Problem Windows XP WIRELESS LAN THROUGHPUT does not exceed 54mbps

[JohnNadeau]

The Core Question:
Is there a known issue with Windows XP preventing WIRELESS LAN from exceeding 54mpbs THROUGHPUT ??

Regardless of my Connection LINK Speed (450, 300, 144), the LAN THROUGHPUT doesn't get much over 54mpbs (in Windows XP, but it is vastly better in Windows Vista)

Emphasis on Local Area Network "LAN" Throughput (not concerned with "Internet" throughput).

One "odd" thing noted: Most of the time when connected at a 450 LINK speed, inSSIDER (v4.0.0.20) on Windows XP shows Max Rates 2.4GHz=54 and 5GHz=65 but inSSIDER always shows 450 Max Rate on Vista. I don't know if that is a clue or a bug in inSSIDer???

I've scrubbed through the forums and tested everything I can think of. Any input would be greatly appreciated !


The "Brief" Summary:
Two identical notebooks: One running Vista/sp2, the other WindowsXP/sp3
Connection LINK speed 450mbps (also tested with 300mbps and 144mbps)
WIRELESS LAN THROUGHPUT is limited/capped/throttled in Windows XP to 54mbps(ish)
WIRELESS LAN THROUGHPUT is almost double in Vista
WIRED LAN throughput performs well on BOTH Vista and Windows XP


The "Long" Overview (with all the details):

1. Client Computers: Two identical notebooks: HP 8530p; 3GB RAM; Intel Core Duo 2.8GHz
2. OS #1 Windows XP SP3/32bit
3. OS #2 Windows Vista SP3/32bit
4. Checkpoint: Tested same computer with Win8.1/32bit; It has good throughput similar to Vista
5. Server Computers: Tested two separate servers: Win8.1/32bit; Vista/32bit; 3GB; Wired Ethernet 100Mbps Full Duplex
6. Security Method ?: WPA2/AES
7. Any Wireless G ?: No, there are not any 802.11g adapters on network
8. Signal Strength ?: Notebooks are within 10 feet of each other and have similar/strong signal strengths
9. Interfering/Competing Routers ?: Only one neighbor WiFi; NOT on a competing channel
10. AntiVirus/Firewall ?: Tested with AVG AntiVirus and WindowsFirewall both disabled; AVG Uninstalled
11. Wireless Adapter: Internal Intel 5300AGN with latest firmware
12. Checkpoint: Tested Belkin USB2.0 Adapter in this notebook
13. Checkpoint: Tested a completely different Windows XP Notebook w/Linksys WPC300N CardBus Adapter
14. Protocol: TCP/IP. Applied TcpOptimizer Optimal Settings
15. Checkpoint: Wired LAN Test: Internal Gigabit Ethernet Adapter has good throughput from both Servers
16. Routers Tested:
17. Netgear R7000 with lastest stock firmware
18. Netgear R7000 with DD-WRT/Kong's version 23320
19. CradlePoint mbr900 with latest stock firmware
20. Checkpoint: Both routers & firmware yield same results
21. Frequencies Tested:
22. 2.4GHz 20MHz
23. 2.4GHz 40MHz
24. 5GH 20MHz
25. 5GH 40MHz
26. Checkpoint: All frequencies & bandwidth yield similar results, although 5GHz throughput was slightly better
27. inSSIDER on Windows XP shows Max Rates 2.4GHz=54 and 5GHz=65 (note better test results at bottom)
28. inSSIDER on Vista shows Max Rates 2.4GHz=450 and 5GHz=450

LAN SPEED TEST UTILITY RESULTS:

OS Version: Windows Vista 2.4GHz, 450mbps, 40MHz
Write Time = 13.4121884 Seconds
Write Speed = 59.6472400 Mbps
Read Time = 9.2113795 Seconds
Read Speed = 86.8490960 Mbps

OS Version: Windows XP: 2.4GHz, 450mbps, 40MHz
Write Time = 23.4212440 Seconds
Write Speed = 34.1570240 Mbps
Read Time = 16.2320731 Seconds
Read Speed = 49.2851440 Mbps

OS Version: Windows XP: 5GHz, 450mbps, 40MHz
Write Time = 15.1577821 Seconds
Write Speed = 52.7781680 Mbps
Read Time = 13.0994126 Seconds
Read Speed = 61.0714400 Mbps

 

[sinshiva]

nice and informative post. my first suspicion would have to be the XP drivers. does the wireless nic perhaps come with a proprietary management software for the wireless card, might be worth testing to see if it makes a difference.

it sounds like you've been pretty thorough in your testing; i assume you've played with about every setting the wireless card has to offer on the 'configure' page of the adapter?

