Router limiting connect speeds?

[Sheila Qwann]

I have cable Internet, paying for 8 meg. First the isp (comcast) supplied an old RCA modem, which would only get about 3.5 meg, testing at various sites, generally the DSL reports in the city where I live (Seattle). I added a Netgear WGR614v6 router, hardwired to a Mac laptop in another room. Router is wireless, but is connected to the mac w/cat-6 wiring. Wireless is OFF. With this setup (old modem & new router), both machines showed ~3.5 meg. Comcast said I wasn't getting the full 8 meg due to the old modem, so I swapped it for a new Motorola SB5101. Now, with the new modem & NO router (i.e., each machine connected in turn directly to the modem), the PC gets about 7.5 meg, the mac about 1.0 meg. WITH the router & both machines connected, each having only one browser window open (but only ONE machine actively connecting to the test site, other just displaying the google home page), the PC gets between 2.5 and 5.2 meg (generally the lower range), the Mac about 1.0 meg. I dl'd the latest firmware from Netgear, which made no difference. This is my 1st experience with routers. Router is 10/100 mps capable, Ethernet card in pc is as well (not sure about the mac). Shouldn't both machines be getting something like the maximum available connect speed at any given moment? Why would the Mac be only getting 1 meg, even when it's the only machine connected, especially since it did get 3.5 with the old modem? And why would the pc connection vary by 50%? Is this a "half/full duplexing" issue? How does one tell what these duplexing settings are? Isn't this determined by the cable (again, latest cat 6 being used)? How can I set this up to provide the MAXIMUM connection potential? Any insights appreciated.

TIA

Sheila

[PrntRhd]

Go to the www.dslreports.com site, go to Tools, then TweakTest to see what it says about your setup. I would suggest connecting to the modem directly instead of the router for this. There is a setting called RWIN that can be optimized for the size of the TCP/IP packets for a given speed of service.
You should be able to turn in that old modem for a new Motorolla SB5120 one that may help get more speed at no cost to you.
This is likely a cable issue only, and has nothing to do with the router.

[Variable]

You can see what the networks cards are set at by right clicking My Network Places, click Properties, Right click Local Area Connection and click Properties, Click the Configure button next to the Network card you are using and look at the Advanced tab. Each NIC has different options.

Auto works well, MAC's don't like to play well with non MAC's it may be you need tweaking. I would also make sure the cable you are using is correct for the router and the PC. You mentioned CAT6. Make sure your hardware supports whatever cable you are using. It should but I have seen weird issues with cables when mixing CAT5 and 6 going through different networking devices. If a cable is supported use the same type throughout.

Make sure there is no motor (fan?) or any strong electro magnetic force emitting device near the wiring, fluorescent lighting is bad as ere electric cables. Make sure that all networking protocols are TCP/IP if possible. Machines using the same protocols for connectivity helps with network overhead.