analyizing why wifi / internet connection is slow

1

We've got around 10mb download internet which we connect to over wifi, we have about 8 machines / devices connected at any one time. The internet speed ranges from ok to bad depending when you use it.

Is there a way i can see all the traffic over our wifi network and analyize whats slowing it down ?

I know i could go through each machine disconnect it, monitor and try and trouble shoot the issue that way, but its unscientific - is there a better way ?

sam

Posted 2014-05-18T11:26:59.037

Reputation: 3 411

1It depend on where and how you can tap in network. If Your WI-FI access point is combined with router? Maybe Your router/AP can show bandwidht usage by users? To run sniffer on wireless directly You need special Wireless hardware (Wi-Fi adapter with driver that give ability to capture all packets in air). – Mikhail Moskalev – 2014-05-18T12:36:38.493

What technology are you using exactly? – Max Ried – 2014-05-18T19:32:43.997

When you say "What technology are you using exactly?" - am i correct in thinking your referring to router / modem, rather than devices. We are using a BT 2wire 2700hgv (which is supplied by the network BT) - although ive also got a netgear range max dgnd3300v2 which i could use if it helped – sam – 2014-05-19T08:46:34.143

Answers

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I think studying each component of a system to determine why it may be behaving in a certain way is the epitome of scientific; perhaps you intended 'technical'...

To examine an access point's or router's packet counters and stats, I suggest investigating [SNMP]. If your router/wifi AP supports it, it can provide an abundant account of interface attributes to assist in diagnosing a problem.1

Are all hosts connecting with 802.11n (or better), or is there a mixture? If you've no .11g devices, setting your wifi AP to exclude .11a/b/g will improve performance. There are a plethora of online WiFi tuning articles to be found to suit the spectrum of network configurations.

In this case, though, as stated, it's not clear if there is a wifi issue. This should be verified by transferring data between two hosts, and noting its characteristics: transfer rates, error rates, hangs, signal levels.

Concurrently, when experiencing performance degradation, verify that a wired host has good connectivity, which will also help identify whether WiFi is an issue.

Nevin Williams

Posted 2014-05-18T11:26:59.037

Reputation: 3 725