Arch Linux

MrRoberts

Member

Registered: 2012-07-05

Posts: 47

[Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

Hi all,

Just puzzled that one laptop with Windows 7 can download the max 20Mb/s no problem via ethernet and the other, Arch Linux only getting average 7 - 8Mb/s.

Both laptops similar specs and are there settings that I'm not aware of to improve network speed?

Last edited by MrRoberts (2012-09-28 20:49:01)

seveg

Member

From: Bratislava, Slovakia

Registered: 2012-04-17

Posts: 33

Re: [Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

What does it mean 'similar specs'? Do they have the same network interface? What model exactly?

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WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

It may help to specify the internals of the two machines.  It is likely a module/driver issue.  For instance, I have a

Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 07)

and the module that is native to the stack is r8169.  I found though that realtek has their own module for this and it is the r8168 module.  So when I use r8169, it took a bit over two hours to install "base", but once I discovered the proper module (which I had to install from the repos) it took the usual couple of minutes.

Edit: @seveg, I like your sig...

Last edited by WonderWoofy (2012-09-28 15:17:54)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,784

Re: [Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

MrRoberts,

Consider the question as you posed it to us, and look at it from your reader's point of view.  What have you given us into which we can sink our teeth?  Without specifics, we will soon be arguing how many Angels can dance on the head of a pin.

For example,
Are you talking about a Wireless network, or a Wired network?
What are the chip sets used by the NICs?
Are they communicating through the same router?
100 Base T?  10 Base T?  1000 Base T?
802.11g ?  802.11n ?
Open, WEP, WPA1? WPA2?
TKIP? AES?
What are the make and model of the router?
Are both cards configured to use IPv4?  IPv6?
Is there any chance the two systems are presenting the metrics differently? MB/s vs Mb/s ?
Are the machines trying to download from the same site with different results? Or from different sites?
Same time of Day?
How fast do you think your internet connection should be?
What are the data rates when talking to other computers on the LAN? 
Are they configured to use the same DNS server?
Are there any "Interesting" messages in the logs?
Have you looked at any of the diagnostic information that details lost packets. retries, etc?

Edit: Snaked by WonderWoofy

Last edited by ewaller (2012-09-28 15:20:52)

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WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

Without specifics, we will soon be arguing how many Angels can dance on the head of a pin.

7 ANGELS!!!!

MrRoberts

Member

Registered: 2012-07-05

Posts: 47

Re: [Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

Good thing you guys kept your sense of humor! It is probably 8 angels. :-)

I think I have solved it and yes, it is similar laptops. Acer 8390.

On the Arch Linux laptop, I simply removed the driver and reinstalled fresh with default settings.

It is running at 18 - 19Mb/s.

WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [Solved] Two laptops - one download 20Mb/s - the other only 8Mb/s

I wouldn't necessarily call that a solution...