Wifi Throttling

shadowoflight · Oct 8, 2023

Just got assigned an x13 gen 4 after I requested 1.

Everything’s great, except for some reason, the network’s getting throttled to ard 30mbps.

I can go beyond that using speedtest, but when synology, Google drive, office installer, adobe etc, are running, you can see spikes when a new software starts downloading, then it drops to 30mbps max alone (i.e. just google drive syncing) or combined (g drive and synology syncing, adobe downloading installs).

I’m tempted to say it’s a win 11 issue.

Haven’t tried ethernet because there’s no need for it so far in this job. All on Wi-Fi. Same on different networks, office, home and public. Speed is definitely not an issue because I've gone much faster on the same networks on bot my personal and work laptops.

I've tried :

(from here):
Press Windows Key + X.
Click on Command prompt (Admin).
Type the following commands, and hit Enter after each command:
netsh int tcp set heuristics disabled
netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
netsh int tcp set global rss=enabled
netsh winsock reset and press Enter
netsh int ip reset and press Enter
ipconfig /release and press Enter
ipconfig /renew and press Enter
ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter

after that didn't work, I tried (from here):
setting: netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal

Specs:
Thinkpad X13 Gen4
i7-1355U
32GB Ram
1TB SSD
Wifi 6E AX211 (Driver 22.240.0.6 18/6/2023)

Any ideas?

wiganken · Oct 8, 2023

I didn't think that Wi-Fi could be throttled? I always thought it was the ISP or the remote server you are downloading from that did any throttling.
It would be interesting to be corrected on this so that I will learn something.

shadowoflight · Oct 8, 2023

wiganken said:
I didn't think that Wi-Fi could be throttled? I always thought it was the ISP or the remote server you are downloading from that did any throttling.
It would be interesting to be corrected on this so that I will learn something.

yea, really interesting, never had this happen before, out of all the systems I've used throughout my life. I thought it was a network issue, but I tried on different networks, with single/multiple programs downloading things, and saw how it behaved in task manager, really weird, and oddly specific, that's why I'm asking for help lol.

shadowoflight · Oct 8, 2023

Downloading a large file from teams. Look at this lol

FreeBooter · Oct 8, 2023

Make sure to uninstall and install latest version of wireless card driver from manufacturer of the wireless card.

See changing IRPStackSize will help.

In this video, i will show you how to edit the Windows 10 and Windows 11 Registry to change a setting known as IRPStackSize. Increasing that parameter’s value should increase the overall network performance of your Windows 10 and Windows 11 personal computer.

You could also execute the following commands to boost speed of network speed.

Code:

Reg  add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /v MaxConnectionsPerServer /t REG_DWORD  /d 10  /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v Tcp1323Opts   /t REG_DWORD  /d 1  /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v SackOpts    /t REG_DWORD  /d 1  /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v TcpMaxDupAcks /t REG_DWORD  /d 2  /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v  NameSrvQueryTimeout  /t REG_DWORD  /d 3000 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v TcpMaxDupAcks  /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v EnablePMTUDiscovery /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters"  /v EnablePMTUBHDetect /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /v DefaultTTL /t REG_DWORD /d 64 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /v MaxFreeTcbs  /t REG_DWORD  /d 65536 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /v MaxUserPort  /t REG_DWORD /d 65534 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /v GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize /t REG_DWORD /d  65535 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /v TcpTimedWaitDelay  /t REG_DWORD /d 30 /f 2>&1 >Nul

Reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPER1_0SERVER" /v iexplore.exe /t REG_DWORD /d 10 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPERSERVER" /v iexplore.exe /t REG_DWORD /d 10 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" /v MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server /t REG_DWORD /d 10 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" /v MaxConnectionsPerServer /t REG_DWORD /d 10 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters" /v MaxCollectionCount /t REG_DWORD /d 32 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters" /v MaxThreads  /t REG_DWORD /d 30 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters" /v MaxCmds /t REG_DWORD  /d 30 /f 2>&1 >nul

Reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2\Parameters\Protocol_Catalog9" /v Serial_Access_Num /t REG_DWORD /d 9 /f 2>&1 >nul

shadowoflight · Oct 9, 2023

Reinstalled driver - still the same
Set IRPStackSize to 32 per the video - increased, but now throttled to ~40mbps

I read somewhere it might be a 5ghz issue with this wireless card, tested on a 2.4ghz network and it's still the same.