 

[sfx2000]

Server Computers: Tested two separate servers: Win8.1/32bit; Vista/32bit; 3GB; Wired Ethernet 100Mbps Full Duplex

The Server Ethernet is likely the bottleneck - move it over to GIGe and try again...

Look at your wired throughput on GIGe, and compare from there...

 

[JohnNadeau]

Thank you, I appreciate your feedback and input !

I grabbed the latest drivers from Intel for the 5300AGN. I've been using the Windows Wireless Zero Configuration method, but I also tried Intel's proprietary management software as well... no difference.

Yes, I've tried all of the various Intel Adapter Settings. I'm able to toggle them to switch between 2.4GHz 20/40 and 5GHz 20/40 etc.

I tried other Wireless Cards (Belkin USB 2.0 N, LinkSys WPC300N CardBus) and they all seem to behave the same way.

So it's leading me all back to "Windows XP" and Wireless.

I would love to see the results of someone else

• running a Throughput Test on a Windows XP machine
• with a Link Connection of 300 or 450mbps
• using the "Land Speed Test" Utility
• and a 100MB test file
• that SmallNetBuilder recommended in this post:
  http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30664-5-ways-to-fix-slow-80211n-speed

 

[sfx2000]

Thank you, I appreciate your feedback and input !

I grabbed the latest drivers from Intel for the 5300AGN. I've been using the Windows Wireless Zero Configuration method, but I also tried Intel's proprietary management software as well... no difference.

Yes, I've tried all of the various Intel Adapter Settings. I'm able to toggle them to switch between 2.4GHz 20/40 and 5GHz 20/40 etc.

I tried other Wireless Cards (Belkin USB 2.0 N, LinkSys WPC300N CardBus) and they all seem to behave the same way.

So it's leading me all back to "Windows XP" and Wireless.

I would love to see the results of someone else

that's probably not going to happen - most of us are casual volunteers and not tech support.

At the risk of repeating myself, have you considered the servers? Your throughput numbers are consistent with what I've observed with 100BaseT on a consumer network.

sfx

 

[JohnNadeau]

@sfx2000

Thanks for the input.

The "identical" Vista32 (or Win8.1) notebook has almost double the throughput in the same test, so I'm thinking that would/should eliminate the wired connection speed (the Server is the same on all tests).

It's worth noting here that I swapped drives between notebooks to assure that all of the 5300AGN adapters/hardware were not defective. The Vista install in both notebooks has the same good throughput.

 

[JohnNadeau]

...most of us are casual volunteers and not tech support...

Actually, it's the casual user that I'm reaching out to Can't tell you how many times that has been the pathway to a solution (rather than a tech support department)

 

[L&LD]

JohnNadeau,

About 8 months ago I was reading about 'bufferbloat' and am almost 100% positive that XP can't suffer from it because it has it's own maximum network speed (no matter what driver/hardware you use on the platform).

This may be what you are seeing in your setup.

Sorry I can't provide more information/links (the web is an ever changing thing...).

Thought that this may put you on the right track though.


And no XP machines for over 7 years here.

 

[jlake]

Is there a known issue with windows XP preventing............? No

My guess is you've messed up your windows XP machines with that tcp optimizer thing. Try to search for a Microsoft fixit thing. Or do a system restore to see if you can get back your previous registry settings.

 

[sfx2000]

@sfx2000

Thanks for the input.

The "identical" Vista32 (or Win8.1) notebook has almost double the throughput in the same test, so I'm thinking that would/should eliminate the wired connection speed (the Server is the same on all tests).

It's worth noting here that I swapped drives between notebooks to assure that all of the 5300AGN adapters/hardware were not defective. The Vista install in both notebooks has the same good throughput.

My experience with WinXP - no issue with network performance on my LAN/WLAN - just works... haven't really tried yet with 802.11ac, but 802.11 a/b/g/n in all bands has been good for wireless performance, and GIGe has been similar - just works...

Again - if you're testing on your own LAN, make sure that the source has bandwidth...

Based on your earlier comments - you're limited by the source, even on your LAN...

 

[remixedcat]

Go to the adapter's properties in device manager and see if there's a "wireless N mode" and check to see if it's disabled. Some adapters ship this way or someone may have configured it at the instruction of another company or another user due to problems with certain access points, etc. Please verify this and let us know.

 

[JohnNadeau]

I sincerely appreciate everyone's input & ideas!!!

