No I make sure I close anything that might cause a hiccup, even stuff like messenger. I just don't get where the discrepancy is coming from. Speed tests varying wildly depending on if the router is used, but download speeds from newsgroups remain constant no matter how I connect to the net.
Obviously this becomes a hurdle when I call tech support and they do the test with just the modem. It doesn't alter the fact that in the evening, my speeds are dreadful
During the quietest times of the day I can get close to maximum speed, which is why I doubt my router is broken.
I mentioned in that other thread that is linked above, that when the students in my area are on holiday, my speeds shoot back up. I have reached the maximum 20meg on many occasions even as recently as Christmas, so the router is capable of dealing with that speed.
Of course I am happy to buy a new router if someone recommends one that is easy to setup and works as it should.