Help Slow Hotspot?

[seVer]

Yes, I'm still using it. There are circumstances that kinda force my hand for now. I plan to exchange it, just not immediately.

Having said that, does anybody else notice slow hotspot speeds? I'm using FoxFi with a paid key. Directly on my device I average 15-16Mbps down at home. Using my computer, via wifi obviously, I typically get a max 5-6Mbps down. And that's being generous. Sometimes it'll spike up, but not often, and is usually less than the 5-6Mbps.

I cleared the registry of all my hotspot names, created a new name, and it hasn't really changed. Contacting FoxFi is useless as I get an auto-reply telling me to visit their site, and the troubleshooting for slow speeds is "your speeds depend on your internet connection speed".

My home internet usually averages 20Mbps, via wifi on the same computer.

Help?

 

[seVer]

I think I found the culprit: Google Drive Sync (GDS). I deleted all wifi networks, cleared any entry with their SSID from the registry, and restarted my PC. I got the page about programs trying to shut down, and GDS was the only one showing. I forced reboot... After it completed, I checked my hidden icons so I could quit GDS, and it had a message that it was unable to connect. I quit the app, connected to hotspot, and ran a speed test. It was just about the same speed as directly on the device.

I think what happened (happens?!) is that GDS gets stuck on stupid and tries to sync incessantly. I may not notice on my home network because my PC defaults to that connection when I recover from standby, and it goes full derp when I change connections.

I'll keep testing and report whether or not that's the issue.

 

[seVer]

My hotspot speeds are still problematic while connected to a Win10 PC. Given my testing, I have to believe there's a compatibility issue with Win10…

Equipment: Note7 with latest software (and updated battery), GS6 with latest software, Nexus 7 (2013) with latest software, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit PC with latest updates (GIGABYTE GA-F2A85XN-WIFI Mini ITX Motherboard, AMD A-10-5800K APU, 8GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 1600Mhz RAM).

All speeds tested by Speedtest.net app (latest version) on phone/tablet or website via Chrome (latest version). The phones were sitting about 2 inches from each other during the testing. I ran the test a few times to get a decent average, and the tests were fairly consistent. With the exception of the Note7/PC connection, most speeds were on par with the wifi connection for my home internet (Motorola SB6121 modem and Archer C7 router, both with latest updates) while connected via wireless-G. (Note: hotspot is also wireless-G.)

Test results:

Note7-

- Device direct: 20-25Mbps down, 9-10Mbps up
- PC via hotspot: fluctuated 4-10Mbps down, 1-4Mbps up (typically in 5-8Mbps down and 2-3 Mbps up)
- GS6 via hotspot: 14-15Mbps down, 6-7Mbps up
- Nexus via hotspot: 12-14Mbps down, 8-10Mbps up

GS6-
- Device direct: 20-25Mbps down, 5-7Mbps up
- PC via hotspot: 18-19Mbps down, 5-6Mbps up
- Note7 via hotspot: 18-19Mbps down, 6-7Mbps up
- Nexus via hotspot: 13-14Mbps down, 5-6Mbps up


Can anybody else test and confirm whether or not I’m alone in these results? Please and thank you.

 

[seVer]

bump... nearly 300 views and no replies?

 

[mikedt]

So reading from your posts, it's an issue with FoxFi running on the N7? Could be no replies, because nobody else has had the same set of circumstances that's causing it, and so can't really give any good answers.

Myself, I've never used FoxFi, my phones have always been able tether to computers, including my new N7.

 

[seVer]

thanks for the reply. tethering isn't the problem- the speed is. the GS6 was using FoxFi during testing, and it had no issues. Same with my prior Note 4.

All FoxFi really does is override the subscription check for mobile hotspot. I'll add the account feature this weekend, disable FoxFi, and test again. I'll post another reply after testing.

 

[seVer]

Based on timing, I've had a helluva time trying to add the VZW hotspot feature (try to add after 10p and it opts to add the next day, and there's no option to change it)....

I was digging around in my PC's wireless adapter properties and found "Wireless Mode Selection". For some damnable reason it was set to B only. I know I didn't change it, so I'm wondering if it's set to whatever the first time it's connected. I changed it to G/N and retested- speakeasy.net, google's speed test, and verizon.com, all landed me 25-30Mbps down and 4-7Mbps up.

Will keep testing as I go and post again as I get new info.