IRPStackSize is an interesting optimisation, but it seems like the underlying problem still persists.

wiganken · Oct 9, 2023

What download speed are you signed-up to?
Are there a lot of devices connected to your router via Wi-Fi? If these are all demanding bandwith at the same time then your contracted bandwith will be shared between them and slow down as a result.
Is the router located in an acceptable temperature zone? 18 to 30 deg C. If it is too hot or cold then this can have an impact on speed.

FreeBooter · Oct 9, 2023

You may be able to determine if your internet service provider (ISP) is throttling your internet speeds.

Connect to router via Ethernet cable to test the speed if problem persist then ISP is throttling your internet speeds.

shadowoflight · Oct 12, 2023

It's definitely not
1. ISP
2. wifi

I can get higher speeds at the same time with another laptop on the same networks.

I have been using the same networks for years. It is only affecting this laptop. And this laptop is having the same issue on different networks. So it is definitely this laptop.

Fabler2 · Oct 12, 2023

Just a shot in the dark here, I've got the AX200 which is only dual band. Try to force it to just use one particular band in properties to see if that makes a difference. Worth a shot. You can always return it to default if it makes no difference.

shadowoflight · Oct 12, 2023

Fabler2 said:
Just a shot in the dark here, I've got the AX200 which is only dual band. Try to force it to just use one particular band in properties to see if that makes a difference. Worth a shot. You can always return it to default if it makes no difference.

View attachment 73942

will give it a shot soon, thanks

shadowoflight · Dec 9, 2023

shadowoflight said:
will give it a shot soon, thanks

Tried this, didn't work.

Got lenovo to change the network card, same issue.

So it's either a win11 issue, or an ax211 issue. I'm actually tempted to say it's ax211's problem (driver or otherwise) because looking around there seems to be a lot of complaints for ax210 and ax211.

kelper · Dec 9, 2023

Try a USB wifi dongle. They are not expensive. Go for a tiny one that does not stick out as this reduces the risk of damaging the port on your laptop.

Like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WN725N-Mbps-Wireless-N-Adapter/dp/B008IFXQFU

shadowoflight · Dec 9, 2023

kelper said:
Try a USB wifi dongle. They are not expensive. Go for a tiny one that does not stick out as this reduces the risk of damaging the port on your laptop.

Like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WN725N-Mbps-Wireless-N-Adapter/dp/B008IFXQFU

I have a spare I could try, but I'll probably use it to eliminate the win11 variable.

cereberus · Dec 9, 2023

shadowoflight said:
Downloading a large file from teams. Look at this lol

View attachment 73396

If I interpret that screen, you wifi is limited to 54 mbps which is a slow wifi protocol is being used.

Despite all people trying to help, you have NOT provided much useful information e.g. driver, settings, which band you are using, are you using hyper-v etc.

@Fabler2 has made a good suggestion - I do not see any response.

Your card is wifi 6, but is router wifi 6. You may need to change to AX protocol etc.

What speeds to you get using ookla?

Provide us with some real data rather than just complaining.

shadowoflight · Dec 9, 2023

cereberus said:
If I interpret that screen, you wifi is limited to 54 mbps which is a slow wifi protocol is being used.

Despite all people trying to help, you have NOT provided much useful information e.g. driver, settings, which band you are using, are you using hyper-v etc.

@Fabler2 has made a good suggestion - I do not see any response.

Your card is wifi 6, but is router wifi 6. You may need to change to AX protocol etc.

What speeds to you get using ookla?

Provide us with some real data rather than just complaining.

Data point 1 : Only this laptop is having this issue. Other laptops and PCs on the same networks don't have this limit. I've indicated this multiple times throughout, so this data point alone eliminates wifi aps, ISPs, etc. leaving the laptop as the only variable, which means it's down to windows 11, network card, its drivers or something else within this particular laptop, so if anybody suggested anything otherwise, I'd point that out.

Data point 2: screen shot interpretation is wrong. I'm assuming you've used the advanced task manager screen to see the speed before and you'd know that the '54mbps' at the top is just an indicator for scale and is dynamic, not an actual limit. Sometimes I get burst going past 54mbps before slowing turn (another indication of possible throttling behaviour) and the scale will adjust accordingly. The point of this screenshot is to show that it's steady at around 32mbps, clearly pointed out by the average pink line in the middle, with the squiggles below showing the actual speeds measure over time.

Freeboother's 1st solution didnt work and 2nd solution yielded an interesting result but didn't solve the underlying issue and I pointed it out. 3rd suggestion was ISP, and I pointed out why it cannot be ISP.

