Broadband nightmare

[burble]

I have no idea what Ping is.

It's basically a measure of the time a bit of data takes to get somewhere and then back to you. Lower is better.

[burble]

INtesestingly, speed test using my macbook over wifi gives ping of

53ms
down: 4.98Mbps

which is faster than my wired.... the cable from faceplate to PC is cat5e
the cable from router to desktop faceplate is cat6.
Will mixing them make a difference?

Mixing cat 5e and 6 is fine. It's very odd that you're seeing such a difference between wired and wireless.

What time do you get if you ping the IP address of your router from the wireless, then the wired connection?

[watercooled]

I'd suspect some AV/software firewall is messing up the ping time like that, the above should help confirm that.

[Shooty*]

Sorry, someone tell me how I ping the router?

NOD32 on all machines for AV and Firewall. Would be v surprised if that's to blame, but can disable and try. Windows firewall disabled.

[watercooled]

Start, type cmd press enter.

Type ipconfig and what's next to default gateway is your router, usually 192.168.0.1

Then type ping 192.168.0.1 (replace with your IP if different) and see what it says.

While you're there, see what you get pinging 8.8.8.8

[Shooty*]

Server: min 0ms, max 1ms, average 0ms
8.8.8.8.: min 43ms, max46ms, average 44ms

I'm wondering whether it would be worth getting a network switch. I'm using my Plusnet Router, and wondering if the poor thing (apart from being 10/100 only) can handle being connected to 3 wired computers and 2 wifi ones.

[watercooled]

That all looks OK, is it like that on both wired and wireless? Online speed testers can give strange results. A switch shouldn't make any difference, and the 4 LAN ports on the router is essentially a switch.

[Shooty*]

Yeah, I know, I'm working on the basis that it's good as a router, but probably a bit pants as a switch, and a "proper" switch might take the pressure off the poor thing.

[burble]

Taking the switching off the router will most likely not make a blind bit of difference.

[Zak33]

would it be aweful of me to ask which ISP?

ie... in the time you left and came back.. did you switch? did they switch service on you?

Are you on the new ADSL 2+ now and before were you on ADSL Max! ?

Lastly... if there is a telephone line, in your house, tat's been shorted out by the builders (Ihave one here... it's been trapped under an RSJ at some point) then thew whole time it was in the loop in your house's phone loop, it was slowing and slowing your ADSL settings with BT's local exchange.... the BRAS will think you have a crap line... and set you lower and lower and lower..... it won't come back up easily.

You need to disconnect all the internal house phone loops from the master plug..run a new one to the room with your router..... and then speak to your ISP and ask them to ask BT to reset the BRAS .... then you'll get the top speed available.. it will disconnect over andover as it settles down to your correct speed... your stable speed .. and then you'll be sorted.