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Internet Speed Surprise

Written by Doug in Internet Topics

The inspiration for this article came this morning (10/14/2019) while configuring a new laptop for a client and just for grins I compared Internet speed between that computer and mine and found a confusing result.  While troubleshooting the issue I found more surprises which trigger one particular good lesson for technicians and advanced users.

Meet the competitors

Introducing in one corner of the ring my HP Envy 15” Intel Core i7-5500U @ 2.40 GHz, 12GB RAM.

In the other corner my client’s Dell Inspiron 5570 15.6” Intel Core i3-8130U @ 2.20 GHz, 8GB RAM.

I will refer to these computers as HP & Dell.

These computers are significantly different from each other and normally would not make for a suitable comparison but that is not my point.  My intent here is education about capabilities not about deciding which computer is better.

The first round of speed tests

My exploration of speed began with an Internet speed test on each computer.  For this I prefer a google search for “speed test” which consistently leads to a lightweight speed test run by Measurement Lab.  If you read the notice you will find a disclaimer that they will publish the results of the test including your IP address.  So, privacy hawks beware.

First result:

HP: 322 Mbps download, 11 Mbps upload.

Dell: 12.3 Mbps download, 11 Mbps upload.

Round one goes to HP

Wow, that’s a big difference!  So, I looked for why.  Oh, my HP is connected to ethernet and the Dell is using wifi.  So, lets reverse that.  I connected the ethernet cable to the Dell and connected the HP to wifi.  Run speed test again.

Dell doubles and HP cut in half

HP: 173.7 Mbps download 11.2 Mbps upload

Dell: 27.2 Mbps download 11.0 Mbps upload

That brings the two closer to each other, but this still does not make sense.  This result generates a few questions but let’s hold off until we gather more data.  I considered whether the differences in CPU class/speed and RAM could be an explanation but easily eliminated that by technician’s common sense and I also watched the Resource Monitor graphs while running the tests.  There were no indications of bottlenecks in CPU or RAM.

Device driver updates

My next move was to check device drivers for the Dell.  I had previously run the driver updates using the included Dell Update app that was pre-installed on the computer.  It did install several updates.  I had re-run that update check until it no longer found updates.  But now, I individually checked for updates for Display driver, Network Adapters and Sound drivers through Device Manager.  Surprisingly Windows did find an update for the Ethernet adapter and I installed it.  The updated driver did not improve the speed test. 

Upgrade Win7 to Win10 = faster

As a side note: I have found when upgrading a computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10 that the upgrade procedure will sometimes install generic drivers for any of those devices which may cause the computer to be sluggish or have other strange symptoms.  A computer upgraded to Windows 10 usually should feel faster than it did on Windows 7.  If it does not, then check for driver updates or background software.

Pay dirt! 😊

Next, I checked the configuration of the Ethernet adapter on the Dell.  I found the network configured for Public network, changed that to Private network and test again, no improvement. I found the status of the Ethernet connection showed 100 Mbps.  This was pay dirt!

Not pay dirt 😒

This should be an easy fix, go into device manager and properties for the Ethernet adapter and fix the speed setting.  But, wait!  There is no selection for 1000 Mb.  This computer does not have a gigabit Ethernet adapter!  Are you kidding me! 

Mystery adapter

The computer was purchased from Amazon as a refurb (refurbished computer), but I have bought a lot of those and been pleased with them.  I can’t say that I have checked for GB Ethernet adapters.  I checked the posting on Amazon for this computer and found no text reference that the computer even has an Ethernet port.  I had selected the computer for my client based on the photo that shows an Ethernet port and the other needed criteria.

I checked Dell.com using the Service Tag number for the computer and selected “View Current Configuration”.  What I found there was listings that appear to be sub-assemblies for the computer that are not recognizable as typical components.  I suspect this computer was originally configured for bulk leases to large business and never packaged for consumer selection.  So that was inconclusive.  I did find one listing on Amazon for this model that specifically identified a 10/100 Ethernet interface. 

WiFi faster than Ethernet?

Next on my mind was how would 2.4 GHz WiFi and 5.0 GHz WiFi compare to 100 Mbps Ethernet.  I have both available in my home office.  So, here’s the results with the Ethernet numbers for convenient comparison.

Laptop + Wifi Speed Download Upload
HP on 1 Gb Ethernet 267.9 Mbps 11.6 Mbps
HP on 2.4 Ghz Wifi 93.3 Mbps 11.0 Mbps
HP on 5.0 Ghz Wifi 253.9 Mbps 11.8 Mbps
Dell on 100 Mbps Ethernet 89.1 Mbps 11.5 Mbps
Dell on 2.4 Ghz Wifi 42.3 Mbps 9.98 Mbps
Dell on 5.0 Ghz Wifi 153.9 Mbps 11.2 Mbps

Ethernet limit

The test I was really interested here was the Dell on 100 Mbps Ethernet. What is the top speed for 100 Mbps Ethernet…. duh 100 Mbps. So the 89.1 Mbps is close to the limit. 5.0 GHz WiFi can exceed that speed when conditions are good. This factor does not become apparent unless you have really fast Internet. Many people will not experience this because their Internet connection is still around 5 Mbps so they will never exceed the capability of 100 Mbps Ethernet until their Internet service is upgraded.

