Check Network Card Speed: Steps for Wi-Fi Maximum Internet Speed Evaluation

Question

How can I check what the highest internet speed I can get on my network card when connected to wi-fi?

jimasek · Answer

In the specification of the network card.

rostov84 · Answer

I don't have documents for the laptop. Can I check it somehow in the system? I have Windows 7 Home Premium (x64).

jimasek · Answer

Post your NIC ID and that should tell you something

rostov84 · Answer

@jimasek , I admit I don't know where to look for such an identifier. Maybe it helps if I write that my laptop is a Dell Inspiron 15 N5050.

Anonymous · Answer

Control Panel - System o Security - System - Device Manager. Example: plus this: Connection Properties window Win7:

rostov84 · Answer

@_cheetah_ , in device manager I don't know which device to choose: In the connection properties (when connected via Wi-Fi) it shows me a speed of 65.0 Mb / s - so this is the maximum speed I can achieve without a cable? I am asking this because in the near future I am going to switch from neostrada to 300 Mb/s optical fiber and I would like to achieve the highest possible speed by connecting via Wi-Fi. Should I buy a different/newer card to get the maximum speed?

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

You will never get the maximum speed, because it is due to many reasons. To have a real wifi speed of 250 Mb / s, you need a wifi 802.11ac 2x2 MU-MIMO transmitter with a bandwidth of 867 Mbps. For MU-MIMO to work fully, your end devices must support MU-MIMO, i.e. 802.11ac Wave2. Not to mention how many other wifi networks there are, what signal strength, what obstacles in the premises, furniture, what is in the walls, reinforcement, etc. All in all, it can be said that the maximum you will achieve will be how much you receive and it will not be a constant value - wifi is radio. In addition, DELL seems to have locks for replacing wifi cards - you need to modify the BIOS. Look for the Dell whitelist on the net - and read what is related to this topic.

jimasek · Answer

Speeds for the Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565 processor 72.2 Mbps for 20 MHz ~ 30 - 50Mpbs channel width 150Mbps for 40MHz ~ 70 -100Mbps channel width ~real transfers on this card

rostov84 · Answer

It seems that this model does not seem to have such limitations:

https://www.dell.com/community/Laptops-Genera...Inspiron-15-replace-wifi-adapter/td-p/4434316

If not, what better network card, which of course would be supported by this quite old laptop, should I buy to achieve at least slightly better results (both via cable and via wifi) than on the current network?
The laptop is almost 10 years old now, so I bet there are already cards out there that support much newer technology than mine.

Anonymous · Answer

No, this is the theoretical speed, taking into account interference or too low a signal level. It looks like you're working with a channel width of 20MHz, so the card in a clean environment should settle for 72Mbps. And it compiled at 64Mbps, so there is a small problem. So it would be good to start diagnostics of the wifi network --> Preferably InSSIDer (Win), possibly Wifi Analyzer (Android). One measurement DIRECTLY at the router Subsequent measurements in typical places where mobiles are used. And post the screen accordingly: / ATTENTION : When using a laptop or smartphone, you need to orientate it spatially (rotate) at each measurement point so that you always have the maximum signal at the measurement point. This is very important, because by changing the orientation of the phone or laptop in relation to the direction of the router / AP, the differences in signal measurement can be VERY large. Yes, and it should be a 2.4/5GHz dual band card. But let's first see what's going on in the ether in your apartment.

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

The only question is whether this grandpa can handle such higher speeds.

rostov84 · Answer

@_cheetah_ , my version of InSSIDer looks a bit different, so I'm posting 2 screenshots. I hope that's about it. In my case, one location is the most important - the laptop on the desk, the router is about 0.5 m from it.

Anonymous · Answer

There are different versions of InSSIDer, but what is most important is visible. Clinically pure ether on both bands, so no worries and it's good... ;)

I wonder why now the card is set up like this - try to move a few meters away from the router and check the connection speed again.

And secondly, if you have such a possibility, you can change the channel width in the router to 40MHz and see what happens - in a good setup and speeds could double.

rostov84 · Answer

@_cheetah_ , in the network card settings, in the '802.11n Bandwith' property, I set the value '20MHz/40Hz Auto' (I don't have the 40MHz value). However, in the router's wireless network settings, I set the channel width to '20/40MHz' (there is also no 40 MHz value here). Now the situation looks like this:

Anonymous · Answer

And there is an extra - the card was set at 150Mbps, so at the max of what it can do. In such a clean environment and with high levels, you should get around 100...120Mbps on DL. This low connection setting of 20MHz is maybe a coincidence, or one of the devices has a problem - router or card.

With a new card, I would hold off until you know what router you will get with fiber - single or dual band and how much MIMO it will have. Then it will be easy to choose something so that you have 300Mbps over wifi (if the router allows it), and without overpaying.

For now, you can look around for a replacement for your current card compatible with your laptop. If not it's USB.

rostov84 · Answer

@_cheetah_ from what I can see, the 300 Mb / s option includes FunBox 3.0, i.e. 2.4 GHz 802.11n 2 * 2 and 5 GHz 802.11ac 4 * 4 and four antennas working in MU-MIMO mode

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

Everything is beautiful, only he doesn't have any external antennas, so don't expect a torpedo here either, and in addition, people also complain about his wifi.

rostov84 · Answer

Privately, I have a TP-LINK TD-W8960N, but it only works on 2.4 GHz, so it seems that in addition to a new network cable, you will also need to look for a new router ...

Anonymous · Answer

max that could be drawn with a 40MHz channel is about 220 ... 230Mbps. Here you could easily achieve your 300Mbps and with a reserve for the unforeseen. max that could be drawn in 802.11ac with the 80MHz channel and MIMO1x1 is about 310 ... 330Mbps. max that could be drawn in 802.11ac with the 80MHz channel and MIMO2x2 is about 600 ... 650Mbps. max that could be drawn in 802.11ac at 80MHz channel and MIMO3x3 is about 950Mbps. max that could be drawn in 802.11ac with 80MHz channel and MIMO3x3 is about 1.Gbps. As you can see, an ac1200 card (300+866/MIMO2x2) would be enough, unless you were thinking about some future and even faster connections. Possibly a low-cost card with MIMO1x1, but then you are in touch and any flesh can drop you below 300Mbps ;) You probably won't get an internal card (replacement) with MIMO2x2, and you would have to have a second antenna in your laptop. I also don't know if the current antenna would go to 5GHz. You'd have to ask in the service department.

rostov84 · Answer

For financial reasons, I do not foresee an option higher than 300 Mbps. By the way, my current card is what type? Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet?

Anonymous · Answer

Fast Ethernet. In Device Manager it even says FE --> Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

Fast Ethernet only. So it won't be faster than 100Mb over LAN anyway.

rostov84 · Answer

So why this 150 Mbps speed in the properties of the Wi-Fi connection? Forgive me for these lame questions, but I'm very lost in this network stuff.

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

Wifi has nothing to do with LAN, it's 2 different, mutually independent cards.

rostov84 · Answer

@KOCUREK1970 , are they 2 separate, PHYSICAL devices?

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

Of course. You remove the wifi card from your computer and the LAN card still works.

rostov84 · Answer

So what dual-band Wi-Fi card that would be compatible with my laptop should I purchase?

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