slow internet throughput??

the bios, if I am looking at it correctly shows version a05(Azero5)

I have purchased an additonal nic card, linksys fast eithernet but was hessitant to install it yet.

is there a way to verify bios config? and date other than at startup?

thanks

ok I did the inventory with belarc advisor it says my bios is A05  04/18/2002

in the past time I contacted dell support.... who had me disable almost all start up files, then told me the nic card was probably the problem since it is a 10/100 fast eithernet card, and that I would be better off replacing the computer (which I have a hard time believing) support also told me that my laptop has a 10/100/1000 nic card which accouts for the better speed, not sure if I believe that one or not, but anyway I will most likely throw a few dollars at the problem and obtain a 10/100/1000 card and see if that makes any difference.

is the bios upgradeable or do I have to buy a chipset? if you know?

Thanks

I did check at support for the latest bios shows something like A09 oct of 2002 non of the notes indicate anything about network issues that i could find

The next time you talk to Dell, ask them how you are getting to get a faster throughput with a 10/100/1000 NIC card than what you cable modem is giving you.  I'd be interested in hearing that one.

 

The only way that gigabit NIC card would help would be if you had a gigabit switch to connect it to and another gigabit card on anohter machine to talk to, then your speed would really go up.  But just internally.

If you're on Cox HSI cable modem and you only get 40KB/s (320 Kbps) download then you have a serious issue somewhere.  You should be getting at least 20X that speed.  First, connect your cable line directly to the cable modem and not though any surge protector.  What brand/model cable modem do you have? What are your cable modem signal levels (downstream s/n, power level, upstream power level)? 

On the cable modem, the throught put is fine to the linksys router and laptop pc. ( the modem I bought from cox since it was so cheap, cheaper than renting one from them, this modem is so expensive the manufacturer was ashamed to put their name on it, as far as signal levels go, it has none showing, and I have no way of determining what they are, that I know of?

 

On the gigabit card, I agree with your comment on the gig network, I kinda think the dell rep might have been in another country and was unable to come up with any better explaination than buy a new computer.

Thanks

Remove the surge protector from the cable line and connect the cable directly to the modem, repeat the speed tests for download and upload.  What line speed test are you using?  What is the brand and model of your modem?

The surge protector has no effect on speed, as the laptop insprion is running at 38to 43 kbps, which is connected to the linksys router with the either net hub. As mentioned earlier I did try different eithernet ports on the router with no change, meaning the dimension stayed at the same slow speed when I swaped eithernet ports and the inspiron stayed at the high speed, to me this says the problem is in the computer, as I have tested (with a 10 base T tester) the eithernet cable.

 

The modem again has no name on it, all that is on the tags on the bottom of the modem is the mac(media access control address) ; model of uc10c018 and trade name of Ambit, pretty cheesie but what can one expect for about $30 I suppose if it works at all I am lucky..

 

the package I am paying for with cox; sudden link is the 4 meg down and cant remeber the up speed  so the insprion is getting close to the supposed to be speed, but the dimension is 3 times slower

 

Now I just changed the nic card(cant take it back to the store) to no avial speed runs the same on both cards, so I am beginning to wonder about the earlier comment on the bios? any ideas? the line speed test is www.pcpitstop.com I'm using the same on both machines.

thanks

I am using A05 which has a may 02 release date,and I think the latest is A09 however  the A09 still had an october 2002 release date on it

from reading the "fixes notes" on the various versions of bios there are no mentions of fixing an adapter through put or speed issue though

I'll say it another way, if you have Cox HSI and you only get 40KB/s (320 Kbps) download then you have a serious issue with your cabling or modem.  A 4 Mb/s download is about the same as 500 KB/s download.  You say you are at 40 KB/s, so do the math.   

ok  I did the math and came up with the fact that I was off a decimal place....

the inspiron is running down at 380 to 430 kbps (3.8 to 4.3 mbps megabit per second)

while the dimension is running down at 98 to 120 kbps,(.98 to 1.2 mbps) and the slowness continues to reside within the dimension, even after adding a(new) nic card?