Very strange networking problem. Seems VERY hard to solve

TechnicalJay

I have posted this in the CCNA section but there are not many solutions left. I'm posting it here in case some people of higher skill don't visit the CCNA section and I am very desperate to get this fixed. I will copy and paste what I wrote on another forum as it rules out everything I tried to this day.

Hello,

I have been trying to figure this problem out now for weeks. This is a very strange problem and hopefully someone out there has had this problem or knows how to fix it.

The issue is that when I download on my desktop PC my downloads go incredibly slow. It seems like it connects to download whatever file it may be but after the initial connection it stops and can't download anymore. It always hang usually after 0.1Kbs.

This desktop PC is upstairs using Wifi. I also have a desktop downstairs plugged directly into my ISP modem/router and a laptop that uses the same Wifi my desktop upstairs does and downloads files great. So this issue seems very strange to me!! I will tell you the things I have done to rule out lots of options.

Updated drivers
Switched wifi channels
Speedtest.net shows 143Mbps DL / 10Mbps UL
Ipconfig /release & /renew
Netsh winsock reset
Ipconfig /flushdns
Plugged directly into the modem/router
Called my ISP to change the modem/router 2 times
Ran malware & ccleaner
Reset the router/modem
Statically assigned a DNS 8.8.8.8
Pinged my router 4ms/8ms/4ms/7ms
Pinged google.com 48ms/47ms/47ms/46ms
Reformatted and installed windows 7 TWICE!

*Now here is where things get weird!!* If I go through a proxy like hide.me etc and lets say I go to steam to download the client, the download is great. Now someone mentioned a malware proxy? But if i wiped my computer and did a fresh install of windows 7 shouldn't this have taken care of the problem? And if this was true also wouldn't my desktop that is plugged directly into the modem/router be affected by this? Same with my laptop?

I was starting to think maybe a faulty MOBO but why would files download great through a proxy if this was the issue?

It seems like this is crazy and there is no solution and nothing makes since why this is happening only to 1 computer.

Hondabuff

Is this a custom built computer. Might want to list the specs of the build. Might be a couple default windows 7 drivers running your network card. I have even seen new video card drivers screw up the nic settings. Boot the computer in safe mode with networking and try downloading something again. If the speeds are normal then it's a driver conflict and you will have to systematically work through each device. I was a Sr. Desktop Engineer for a few years and enjoy challenges like this.

TechnicalJay

Thanks for trying to help! But no luck with safemode with networking. It is a custom build pc. Specs are below. Do you think this is a hardware issue even though i get great download speeds through a proxy?

Windows 7 64bit home edition
Asus M5A99fx pro r2.0
AMD fx 8350 cpu black edition
Nvidia GeForce 1070
16GB ram
TP link 450Mbps Wireless N adapter
650 watt power supply

dontstop

Are you able to take the PC upstairs and connect it directly into the connection? Same issue?

Do you get the same issue if you try and boot from a Live Linux ISO? Is it only steam that's going slow?

TechnicalJay

I have not, ill give that a try tomorrow. If this did work would it be a driver issue with the mobo?

Codeman6669

From what you listed I dont see a hardwired test.
PLug the pc into the router with a ethernet cable. Disable wifi. Do the download. Does it change?
Dont test with other computers at this point, you already dialed it down to one pc. How is this PC hardwired?

TechnicalJay

I believe its the 7th down on the list. I have hardwired the desktop into each modem/router my ISP gave me and I went out to buy my own router and tried with that (desktop -> router -> modem/router). I ever tried with a powerline adapter and same thing.

Codeman6669

oh ok I apologize for misreading that.

well in that case... yeah this is really weird lol actually i would be at a bit of loss :-/ antivirus? thats a weird one that the proxy works....

daveyb

Try lowering your MTU to like 1420.

negru_tudor

Can you confirm that your troublesome PC is getting it's IP address from the same pool as your working hosts please? Slim chances (I know) but could it be a case where you're getting IPs from somewhere else?

Also, just to rule out some blacklisting etc., can you try hardcoding the MAC address of the laptop's NIC onto this PC and then try again? Trying to rule out any MAC-based blacklisting etc... obviously, you'll have to keep your laptop powered off (off the network) while you're running this test.

Hondabuff

Came across an article about Asus motherboards and the AL Suite software that gets installed with the chipset drivers. Might be worth looking into and possibly uninstalling the software.


I'm not sure which Asus motherboard you have but look under programs for Asus, AI Suite II, then click on network control. Under network control, select off. As soon as I turned it off, my internet connection sped up and I've been fine ever since. Hope this helps you. If you cannot locate AI Suite, I suggest contacting Asus.

TechnicalJay

Hondabuff wrote: »

Came across an article about Asus motherboards and the AL Suite software that gets installed with the chipset drivers. Might be worth looking into and possibly uninstalling the software.


I'm not sure which Asus motherboard you have but look under programs for Asus, AI Suite II, then click on network control. Under network control, select off. As soon as I turned it off, my internet connection sped up and I've been fine ever since. Hope this helps you. If you cannot locate AI Suite, I suggest contacting Asus.

Awesome Ill try this when I get home!

White Wizard

If you have used powerline adapters and ran ethernet directly to the desktop from the modem/router and the issue still occurs, then that rules out everything but the computer itself. Are you downloading legal files? In other words, not illegally downloading movies or music from a questionable source? As the last poster mentioned, I would begin looking into the NIC on the motherboard at this point.

