Ethernet adapter is slower than Wi-Fi.

[Scorpio187]

I recently bought a USB 2.0 Ethernet adapter and I'm having some problems with it.
I got two laptops: MSI GX660R and Zenbook NX500. The former has in-built Ethernet port, while the other doesn't. I've tried connecting both of them using the adapter, but the results were bad - I'm getting 5.87/4.89 on both devices. Both tests were performed using speedtest.net, btw.

I then tried to connect directly using cable to my gx660r and the results were great - 119.89/97.89.

Funny thing, when using Wi-Fi on nx500 (from my room) I'm getting 23.59/70.67. 44.32/62.91 if I'm holding it next to the modem/router.

My broadband speed is 120mbit/s, btw.

Any suggestions?

 

[tortillasoup]

return it? I remember one time I bought a wireless mouse that every time I moved the mouse, the wifi connection disconnected. Dumped the mouse for a different brand and didn't have the issue.

 

[Scorpio187]

I was thinking about that. It was rather cheap. Do you think I should get a usb 3 Ethernet adapter instead? If so, are there any particular models that you could recommend?

 

[tortillasoup]

this one? http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415501,00.asp

I prefer not using USB and going with native if possible since USB sucks.

 

[Scorpio187]

Thanks! I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

Yeah, I'd rather not myself, but since there's no ethernot port on my laptop, I'm forced to use it.

 

[nerp]

It probably is just a poor quality usb device. I would consider swapping it for a better brand. Also check the cable you're using, etc. And make sure you are using a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port if poossible. Not that USB1 would choke you, but it could.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Is there a particular reason for using Ethernet instead of Wifi?

 

[Scorpio187]

@nerp, Yeah ,that's probably it. It's rather cheap like I said.

@AnonymousUser, Well, it's faster via cable rather than Wi-Fi. Although now in my case or at least not with this adapter.

BTW, the modem/router that I was provided with broadboand company is Huawei HG8245H. I got another router NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router (R7000). I can't use it because the fiber optic cable (see image below, second from the right) that's connected to Hauwei has a plug that's not supported by Nighthawk. If it was Rj45, then that'd be a different story.

Here's the modem

I wonder if I can connect Huawei to Nighthawk using UTP cable and use the wifi on the latter? The Huawei is not a modem so I thought perhaps connecting them would help with increasing the wifi speed.

 

[sdifox]

@nerp, Yeah ,that's probably it. It's rather cheap like I said.

@AnonymousUser, Well, it's faster via cable rather than Wi-Fi. Although now in my case or at least not with this adapter.

BTW, the modem/router that I was provided with broadboand company is Huawei HG8245H. I got another router NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router (R7000). I can't use it because the fiber optic cable (see image below, second from the right) that's connected to Hauwei has a plug that's not supported by Nighthawk. If it was Rj45, then that'd be a different story.

Here's the modem

I wonder if I can connect Huawei to Nighthawk using UTP cable and use the wifi on the latter? The Huawei is not a modem so I thought perhaps connecting them would help with increasing the wifi speed.

The huawei is a "modem" so just disable the wifi on it and setup nighthawk in wap mode.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I wonder if I can connect Huawei to Nighthawk using UTP cable and use the wifi on the latter? The Huawei is not a modem so I thought perhaps connecting them would help with increasing the wifi speed.

You can connect the Nighthawk to the Huawei with an ethernet cable.

 

[Scorpio187]

Thanks guys. I was with another broadband company before, but had to eventually cancel my subscription with them - too many problems. They didn't provide a modem, so it just came with rj45 cable which I would then connect to my Nighthawk.

Would I need to change old settings (from another provider) on Nighthawk? If so, is there a good article on that subject online? And how do I disable wifi on the modem?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Would I need to change old settings (from another provider) on Nighthawk?

The WAN/Internet settings should be all that needs to be changed. You could also just reset the device to get back to factory settings and go from there.

As for the Huawei ONT, you'll need admin access to the device to change those settings. See if there is a username and password on a sticker on the device.

 

[Scorpio187]

Got it! Before I actually proceed, how much faster approx. do you think wifi can get if I use a superior router connected to an inferior modem?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Got it! Before I actually proceed, how much faster approx. do you think wifi can get if I use a superior router connected to an inferior modem?

That Huawei will not cripple your router in any way, though your Ethernet cable could. Make sure it's Cat5e or Cat6.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

What are your speedtest results now?

 

[Scorpio187]

O ok. The results are the same. Hopefully this will fix it.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I should clarify: What are the Wifi results now? You can return the USB adapter...

 

[Scorpio187]

I get 31.98/68.87 on my NX500, while the gx660r only gets 15.43/25.0

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Well that's not an improvement like I expected. What about a direct connection (if you have an extra cable) from the Nighthawk to the gx660r? I'm wondering if you've got a double-NAT situation that's crippling the Nighthawk.

 

[Scorpio187]

My broadband speed is 120mbit/s. With direct connection I get 119.89/97.89 on my gx660r. So to recap I get faster speed when using Wi-Fi, super speed on my gx660r (which has an in-built Ethernet port), and lousy speed when using usb adapter on both devices.

What's double-NAT?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

With direct connection I get 119.89/97.89 on my gx660r.

That's direct to the Huawei, not the Nighthawk which could be different.

So to recap I get faster speed when using Wi-Fi

Your original results contradict that statement based on the new results:

Original results:

when using Wi-Fi on nx500 (from my room) I'm getting 23.59/70.67. 44.32/62.91 if I'm holding it next to the modem/router.

New results:

I get 31.98/68.87 on my NX500, while the gx660r only gets 15.43/25.0

That's not really an improvement for the NX500, it's pretty much the same, though that may be a limitation of the NX500 Wifi adapter. The big concern for me is the gx660r which looks to be quite poor to me. Is that an improvement for the gx660r from the original Wifi speeds?

 

[Scorpio187]

Correct. Is there anything I can do to remove the limitation on the wifi adapter?

As for MSI, it's the same, but I don't care since I'm not really using it and giving it away anyway.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

In the Nighthawk settings, did you setup an N network, AC network, or both? If not AC, then using AC should improve throughput, but it might also reduce range.

 

[Scorpio187]

Oh no, I didn't set it up. The former broadband company guys who installed it did it.

Right, so I just plugged utp cable via Lan port on my modem to Wan port on the Nighthawk. I went to routerlogin and I'm now in the settings. What's the next step? How do I reset it?

 

[Beer4Me]

Cuz, USB 2.0.