Ubuntu – Intel Centrino slow speed (14.04)

14.04intel-wirelesswireless

First, I'm using Ubuntu 14.04 in a XPS 14 with Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 wlan card.

My wlan speed is terrible, I get 5.5~6MB/s using wlan, for comparison I have another notebook with Killer-N wlan card, and I get 20~23MB/s speed download. Using Ethernet I get 25~28MB/s in both notebooks. (all tests using nearest University download mirror, unlimited download speed, my ISP link is Optical Fiber 200MB).

Some say to disable N-mode, but does it mean the "802.11n support"? I mean, my card is a/b/g/n, if I disable this "N-mode" will it "disable" the 802.11n speed connection (54 Mbit/s to 600 Mbit/s), if so I will be stuck with the slow 802.11a/b/g speeds, and this wouldn't help at all, because they are slow!

How can I get better speeds using this wlan card?

Update #1: I tried the "disable N-mode" thing, and it didn't work, my computer don't even connect to the router as it's configured to work in n-only network, and I won't change it, I won't cap my whole network because of Ubuntu!

Best Answer

First, check the settings in the router. WPA2-AES is preferred; not any WPA and WPA2 mixed mode and certainly not TKIP. Second, I have better luck with a channel width of 20 MHz in the 2.4 GHz band instead of automatic 20/40 MHz. I also have better luck with a fixed channel, either 1, 6 or 11, rather than automatic channel selection. After making these changes, reboot the router.

Next, I recommend that your regulatory domain be set explicitly. Check yours:

sudo iw reg get

If you get 00, that is a one-size-maybe-fits-all setting. Find yours here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-2 Then set it temporarily:

sudo iw reg set IS

Of course, substitute your country code if not Iceland. Set it permanently:

gksudo gedit /etc/rc.local

Right above the line exit 0, add the line:

iw reg set IS

Proofread carefully, save and close gedit.

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