A quick re-cap: I have tested other N Adapters in this and other WinXP computers. While I'm easily able to connect at higher "LINK" rates such as 300 or 450, no matter what I do, I can't get WinXP WIRELESS "LAN Throughput" above 54G (while Vista/Win8.1 in the same notebook have double the LAN Throughput and Wired performance is almost the same on all OS's).

WinXP is being retired and this may well be an exercise in futility But you know, it just got my curiosity going !!!

@L&LD
Thanks... Interesting read for sure! Bufferbloat would seem to impact both Wired and Wireless performance. Wired is performing as expected. It's only the Wireless that can't get over 54mbps throughput.

@JLake
Thanks... We can now eliminate TcpOptimizer and any other tweaks/settings that I may have changed or other installed apps. I have a clean backup image (taken right after a clean install of WinXP & HP Drivers). I restored that image and ran the LAN throughput tests. Almost exactly the same behavior. I then updated to Intel's latest Wireless Driver and no change. (see results below)

@Sfx2000
Thanks... I would agree... my experience with WinXP Wireless has generally been like yours in that it "just works"... connects at the proper/desired "Link" speed to various routers, downloads from the internet at expected speeds, etc. It wasn't until I started doing the LAN Throughput Tests that I saw that the 450mbps Link Speed was way off. I understand overhead & wireless technology will prevent it from hitting 450mbps. But the real-world LAN performance is similar to straight-up 54G. My LAN Source is the same and has the bandwidth for this Vista/Win8.1 vs WinXP Test: The Vista/Win8.1 install shows double the LAN Throughput with all other things the same.

@RemixedCat
Thanks... N-Mode is set correctly. I am able to control the connection "LINK" speed (54; 300; 450).

Here are the Wireless LAN Throughput results of a test from a CLEAN WinXP Install on the same notebook.

OS Version: Windows XP
100MB Test File

Driver 13.4.0.9
LINK SPEED 217mbps
Write Speed = 39 Mbps
Read Speed = 39 Mbps

Driver 13.4.0.9
LINK SPEED 450mbps
Write Speed = 46 Mbps
Read Speed = 44 Mbps


Driver 14.3.2.1
LINK SPEED 450mbps
Write Speed = 43 Mbps
Read Speed = 44 Mbps

Driver 14.3.2.1
LINK SPEED 450mbps
5GHz
Write Speed = 45 Mbps
Read Speed = 54 Mbps

 

[remixedcat]

Could you please run a linux live dvd/usb and do some tests with it to eliminate the problem with the adapter or the operating system?

 

[JohnNadeau]

Could you please run a linux live dvd/usb and do some tests with it to eliminate the problem with the adapter or the operating system?

Hi Remixedcat. Both Vista and Win8.1Pro were already run on the same machine and have double the throughput, so I'm confident it's the WinXP OS, not the hardware/adapter. Thanks.

 

[L&LD]

JohnNadeau,

I just spent the last 15 minutes trying to find where I read that bit about Windows XP - but it's gone into the ether...

What I did find is that a 2009 thread 'solved' this problem by downloading TCP Optimizer, selecting all adaptors and hitting 'optimal settings'.

Make sure you reboot after any changes you try.

 

[JohnNadeau]

Hi L&LD,

Re Bufferbloat... your memory/recollection is pretty good ! I actually did read the part you were thinking about where it said Windows XP wasn't affected by Bufferbloat because its TCP stack didn't use Scaling by default.

I just tried TcpOptimizer and applied to All Adapters and rebooted as you requested. Still behaves the same way. Ran more LAN Throughput tests on Windows XP machine. Interesting that there is no real improvement between 450mbps vs 217mbps. Of course, on same machine with Vista or Win8.1, all results would be double !

802.11n Link Speed 450mbps 40MHz
Write Speed = 49 Mbps
Read Speed = 49 Mbps

802.11n Link Speed 217mbps 20MHz
Write Speed = 46 Mbps
Read Speed = 45 Mbps

802.11g Link Speed 54mbps
Write Speed = 17 Mbps
Read Speed = 20 Mbps

 

[L&LD]

Thanks for verifying about the bufferbloat connection I mentioned.

This may be the limit of the O/S SP level, the hardware and drivers on your setup.

If your router(s) allow you to set the wireless mode to 'Auto' (vs. N only, for example) set it to that. Set the client driver to the same.

Also set the Preamble type to Short.

Make sure WMM is enabled on XP drivers settings.

You may also try to set the Tx Power of the client to one step lower as a test - it may give a cleaner signal.


If this also doesn't work: dump XP! As I'm sure you're ready to, by now.