Extremely SLOW File Sharing Over Wireless Connection

[zmrk]

Hello Everyone,

I am having a problem with the connection between two computers. My desktop is connected to a D-Link 624 router via a wired connection. For my laptop, I use a wireless connection using a D-Link GWL-G650 cardbus. Both computers run under Windows XP Pro.

My problem: sharing files between these computers has become a major hassle. When I first got the router and card, moving files of large size was a breeze. Now, moving a file of 1 MB size takes 2-3 minutes. There occasions when things go back to the old nice speed but, there are times when it becomes practically impossible to open a folder on the other computer {this occurs going from laptop-to-desktop and vice versa}.

The weird thing is that my download speed from the net has not changed!

Any clue as to how to solve this problem?

Thanks in advance.

[Greenstead]

There is a fundemental problem with switching between LAN transfers and internet downloads in that the most appropriate packet size is completely different for the two (small for internet and large for LAN). XP is 'self tuning' in that it adjusts its packet size to suit the conditions it experiences and it can take a (normally quite short) time to readjust. It seems to adjust back for internet tranfer quicker in my experience. You can set the packet size but should not in XP. If I use a monitor to watch an internet download it quickly ramps up to the modem cap limit and runs flat to the end. Watching a LAN transfer is quite different and the ramp up is slower and many peaks and troughs occur during the transfer. On LAN transfer there are many other varying factors that affect the throput rate. (All this is more for interest than suggesting it is the cause of your problem). The points to note from this is that internet transfers are quicker to stablise and are more suited to coping with errors since the loss of a packet is less to resend.

The cause for the slow LAN transfer can have two main causes. One would be interference on the wireless link causing retrys, and the second would be problems on the wired part of the link (bad cable or proximity to mains or bad connector or NIC problem with the PC you are transfering to/from. You might try some wired transfers to isolate it more. But generally its almost impossible to find the exact cause and a general tidyup is likely to make it go away.

[BlueComputerSys]

I had slow filesharing, then I turned off IPX and it whent 100% faster.

[zmrk]

Thanks for the answers.

Please pardon my lack of knowledge here, but what is IPX? How do I go about turning it off?

Thanks in advance again.

[cszeto]

You can either delete or disable protocols from the NICs profile, that's if it is installed in the first place.

[zmrk]

Thanks a lot. I got it now. IPX is one of the networking protocols.

It is not installed on either of my computers thogh!

[cszeto]

Have you tried transfers between the machines when they are both wired? That might flush out any possible wireless issues. Wireless conditions can change (i.e. 2.4 Ghz phones, other wireless networks, etc.).

[zmrk]

No; I have not thought of doing that. I will connect them using Ethernet cables and try some transfers. Hopefully, things will go back to normal then.

Thanks