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Hey all,

I decided to get a wireless router (mainly) so I can watch MST3K on YouTube in bed and read the news while I make coffee.

Background:

My internet provider is Clearwire, because I don't have cable or a landline, making it about thirty bucks cheaper a month than any other option. It's supposed to be 768 kbps, and it meanders around that, sometimes slower, usually faster. Overall, I'm happy with it.

I bought the cheapest router at Wal-Mart, a Belkin Wireless G, model number FD57230-4. This is also the model that Clearwire sells at a considerable markup, so I figured it would play well with the clearwire modem.

Sadly...

Whenever I use the wireless router, my speed goes way down. Testing by downloading a file from Apple (seems to be the best way, because Clearwire appears to kind of work in bursts), when I'm wired direct to the modem, I get about 80-100 KB (big "B")/sec, but when I connect through the wireless router, it's more like 30-60. I've messed around with turning security and firewall on and off, changing channels, interference robustness (whatever that means), and nothing helps.

I'm wondering if it's a possibility that the Wi-Fi is interfering with the modem, but speeds improve when wired to the modem even if the router's Wi-Fi network is still up and running.

Is this just a crappy router? The non-functional Ethernet cable included in the box, low-low Wal-Mart price (38.96), and generally cheap feel of device makes me lean toward this conclusion.

Thanks for any advice!

Last edited by KeilwerthSX90 (2008-01-06 6:52 pm)