If you really want to know if its your motherboard NIC or not, you could purchase a PCI/ PCI-e NIC and try that out. If it works without issue, then its your mobo NIC, if not then its the mobo.

shochan

Check and see if there are any BIOS firmware updates for that ASUS mobo too.

TechnicalJay

If the issue was with the MAC thisis would affect my pci wireless adapter also?

dontstop

Hondabuff wrote: »

I'm not sure which Asus motherboard you have but look under programs for Asus, AI Suite II, then click on network control.

This sounds very plausible. When you reloaded the machine did you install all of the Asus bloatware back onto it?

White Wizard

The PCI NIC will have its own MAC address. Your using a PCI wireless adapter, I recommend a PCI NIC, not wireless adapter. When troubleshooting you said the issue still occurred even when connected via ethernet. If you get a PCI NIC, not another PCI wireless adapter and connected via ethernet again, this will tell you whether the issue is with the NIC or the mobo.

p@r0tuXus

I'm going to go a different way with this. I know you didn't mention it, perhaps you didn't consider it, but are you connecting to a VPN service while initiating these "downloads?" You said your speeds are fine through the proxy service so it seems something is bottlenecking your speeds on these downloads. Not sure what these downloads are, maybe they're slow because of their source? Have you had issues downloading from these sources on any of your other devices? Have you tried using the laptop from the same spot as your upstairs PC, maybe building materials/interference? What are your ping times to devices within your network? Can you compare them to see if the other devices have slower speeds sending pings to the pc upstairs?


The odd thing here seems to be the speeds normalizing through proxies. Makes me think something else is the cause.

MAC_Addy

Is the NIC onboard to the the motherboard? If so, go into the BIOS to see if there's something on there that's out of the ordinary. If it doesn't make much sense, snap a picture and post it on here.

Also, is there a setting on your router preventing you from getting the most speed? Often a limited gets checked and you might be getting throttled. However, that doesn't explain that when you go through a Proxy, that it works fine.

How does your CPU/Memory usage look in Task Manager?

Anything in the Event log that is red?

Are you using Chrome?

d4nz1g

--install wireshark
--check tcp handshake (window, mss)
--retransmissions, RST, FIN, icmp unreach, or smth
--post the captures here, pointing out the download flow

MAC_Addy

Soooo, what ever happened with this? I'm chomping at the bit to find out!

TechnicalJay

MAC_Addy wrote: »

Soooo, what ever happened with this? I'm chomping at the bit to find out!

Sorry guys! i've been a little busy and exhausted and gave up for a few days. I'll download wireshark tonight when I get home and post the screen shots. When I had wireshark on my computer before I reformatted and reinstalled windows, whenever I would download any file i got a massive amount of bad TCP packets.

Also last night i decided to download a free VPN that gave me 2gbs free and after I went behind the VPN, I could download anything without a problem and patch all of my games.

Could this be a bigger problem on my ISPs end?

negru_tudor

Sure looks like there's something fishy with your ISP etc. Do you have some sort of device cap with them or anything similar limiting maybe the number of devices that can use your broadband service?

Doing a Wireshark capture should give you a better understanding of what's happening.

Could you also try that MAC address thing I asked a couple of posts back?

TechnicalJay

negru_tudor wrote: »

Sure looks like there's something fishy with your ISP etc. Do you have some sort of device cap with them or anything similar limiting maybe the number of devices that can use your broadband service?

Doing a Wireshark capture should give you a better understanding of what's happening.

Could you also try that MAC address thing I asked a couple of posts back?

I don't! I'm paying for 300Mbps unlimited.

Can you confirm that your troublesome PC is getting it's IP address from the same pool as your working hosts please? Slim chances (I know) but could it be a case where you're getting IPs from somewhere else?

Yes it's in the same pool and I also assigned a static IP and dns. Same Problem

Also, just to rule out some blacklisting etc., can you try hardcoding the MAC address of the laptop's NIC onto this PC and then try again? Trying to rule out any MAC-based blacklisting etc... obviously, you'll have to keep your laptop powered off (off the network) while you're running this test.

I'm not familiar with this hardcoding? Could you provide a link so I can do this when I get home?

*edit* do you mean changing my desktops MAC to my laptops MAC?

Thanks

MAC_Addy

What router are you using?

negru_tudor

Yes, change the MAC on your PC to the one of your laptop and try again. Make sure you have your laptop powered off while you're testing.

Very curious about the result.

TechnicalJay

MAC_Addy wrote: »

What router are you using?

It's a modem/router provided by my ISP. I believe its an Arris dg1670

TechnicalJay

negru_tudor wrote: »

Yes, change the MAC on your PC to the one of your laptop and try again. Make sure you have your laptop powered off while you're testing.

Very curious about the result.

Okay will do! I'll post the results tonight

TechnicalJay

Here are the pictures of wireshark when I go to download virtualbox. Same issue when trying to download Steam for games.

MAC_Addy

I can't see those screenshots, unfortunately. They're too small.

TechnicalJay

In the very last picture it says Who has 192.168.0.1? Tell 192.168.0.6. I'm .3 on my network. Could this be the issue?


Also I don't have the option to change the MAC to my laptops MAC? I believe I'm in the right spot.