Hi, I have two PCs, both running Windows 2000 Sp4 connected to a Netgear router sharing a 4Mbit DSL connection. Both PCs are running fast, have no spyware or viruses and are using the same software in regards to firewall, antivirus and browser. Both have the latest drivers for mobo, network adapters ect. The problem I have is that one PC is downloading faster than the other - PC 1 peaks at about 490KB/sec with PC 2 reaching 450KB/Sec. I've verified this by trying various speed tests and downloading the same file from the same server. The strange thing is, the PC with the newer specs is the one downloading at a slower rate. The only thing I can think of is that PC 1 is using a PCI Nic whilst the other is using an on-board one. Would this make such a difference? If anyone else has encountered a similar problem or could offer any advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

If you test at same time then it could be that the one has a lower ip address, mac address better q or different nic card or different driver. I suspect that the basics of the computer cause this not the nuts and bolts of tcp/ip. To see set up a performance monitor that looks at network numbers and cpu numbers that relate to network. Compare the two logs. Is this all you have to worry about? My life must stink. I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you goober.

They both sound good download speeds.. stop worrying. It could be many things but its not worth trying to hard to resolve.. make sure the drivers are up to date..