Wireless device high dB but low throughput?

Question

To clear things out... the wireless device used by my ISP can send 4 mbps when the signal strength is 20dB, this is tested result.

Now, when they have installed it in my location the dB is 40 which is very good. ISP is giving us 2 Mbps, but when we download the speed is less then 128 kbps. ISP themselves are very confused, because when the dB is good bandwidth should be good. In our case dB is very good but data rate is very slow. Why.. it doesnt make any sense?? ISP's other clients using same device get full purchased bandwidth.

Wireless device is non line of sight, Sonanet wireless, working at 700Mhz

Answer 1

im the only 1 that answer your previous question caz nobody really understand the difference between DB and speed. you need to understand this first.



DB and Speed does NOT work on a equal ratio. I can give you a high DB transmission so you can have better signal STRENGTH but that does not equal to better speed. It only give you a better CONNECTION.



A very good example is a typical wireless home setup. A typical wireless router like linksys uses a 2db antenna to transmit at a signal strength of 2db and provide you a speed of 54mbps using the wireless G technology. if you change the antenna to 40db, it does not give you 20x54MBps.



Second clue, look at your notebook wireless , remember you can see how many signal BAR you are getting from the wireless router? that is signal strength measure in DB. the further away, the lower the DB, your speed does not drop. its the signal that drops. you can do a same download test. first test with a signal strength of 5 bar. then another test with 3 bar. you will notice your download rate stays the same. 3 bar signals are still stable.



3rd clue. wireless is just another type of digital tranmission media, cable is another. you need a transmission media to get from 1 point to 1 point right. so if your argument is good DB give you faster speed.so if i use cable, perfect DB, will it going to give you 100mb download speed? obviously answer is no caz your ISP has limited your download speed to internet!!.



Now you see the difference between DB and speed?



ISP can control the upstream and downstream speed thru their routers thats how they segregate amount of bandwidth to sell you. Broadband are asymmetric, meaning up and download speed are not the same. These up/down rate is controlled by the ISP routers.



**theres also something call burst rate which i wont explain here caz its irrelevant to your problem :)



i think your ISP is acting confused and trying to cheat you. it only happen in your location caz they only limit your connection. they should know these very well.they are in this line of business.



pss.. take your test equipment and put right in front of their 40db anthenna, you will see what i mean.you will still get 128kbs at a signal strength of 40db.



found this article for you. it teaches you how increasing DB can get your distance.DB is all about achieving distance not speed.

start reading from " I mentioned that I can get 802.11b to go 25 miles, and yes, I have done this" 802.11b=10mbps

http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=1923

Answer 2

You would expect about 240kB/s, right?



2,000,000 Mbps

/8 -> 250,000 MBps.

/1024 -> 244kB/s.



So it seems you're only getting about half the bandwidth you should be getting. What is the wireless device connected to? Perhaps you have a bad/misconfigured switch or router?

Answer 3

it make sense if the ISP you sign-up to is over populated. Despite the fact you can connect to your ISP at 2Mbps, but they can only retrieve the information for you at 128kps. Or it can be nothing to do with your ISP but the server you downloading from is crap.



This is at least how i sees it witht he available information ._."