Network Issue

[Denchi]

My roommate and I have 6mbps DSL internet from Qwest. Since I moved in we had been using a linksys WRTG router for both of our computers. I have an old macbook pro, and he had a custom PC. At the beginning of this year he bought a brand new Imac, and Apple TV. The linksys router usually worked fine, but the range wasn't great, and since we were all-apple now, we decided to get a new Airport Extreme Dual-Band N etc etc etc.

Ok, so the problem. Whenever my roommate and I are both connected to the internet, the internet gets choppy, slow, and terrible. I have Wireless G, and he has Wireless N. Although I don't think this is the problem anymore. I have set up a 5ghz network for my roommate and the regular one for me and it doesn't help. I have set up our old router as a bridge and been on a completely different network and it doesn't help.

Eventually I moved my desk to be near the router so I can just plug my laptop into the internet and not use the wireless. It still doesn't help....

What I have been doing is changing the password for the airport while he's at work so his computer/ipod disconnect, and the internet works great! But as soon as he gets home I reset it back and the internet goes to shit.

I'm at a total loss as to what could be the problem. The only thing I haven't tried is hooking up just the old Linksys again, but that had issues of its own and that wouldn't be ideal, and I'm not sure that's the issue. The airport works great until my roommate and I both connect. Help!

Could this be an issue with the DSL? I have no idea.

[Stee]

sounds like your friends going a bit heavy on the porn downloading

[Ratatapa]

Next tests to do

1) connect yourself only on router
2) connect your roomate only on router
3 and 4 repeat step 1 and 2 but directly on modem.

I had that problem with my dads pc and i found out he had a "network" virus did a good AV + malwarebytes and everything went fine

[Denchi]

I'm connected to the router, and it works great (as long as he's not connected to the wireless) And the internet works great if I'm just connected to the modem.

[Ratatapa]

virus +spyware scan time on his PC!

[Killgannon]

yep, sounds like his pc is raping your bandwidth for whatever reason.

[Denchi]

which doesn't make sense. Because his computer is connected, but just sitting in his room on standby. It's not doing anything, and he's not home. So yeah, I can log him off when he's not home, but when he's home the internet is pretty much unusable. It doesn't seem like a bandwidth thing.

[Ratatapa]

No offense but why ask question, if you don't wanna follow tips we give you?

Like i said i had the same problem on my dads pc, each time he opened his PC the network was slow. When iwas alone everything was fine.

as soon as i cleaned his PC of virus and Spyware all went fine, so yes there is a virus/spyware that "eats" bandwith

[Denchi]

I was more referring to the porn comment, noting that it couldn't be an active download thing.

I will try to see about the virus thing though. I just have to find a program to use, and also not be on campus. I

[Norellicus]

Just because the lid is closed/a light is blinking doesn't mean it's not actively using networking, unless you physically watch him put it in sleep mode you can't be sure. Clearly he has something running when it's connected that is just wrecking the bandwidth. Torrents, spyware, something.

[Denchi]

Yeah, I'll find out soon enough. If he's downloading boatloads of stuff while he knows I'm trying to streamline the network I'd have to kick him in the fucking face. But spyware could for sure be it.

Hopefully I can find a mac-friendly spyware cleaner :-/

[Killgannon]

its more than likely torrents/p2p

the level of spyware/malware this would be isnt typically geared towards macs... .

However you say he has an Apple TV, that looks like a sort of hulu box or something such that it would be drawing your network traffic if he sets it to automatically download shows or movies, or had queued up stuff to download, or is actively watching it (or leaves it on when he's out)... try turning just that off and see what happens

[Denchi]

No viruses that I could find on either machine.

Could it be something like the DSL not being able to split the connection correctly?

[Princemercury]

No viruses that I could find on either machine.

Could it be something like the DSL not being able to split the connection correctly?

DSL is just the incoming stream of traffic, if you're sure you're getting solid throughput, that's not the problem. On your ISP's or DSL CO's end, they can't detect how many clients you have behind your router, by conventional means anyway.

Look towards a lower level, your router. Cancel, and reset your Linksys router and connect both Macs to the old router at 2.4ghz54G and see if you're still having the problem.