Slow download speed using Centrino Wireless-N 1030 with Ubuntu 12.04

[wildmanne39]

Hi, please post the output of:

dmesg | grep -e wlan -e iwl

How what did you use to determine the connection speed is 56k?
Thanks

[SEKarlos]

Hi,

I'm referring to the System Monitor / Resources Tab , Network History section.

I have attached a document displaying a screen shot.

[SEKarlos]

Output from dmesg | grep -e wlan -e iwl


ubuntu@ubuntu-Dell-System-XPS-L502X:~$ dmesg | grep -e wlan -e iwl
[ 13.645739] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 13.645779] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 13.645835] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: pci_resource_len = 0x00002000
[ 13.645837] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: pci_resource_base = f8540000
[ 13.645839] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: HW Revision ID = 0x34
[ 13.646158] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: irq 49 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 13.646289] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Detected Intel(R) Centrino(R) Wireless-N 1030 BGN, REV=0xB0
[ 13.647542] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: L1 Enabled; Disabling L0S
[ 13.664455] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: device EEPROM VER=0x716, CALIB=0x6
[ 13.664458] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Device SKU: 0X150
[ 13.664460] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Valid Tx ant: 0X1, Valid Rx ant: 0X3
[ 13.729702] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 0 802.11a channels
[ 13.983442] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: loaded firmware version 18.168.6.1
[ 13.985679] ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-agn-rs'
[ 14.410963] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: L1 Enabled; Disabling L0S
[ 14.417688] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Radio type=0x2-0x2-0x1
[ 14.514905] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: L1 Enabled; Disabling L0S
[ 14.521685] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Radio type=0x2-0x2-0x1
[ 14.618201] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[ 17.104181] wlan0: authenticate with 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 (try 1)
[ 17.106686] wlan0: authenticated
[ 17.126974] wlan0: associate with 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 (try 1)
[ 17.130542] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 (capab=0x431 status=0 aid=1)
[ 17.130547] wlan0: associated
[ 17.141154] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
[19752.680833] wlan0: deauthenticating from 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 by local choice (reason=3)
[19757.410413] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: restoring config space at offset 0xf (was 0x100, writing 0x10b)
[19757.410541] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: restoring config space at offset 0x4 (was 0x4, writing 0xf1b00004)
[19757.410576] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: restoring config space at offset 0x3 (was 0x0, writing 0x10)
[19757.410620] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: restoring config space at offset 0x1 (was 0x100000, writing 0x100006)
[19757.411521] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to enable radio.
[19761.639053] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: L1 Enabled; Disabling L0S
[19761.645779] iwlwifi 0000:03:00.0: Radio type=0x2-0x2-0x1
[19761.762223] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[19764.263412] wlan0: authenticate with 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 (try 1)
[19764.268182] wlan0: authenticated
[19764.268505] wlan0: associate with 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 (try 1)
[19764.271174] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:1f:33:1a:cf:84 (capab=0x431 status=0 aid=1)
[19764.271178] wlan0: associated
[19764.282537] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
ubuntu@ubuntu-Dell-System-XPS-L502X:~$ ^C
ubuntu@ubuntu-Dell-System-XPS-L502X:~$

[wildmanne39]

I could not see it good enough read it but that will only show the internet speed if it is downloading something I believe while you are looking at it so I recommend typing internet speed test into google and try some of those speed tests.
Thanks

[SEKarlos]

According to http://www.speedtest.net/

My Download Speed = 0.43 MB /s.

That equates to 440.32 KB/s, I'm not getting anywhere near that via the wi fi. For example I just streamed a video from BBC News and checked the Ubuntu System Monitor Net Work history while it was streaming. It showed a maximum of 56 KB/s was being downloaded the whole time that video was being streamed. I've included the actual screen shot of that as a .png file so it should be easy to read. I'm assuming the 0.43 MB/s is the download speed to the router itself and not via the Wi Fi ?

Hopefully your not abandoning my cause but understand if this is all becoming annoying for you.


Rgds

SE

[wildmanne39]

Vidoes are set to stream at a certain rate and that is about right for a video.

The way to tell is internet speed test, if it says it is .43 then that is what it is, you hve to know that the speed changes a some depending on the concestion on the server, try a few more internet speed test sites and see if most of them are in the ball park.
Thanks

[SEKarlos]

Ok, I've subjected the aforementioned wi fi to a few tests using Windows and Ubuntu (Chrome browser used for each, cache cleared before each test).

Each of the following scenarios was timed:

Opened a Flash Animation web page.
Open a web page that displays multiple images.
Download a PDF document.

Supported by either operating system It took roughly the same amount of time to fully display either page or download the pdf.

However, for any of the tests the Ubuntu System Monitor displayed a constant download speed of 56 KB/s whereas the Windows Network monitor displayed a constant download speed of approx 450 KB/s. It was initially this disparity which led me to believe the wi fi supported by Ubuntu was working slower. I can only assume the KB/s displayed in Ubuntu System Monitor is incorrect because the KB/s shown for Windows is in the same Ball Park as the results from independent internet speed tests that were run with Ubuntu.

Sincere apologies Wild Man if you feel you have gone down a blind alley with this but I was misled by the monitor info


Rgds

SE

[chili555]

I can only assume the KB/s displayed in Ubuntu System Monitor is incorrect

I agree. You might try wget:

wget http://releases.ubuntu.com/precise/ubuntu-12.04.2-desktop-i386.iso

Check the download speed as in the attached. The speed listed is very close to the maximum that cheap old Chili pays for from his ISP.

Cancel the download by closing the terminal.

[SEKarlos]

Thanks Chilli, I'll give that a try.

I've actually got unlimited broadband supplied free with my Sky package. However I live quite for from the nearest telephone exchange so unfortunately by the time it's reached my pad the bandwidth is poor (that's what they tell me anyhow), only other option is to go with Virgin but it's such a rip off in comparison. They say the old lines will be replaced with fibre optic soon however, can't come soon enough!

[SEKarlos]

Hi Chilli,

I let that run for about 5 minutes and the speed was pretty constant at around 53.1 k/s (yeah k/s not even kb/s )

Does that seem weird ?

I've attached a screen shot.