It’s complicated daddy

Ouch!  Here is the ugly truth about the computer business.  Things don’t always work out the way they should.  Some of you know the experience of asking your teenager how its going with the friend they had an argument with…. “It’s complicated daddy”. 

Ethernet 3-times faster? Why!?

If you haven’t realized what I am referring to let me spell it out.  The Dell Ethernet is now showing 89.1 Mbps where earlier in the article it was only 27.2 Mbps.  It’s three times faster now without making any changes I am aware of to account for that.  I’m sure there is an explanation for such a different result, but it is not apparent to me at this time and I know from experience I probably won’t be able to track it down, it is irrelevant for now and not worth the effort.  So, let it go!  There is a loud noisy part of me that does not like to let go of a mystery like that, but I have learned some exercises in troubleshooting just are not likely to produce a satisfying result.

Keep it real

I could have fudged the numbers to produce a more satisfying article.  That would be a disservice to my intention of training users and technicians because it is important to acknowledge that sometimes the behavior of computers defy logic.

Editor’s note three weeks later…

(Well yes, I am the author and the editor but I am adding this paragraph three months after writing the article and doing the tests and now I realize that manual Ethernet driver update might account for the improvement. I initially reported it did not help but maybe I neglected to restart the computer before that initial test.)

Ethernet more reliable

The very useful piece of information in the chart above is the speed of the Dell on 5.0 GHz WiFi.  It is much faster on WiFi than Ethernet!  I normally would avoid using WiFi when Ethernet is available because Ethernet is more reliable and consistent.

Stay on point

There are many other worthwhile conversations to be had from this chart but despite my inner voice screaming at me to explore it all, I am trying to stay on point.

Spoiled brat

Some of you are yelling at your screen as you read this article.  You’re baffled… “why is he dissatisfied with those speeds when I can barely get 5 Mbps download speed?”.  Point taken.  I pay for a very high-speed connection so I can do live streaming through YouTube while connected to remote computers.  Depending on your Internet provider and the service level you pay for you may have much lower speeds.  This means you would never approach the speed limit of the 100 Mbps Ethernet adapter for your Internet connection and the fact that in this case WiFi is faster than Ethernet would not be a useful lesson for your computer at this time. 

In the old days… (2 years ago)

Just a couple of years ago and still today in some offices Internet download speeds of 5 Mbps is the best we got/get.  In those circumstances we did not bother too much about whether computers had 100 Mbps network adapters or 1Gbps network adapters because the network adapter would not be a bottle neck to the Internet.  However, if an in-office file server was involved it could be important.  These days I want all computers to have 1Gbps network adapters.

Best computer? It depends…

This brings up the topic of understanding the environment for any particular computer to decide which capabilities you care about and will benefit from.  When I set about the task of purchasing a computer for a client I have a rather long list of questions to ask in order to determine what computer to select. 

Need help finding a new computer?

I am looking forward to demonstrating that process on the LiveWindowsTraining YouTube channel by helping people select computer purchases for real.  If you are interested in doing that with me in a YouTube live stream, then send me an email to that effect at dougbetts@livewindowstraining.com. You will need to become a Web Retainer Client to do that but at one dollar per month its not hard to do.

Disable Windows 10 Updates?

Written by Doug in Windows Configuration

Disable Windows 10 Updates? – That’s the Wrong Question!  There are lots of articles and videos providing instructions for how to disable Windows 10 updates.  Most of them admit the proposed fixes are not permanent even when the title of the article or video contains the word permanent. It’s enough to make you scream!  Don’t you actually just want to stop the pain of Windows 10 updates?  The way to do that is to understand how they work, why they are important and imperfect, then manage those updates.

Updates cause pain if…

Updates cause pain if they occur when you want to use the computer and when they cause a problem that makes your computer sluggish or breaks it.  By learning these tips to manage updates you can stop the pain.

Updates install overnight. The second Tuesday of each month is a big one.  It’s unofficially called “Patch Tuesday” even by Microsoft, Alexa and Siri.  Go ahead, try it “Alexa, what is patch Tuesday?”. If you turn your computer off at night, or let it sleep or leave programs open the updates may not install. This article and the linked videos will provide you with strategic ways to manage updates to prevent the pain.

Updates…working perfectly

If Windows 10 updates were working perfectly then no one would be complaining of having trouble with them.  They would never interrupt your workday.  Would you still be trying to disable them if that were the case?

Spoiler alert… following the advice in this article will not actually stop the pain, but it will reduce the pain to lower levels.  Imagine sitting around a dinner table with friends who are complaining about Windows 10 updates and they eventually ask why you aren’t upset.  You will be able to give them the solution… can you say “HERO”?

bad news…

Here’s the bad news, the fix for this is not quick and easy.  Just like there are lots of get rich quick schemes out there, the quick fix to anything complex is rarely successful in the long run.  Consider the old story that ends with the moral ““You don’t pay the plumber for banging on the pipe. You pay him for knowing where to bang.” 

quick and simple…

Once you understand Windows 10 updates the actions you need to take are quick and simple, but you first need to gain some knowledge.  Gaining the knowledge is the actual fix.  This article may be your first step in that direction. 

better strategy…

Windows 10 updates will be a reality for a long time.  Any quick fixes will often have unintended consequences that may cause you more pain than if you left it alone.  Education is always a better strategy, but you must spend some time with it before you know where to bang on the pipe.

