: Slow DNS or Bad Router? Working from Home
: Slow DNS or Bad Router? Working from Home
After a few days of looking through search results, I figured i'd ask here for some help with an issue were having as of this past week; my wife is now working from home and we need to get this remedied.
Problem: For the last week, web pages are loading slow, a few not at all, and while were gaming (Tarkov) as well, the load times between menus and things is really long.
I'm not incredibly savvy, but can get around with networking.
I've noticed the problem is GONE when my desktop is plugged directly into the modem; but then we have no wifi obviously. I do not disconnect in games, and ping/etc is fine in game as well.
System Specs
9800x3d
3080 10gb
64gb 6000mhz
1000w Seasonic PSU (2 months old)
Samsung 980 Pro m.2 ssd (45% full) (good health)
WDC 1tb SSD (5% full) (crystaldisk says good health)
Asus B650-E motherboard
Peripherals:
2 1440p monitors
1 USB-C Microphone
1 usb camera
1usb controller
I've tried removing everything, problem still persists. I have 1 wired connection (my desktop) and 5 wireless devices (macbook, 2 phones, xbox, TV) Problem is also happening on the macbook when searching pages.
Things i've tried;
New ethernet cables
Rebooting modem and router/resetting network settings, etc.
Changing DNS, as i thought these were symptoms of a "slow" DNS; same issue. (used google and cloudflare)
Turning off IPV6 as many results said that; no help.
Ran Pingplotter and GRCs DNS test and everything looked ok, response times were good.
6. Updated router firmware
Modem - Motorola MB8600
Router - ASUS AC2900 (with Merlin software)
The router is 2 years old, and everything was working well up until a week ago, with no new updates to anything in our network.
Anyone have any leads to go on, i feel like ive exhausted all i can do with my knowledge.
https://ibb.co/PZJcQ4Cj
Update your post with detailed hardware specifications, operating system details, and power supply information. Provide the PSU make, model, wattage, age, and condition (original, build, refurbished, used). List all connected peripherals and confirm if there are any mixed wired and wireless network devices. Run "ipconfig /all" in the Command Prompt and share the complete output. I suspect a potential IP address/subnet conflict due to duplicate configurations.
The ipconfig/all output indicates the PC is asking for a DHCP IP from a router at 192.168.50.1 (subnet 255.255.255.0) and receiving the IP 192.168.50.192. The 192.168.50.1 address probably belongs to the Asus router, while the modem is likely 192.168.100.1. Most small networks follow this connection layout (where ---> means Ethernet cable): ISP === (cable, DSL, fiber) ===> Modem LAN port → [WAN port] router [LAN ports] → wired devices and ~~~~ > wireless devices. The router handles DHCP IP assignments, not the modem. Resetting both may reset their settings back to defaults, making the router the active DHCP server. It’s possible the modem has DHCP enabled. Only one device should manage IP addresses; the router is responsible for them. Disabling the modem’s DHCP and ensuring only the router is configured will restore normal operation. Checking the modem’s default IP, admin name, and password on its label can help.
The modem and router you shared are the right ones. I've tested 192.168.50.1 and 191.168.50.1 but received "site cannot be reached; refused to connect." The ASUS router login shows the URL as 192.168.50.1.
I looked at the event viewer; does this indicate anything?
See: https://imgur.com/a/iEoxoK8
It seems unusual with this event viewer, but I’m not sure if it’s related. Usually, when DHCP isn’t working, you don’t receive an IP address. After all this time, it makes sense that Microsoft might release a list of messages and clarify their meaning.
The browser’s sluggish performance appears to be connected to DNS issues, though other factors could be involved. You often recall making changes, but there’s a way to adjust the DNS settings in the browser. This feature lets you bypass DNS entirely, which was previously the only method for using an encrypted DNS server. Make sure this option is disabled or leave it blank. It varies by browser, so I’m uncertain if it’s available on a MacBook. If you can’t locate it, it’s likely fine—just as long as you’ve adjusted it before.
A basic test might help. Check if Speedtest works properly and displays expected results. Observe if it slows down or freezes during operation. Try simple command-line tests.
First, ping 8.8.8.8 with the -t option to capture more than a couple seconds of data. Then attempt DNS lookup directly. You can use any site, such as microsoft.com.
NSLOOKUP www.microsoft.com will show the DNS server being used. It should confirm whether it’s pointing to 8.8.8.8 and reveal your assigned IP address and server name.
Alternatively, nslookup www.microsoft.com can test Cloudflare without altering your PC settings. Another DNS server I recall is 1.1.1.1, which checks Cloudflare responsiveness. If it works smoothly, the results should appear almost instantly. Remember, due to the virtual nature of systems today, IP addresses can differ even when using the same DNS provider.
I'm running Chrome, and the DNS settings are set to "Use OS default." Speedtest works perfectly for my service, with minimal ping and jitter. Checking ping to Google over a few minutes shows everything is normal—no delays or missed packets. With NSlookup, it's using my ISP's default DNS, which quickly returns the router's name.
It's unusual to see the ISP DNS displayed, possibly indicating a configuration reset to defaults. The image shared earlier indicated 8.8.8.8 as primary and 1.1.1.1 as secondary, but it should have been 8.8.8.8. I generally avoid using ISP DNS as they often lack stability. The default setup makes the router act as a proxy for the DNS server, which can lead to problems in practice. I usually set fixed configurations on your PC or configure the router's DHCP to provide 8.8.8.8. Additionally, enabling encrypted DNS settings can help, though most ISP DNS services don't support encryption.
I made the wrong change to the DNS in my LAN to 8.8.8.8 and reran the tests; the outcomes remain consistent (quick response, etc), though it now displays the proper Google DNS.