Wireless network file transfer stops all other network activity?

[vnf4ultra]

I have a network problem, and it may be a bit hard to explain my situation fully, but I'll try to cover the pertinent information. Basically, when I do anything network intensive, like a file transfer, the file transfer will work, but it will kill all other network activities. I can't browse the web or IM during this time as Firefox will say that it's timed out and IM will drop off and disconnect.

The network setup I'm using is hard to explain fully, but the basic core of it is a router with an access point linked via WDS. The router provides wifi through the house, and also connects to the AP with WDS (@ full 54g signal). The AP basically just gives me hardwired Ethernet ports for my equipment (which is in a location where it would be very difficult to hardwire). Both the router and AP are running the latest "tomato" aftermarket firmware FWIW.

Almost all of my transfers involve going from wired to wireless. I tested my transfer speed during several file transfers and got just a tad over ~3MB/s (~24mbit/s), which seems ok to me since it's going from wired to wireless g. If I do a transfer over ethernet to ethernet (no wireless), it does not seem to cause the problem.

Basically it seems like the router is not dividing up wireless bandwidth as it should. It seems to be only allowing the one transfer to use the wireless at any given time. Is there a setting that might help me? I was thinking maybe a QOS setting might help, but I'm not really sure what I'm doing in that respect. This is what my QOS menus look like, if that helps. Any help is appreciated. I'm no network whiz, so take it easy on me. Thanks!

 

[Tmagic650]

Have you tried another router or changed the routers location?

 

[DelJo63]

Normally, WiFi is significantly slower (ie lower bandwidth) than a wired connection and
this symptom should never occur.

Can you isolate the devices for a brief test to use only the router + (1) WiFi + (1) wired connection and repeat the test?

>> Both the router and AP are running the latest "tomato" aftermarket firmware
I suspect this to be involved in your problem.

 

[vnf4ultra]

I just tested the main router connected to one pc via cat5e and the other via wireless. I transferred a 500MB file from one to the other, and the speed was good for going from hardwired to wireless (~25mbit/s). Neither pc could access the internet at all during the transfer, but as soon as it finished, internet was available again. My thought is that this is a function (or dysfunction ) of the firmware. I could try DD-WRT instead, but I read that the tomato firmware has better speed.

I originally wasn't getting enough throughput on the wifi for my application, which is why I upgraded the firmware to the tomato firmware. Tomato is faster, but it seems like it isn't allowing anything else during transfers. I should mention my goal is to get video streaming going on my wireless network as well as regular internet access. My streaming video is "broadcast" using UDP and uses ~17.5mb/s. I would *think* that if I have 25mb/s available, then 17.5mb/s + internet traffic(<1.5mb/s) should work.