I tried Fabler2's and it didn't work, so I replied that it didn't work.

Kelper made a suggestion which kinda defeats the purpose (trying to get the laptop's wifi system to work optimally unthrottled) but is useful for eliminating another variable, and I was being nice so I didn't say the first part out loud and focused on the useful part of his suggestion in my reply.

I also tried other people's solutions and gave an update, whether they worked or not. The important specs are in the initial post. I even gave solutions I tried and the links to them for reference.

If something didn't work, I'd say it didn't work. It's not a complaint. It didn't work, plain and simple. I guess in some contexts it can come across as rather blunt, but we're in a diagnostics thread and awesome people offering suggestions and not all of them are working.

I don't know what else to say.

Apart from this reply to you, what other actual complaints are there?

kelper · Dec 9, 2023

You do realise that we don't work for Microsoft and are helping you on our own time? The whole point of trying a dongle was to eliminate an issue with your wifi card! if the speed jumps up, that shows you two things, A that the issue is with the wifi card and B that it is NOT a Windows problem.

shadowoflight · Dec 9, 2023

kelper said:
You do realise that we don't work for Microsoft and are helping you on our own time? The whole point of trying a dongle was to eliminate an issue with your wifi card! if the speed jumps up, that shows you two things, A that the issue is with the wifi card and B that it is NOT a Windows problem.

yes, and I thank you for the suggestion, and that's why in my previous reply to you, I said:

"I have a spare I could try, but I'll probably use it to eliminate the win11 variable." - just like you mentioned in your latest response.

As for why I thought it defeats the purpose.... this is a brand new laptop, barely 3 months old, and it's supposedly almost top-of-the-line. ideally, I'd like to try to resolve the true underlying problem and only leave this workaround as the final resort.

Again, I appreciate your time and I sincerely thank you, because it was actually a pretty obvious suggestion that can be used to eliminate an important variable and it came from you.

cereberus · Dec 9, 2023

shadowoflight said:
Data point 1 : Only this laptop is having this issue. Other laptops and PCs on the same networks don't have this limit. I've indicated this multiple times throughout, so this data point alone eliminates wifi aps, ISPs, etc. leaving the laptop as the only variable, which means it's down to windows 11, network card, its drivers or something else within this particular laptop, so if anybody suggested anything otherwise, I'd point that out.

Data point 2: screen shot interpretation is wrong. I'm assuming you've used the advanced task manager screen to see the speed before and you'd know that the '54mbps' at the top is just an indicator for scale and is dynamic, not an actual limit. Sometimes I get burst going past 54mbps before slowing turn (another indication of possible throttling behaviour) and the scale will adjust accordingly. The point of this screenshot is to show that it's steady at around 32mbps, clearly pointed out by the average pink line in the middle, with the squiggles below showing the actual speeds measure over time.

Freeboother's 1st solution didnt work and 2nd solution yielded an interesting result but didn't solve the underlying issue and I pointed it out. 3rd suggestion was ISP, and I pointed out why it cannot be ISP.

I tried Fabler2's and it didn't work, so I replied that it didn't work.

Kelper made a suggestion which kinda defeats the purpose (trying to get the laptop's wifi system to work optimally unthrottled) but is useful for eliminating another variable, and I was being nice so I didn't say the first part out loud and focused on the useful part of his suggestion in my reply.

I also tried other people's solutions and gave an update, whether they worked or not. The important specs are in the initial post. I even gave solutions I tried and the links to them for reference.

If something didn't work, I'd say it didn't work. It's not a complaint. It didn't work, plain and simple. I guess in some contexts it can come across as rather blunt, but we're in a diagnostics thread and awesome people offering suggestions and not all of them are working.

I don't know what else to say.

Apart from this reply to you, what other actual complaints are there?

You answer lots of largely irrelevant stuff but still do not provide any real details of the actual hardware!

No reponse to running ookla.

You do not show any settings from the device manager (as per @Fabler2 post)

You did not answer if you use hyper-v - this is relevant if you do.

How do you expect us to properly dagnose your issue?

Print a screen from wifi settings, hardware properties e.g.

Fabler2 · Dec 9, 2023

In task manager- WiFi, right click the graph and check what the link speed is. Unfortunately for me I have a crappy ISP Hub(router) that only broadcasts one link so I cannot select the different bands. It relies on the Wlan cards to auto select the bands. If yours broadcasts the different bands try connecting to each one to see the results.