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Installing NIC slow a modem connection?

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13 replies

by scotth

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Can installing a NIC slow down my dial up Internet connection? I have 2 machines: a Windows98SE and a Win95 machine. I installed NICs and set up internet connection sharing. It worked fine but my internet connection, which was consistantly at 50 - 52K for years, slowed down to 28.8 on average and sometimes even slower. I thought this was because the bandwidth was shared so I removed the ICS but no luck. I checked with the phone company for noise on the line but it's clear and I haven't changed ISPs. I then disabled the NIC (from device manager) but that still had no effect. Could just the physical presence of the NIC do something like this? The only thing I haven't tried yet is actually taking it out. Oh yeah, both machines alwaysconnected fast but now both are slow even when I move the phone line directly to the modem on each machine. Any thoughts?

13 replies

by mphoffar

Installing ICS or a NIC on the machine doesn't do anything with your connection speed. It's more coincidental that it happened after you installed that. If you wnat to make sure, try adding an extra setting to force V90 or search through the registry for AT&F to find what kind of init string is being sent to the modem.

I would suspect that your phone company went and added a multiplex or UDC on the outside to facilitate another phone line (either in your house or somewhere in close proximity)
I know you called for noise and everything, but by adding a second line like that, the line voltage is dropped substantailly, thus not able to support connections higher then V34.

btw: You're probobly going to have a hard time getting them to remove it too if that's the case.

Good Luck to you

MArk

by scotth

Thanks, I didn't think that just by having a NIC in there that my connection could slow down. I actually did have a second line installed a couple months ago - it was a physical wire that was run from the street - and I was connecting fast even after that.

by madcateast

Your ISP may have upgraded equipment on their end (happened to me once). This could pose problems with the modem drivers being old. Try to find an update driver for your modem. V90 is very fussy and even a change from one chipset to another can cause a difference.

by zaphodtwin

Check your BIOS firstly for proper IRQ allocation, or better make it in Win9X - I think your NIC & modem just can not share properly these IRQs...

Good Luck!

by cdobbin

I'd be very surprised if when you remove your NIC you will see any difference in the speed, I would say it has to do with your ISP. Be sure and let post back with your results.

by thv ramirez

Through personal experience I have found that when I installed a NIC into a machine with an Internet connection the speed also dropped. If you go into Network properties and check what protocols are loaded and associated with the NIC card. I found that TCP/IP was associated with the NIC and by removing this, just leaving IPX or something, can speed up the internet connection.

by haritom

Greetings,

1. Remove the Protocals which is not
required by the system.
2. Check the IP Address and Subnet Mask which has been assigned by u. (Conflict/check the ip address if this is not been assigned by ISP)
3. Check for the binding of theProtocals. Let the most used protocal be at the top of the protocals list.
4. If these are correct. Remove the Drivers and remove the card from the system physically and let the system recognise the device, if it is plug and play.

Regards,
Harish.C.

by scotth

Thanks to everyone. I can't find the answer though. I've removed the NICs, check with the phone company and my ISP and both swear that no changes have been made. There's no noise on my line. Yet two computers connect at a slow rate and I guess I give up! Actually, I'm looking to move and one of the requirements of my new place will be either DSL or cable modem access.

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