Housemate hogging up the wireless network connection?

Question

My ISP is BT. I have 3 housemates excluding me who use the same wireless router. I experience terribly slow internet when one of my housemate (his name is Tom) starts using his computer. The internet isn't slow when the other 2 housemates use their pc. I always receive the maximum wireless signal so its not the issue here. Is it possible for someone to deliberately set up the connection so that he gets fast connection while giving others slow connection? Any ideas on how to resolve this without getting a new ISP for myself?

Answer 1

What is he doing on the computer?



In most cases, the router gives demand-assigned access. So if he's downloading stuff and playing videos, he gets the most access while you guys get shafted.



I would talk to him and ask what he's doing with it. Tell him that because it's your Internet, you are the one who is in charge of how much of it he can use. If he tells you to piss off, then access your router and filter his MAC address so that he can't access it. http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wirelessproducts/qt/macaddress.htm



Then, take your friends' MAC addresses and add them to the list of "allowed" addresses. This way, Tom can't use your wireless even if he has your password. Here's how to find your MAC address: http://www-dcn.fnal.gov/DCG-Docs/mac/



Mike

Answer 2

The wireless is disabled on the Getaway .. try connecting the ethernet cable to your laptop and open a browser and on the address bar type . " 192.168.1.1" or "192.168.1.2" thats the usual ips for routers even better if those ips dont work go to comand prompt and type ipconfig it will show you your ip thake that ip and change the last set of numbers example "192.168.1.XXX " and change it to 1 or 2. That will display the device gui from there look at the wireless tab it might ask you for a username and pass . Look on the manual for the default user and pass . If not mentioned do a look up on google for the defaults usually are User: user Pass: pass but it all depend on the brand and its firmware . Just give it a try and let us know. As i was reading on the gateway site this can also be acomplished using the cd it came with . Try it as some modems uses cd as the gui and the just configure the gateway .

Answer 3

Depends on the router you have.

If you have a simple router like a bt home hub then no. You all get the same bit.

It could be that the house mate has either viruses on his pc that they are busy sending lots

of spam email the minute the computer comes online.

Other possibilities are that he is running file sharing programs like torrents where he has downloaded

files in the past and these are then seeded to other users wanting to download the files.

The moment his computer comes online again he is seeding download files for other internet users.



It is a case of looking at the computer and seeing what programs are active and sending and receiving data over the internet. If the computer is on and no applications are running it shouldn't be using the internet.

Answer 4

he must be video streaming or something that is using up most of the available band width, who has control of the router, do you all have access to the settings as it may be possible to prioritise one user over others in the settings which would give him most of the bandwidth

Answer 5

He is probably always downloading things so your bandwidth is used up.

Ask him to only download at prearranged times.

Answer 6

tell him to stop wacthing porn it is ovyous that he is constantly using video bandwidth,put a parental filter on the network lulz

Answer 7

type ip address into browser and go into the settings and block him from the network. or just restrict what he can do.