In the beginning

Before Windows 10 came into our lives Microsoft was fighting a loosing battle with all the variety of viruses, malware, software versions, hardware designs, device drivers, compatibility problems, upgrade cycles, user neglect and much more.  It is apparent by Microsoft’s actions that Windows 10 is a major shift in operating system strategy.  Microsoft has decided to take the bull by the horns and force all participants in the Windows universe to comply with a more focused way of doing things so the bad influences in the world will have less opportunity to mess with us.

bold change

Because this was such a bold and huge change of how to operate in a very complex environment there have been and will continue to be casualties, unintended consequences, winners and losers.  Microsoft will continue to be hated by many but over time this will diminish. 

forcing seat belts

I remember when lots of people complained bitterly and resisted authorities when laws were passed requiring that we wear seat belts in cars.  There was of evidence and anecdotal stories about people being harmed by seat belts.  I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone now who says that forcing people to wear seat belts was a bad thing.  I think 20 years in the future we may look back on Windows 10 update strategies as having prevented catastrophic disasters.

alternate timeline

Some of you are thinking that last statement is a bit dramatic.  But, wait…  What if we could witness an alternative timeline where this new world of forced updates did not exist?  In this alternate timeline all the divergent software, hardware, device drivers, avoided updates, expired anti-virus, click-bait, scam e-mails and hacker skills would have continued evolving unchecked.

bad actors

How likely is it that the bad actors whether they be terrorists or governments looking for ways to manipulate people would use those vulnerabilities to do their dirty work?  There is plenty of evidence that is already happening.  There is no effective way to hinder their progress without placing tighter controls at the top levels and educating users on best practices.

tighter controls

In that last sentence “tighter controls” refers in part to Windows forced updates.  “Educate users” refers to things such as how to recognize a scam email that claims to be from someone you know or maintaining good passwords on your accounts and much more. 

profit issue

“No, no, no” you may say.  “Forced updates are just a profit issue for Microsoft and nothing more!” you say.  It may be that forced updates help Microsoft profits by reducing the number of Windows versions they have to provide patches for. Microsoft is a business and they do make decisions with profit motives in mind.  It was very expensive for them to try to keep so many varied versions and configurations safe to use.  Updates will still be a very expensive pursuit for Microsoft but perhaps not as expensive as it used to be.  They also made changes to how they test updates which saved them a lot of money.  Many commentators criticize that move but I will show that criticism is probably not warranted.

reduced threats

My point is that a side effect of this improved method of keeping computers safe to use is the reduced threats for compromised computers to cause serious pain and harm in personal and business matters. You will never know what disaster in your personal life was averted because you are using an updated computer unless you discover a way to view alternate timelines. 

manage updates

In the same way that people eventually got on board with fastening seat belts, locking car doors and home doors we need to get on board with updates.  But we need to learn how to manage updates, so they aren’t so painful.

learn and do…

The things you need to learn and do regarding Windows update are these:

Understand feature updates vs quality updates

Be prepared for update Tuesday each month

Implement automatic full image or clone backup prior to update Tuesday or every Monday

Know how to restore from an image or clone backup and practice it occasionally

Activate System Restore

Activate RegBack

Have rescue boot media available

Routinely postpone major updates until they are vetted

Activate full reporting to Microsoft in order to benefit from deferrals

no maintenance

Once you have these measures in place they will continue with little or no maintenance.  If you experience a problem due to an update (about as likely as a car accident) you will have a method to recover without needing assistance.

How to learn and do

YouTube videos and blog posts associated with LiveWindowsUpdate will provide you with general and specific instructions once that additional content is created. Many other content creators have information available that you can search for via Google or YouTube. You can request live training sessions on these subjects if you find currently available content insufficient.

References

Patch Tuesday (also known as Update Tuesday[1]) is an unofficial term used to refer to when Microsoft regularly releases software patches for its software products. It is widely referred to in this way by the industry.[2][3][4] Microsoft formalized Patch Tuesday in October 2003.[5]

Patch Tuesday occurs on the second, and sometimes fourth, Tuesday of each month in North America. As far as the integrated Windows Update (WU) function is concerned, Patch Tuesday begins at 18:00 or 17:00 UTC (10:00 PST (UTC−8) or 10:00 PDT (UTC−7)).[6] The updates show up in Download Center before they are added to WU, and the KB articles and the Technet bulletin are unlocked later.

Microsoft has a pattern of releasing a larger number of updates in even-numbered months, and fewer in odd-numbered months.[7][8][9] Minor updates are also released outside Patch Tuesday. Daily updates consist of malware database refreshes for Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials. Sometimes there is an extraordinary Patch Tuesday, two weeks after the regular Patch Tuesday. Some updates could be released at any time.[10]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_Tuesday