Does slow internet = virus load ?

[fohat.digs]

My internet has slowed down dramatically in the last few days. I am on AT&T fiber and use Linux Mint OS.

During the decades I used Windows there were numerous free (and very easy to use) virus checkers. Are there any for Linux that are free and easy?

Thanks!

[Aethelberht]

Interesting. . .

[tp4tissue]

Well the virus can't infect all your devices all at once,  try the other devices, if they're just as slow, it's not a virus.

[noisyturtle]

Probably the FBI throttling your connection to monitor your data

[AxNae]

Check ClamAV. Linux is generally safe, but it doesn’t hurt to have some protection. You might also want to try rkhunter for rootkit checks.

[Leslieann]

When was the last time you reset your internet and pc? How old is your router/modem?

ClamAV, like other linux anti-virus are just looking for Windows viruses, the AV industry all operates the same using the same definitions and ways to identify viruses. You will need to check resources manually either through terminal or a gui resource monitor. Honestly though, my money is on a loaded up router/modem or a dying router/modem.

A majority of routers/access points are really only good for 1-3 years.
My general rule is for every $50 you spend you get 6-12 months, with Asus and Buffalo being the longer lasting, Netgear being mid, and most others being crap. I also push heavily for open source models/compatibility as they tend to be a bit more stable and if they fail to update you can install aftermarket firmware.

[noisyturtle]

A majority of routers/access points are really only good for 1-3 years.

Could you explain this in further detail? I didn't know routers were like iPhones and degraded over time. Ours is about 4 years old, and in the last year I've noticed a slower connection, but attributed it to Comcast bull****.

For reference we have a Netgear Nighthawk, which was always the most reliable modem back when I was doing testing for online games.

[fohat.digs]

When was the last time you reset your internet and pc? How old is your router/modem?

Recently-ish ....

I think this recent problem was the result of Helene - I never lost power but there was a lot of stuff going on in the region.

[tp4tissue]

A majority of routers/access points are really only good for 1-3 years.
My general rule is for every $50 you spend you get 6-12 months, with Asus and Buffalo being the longer lasting, Netgear being mid, and most others being crap. I also push heavily for open source models/compatibility as they tend to be a bit more stable and if they fail to update you can install aftermarket firmware.

Very few models get aftermarket support, pretty much only 1 or 2 from each brand.

The Asus 86u series are the best supported.  But it's not forever, kinda bummed Tp4's ac2900gt which is AC86u is getting end of life through merlin. Maybe official firmware will go longer, but no more merlin.

The AX86u still has ongoing though. So that's probably the best buy. Although it's pretty expensive and AX is useless to most people.

AX86-S goes for $140 used, these might be the best bang for buck.

Adding a FILTERED active fan is a must for these routers, they get incredibly hot, 80C+ in summers without fan.

Tp4 suspects most router die because of heat.

[tp4tissue]

All the router talk this morning.

Checked the router temperature, haven't done that for at least a year, because who the hell checks their router temperatures all the time.

The temp was 75C on a cold morning. Woah, what's going on, Tp4 investigates.   The fan wasn't spinning because the 3pin connector wire pin had corroded, Damn, Guess should've direct soldered.

Lesson learned. Fan engaged, router cpu temp dropped from 75 to 56C.

[TomahawkLabs]

Does anyone else here use Unifi devices?

I run their camera and networking gear. Camera app is very good. It's all PoE, so I have APs in the garage and on each floor. Everything else that can be is hardwired. I own the modem since I don't need the equipment from my ISP. All my camera feeds are locally stored and accessible via remote means, but I like the fact I own my footage and no corporate entity legally has rights to the footage. Not cheap, but the only devices I could see needing replacement would be the modem after DOCSIS 3.1 is no longer supported. The APs are all replaceable once Wifi 6 is considered old, but I don't understand how it would just stop working/supported in the near future.

[tp4tissue]

Just tested my max throughput with 1500 inbound connections, probably would never see a higher load than this outside of vpn. And this load itself is artificial, you just wouldn't use the internet like this.

Only 1 C increase on router with its cpu 25% loaded, from 56 to 57.

That kinda tells you this stupid cpu doesn't throttle down. Wasting precious electricity.

[Leslieann]

I think this recent problem was the result of Helene - I never lost power but there was a lot of stuff going on in the region.

Very possible.

Could you explain this in further detail? I didn't know routers were like iPhones and degraded over time. Ours is about 4 years old, and in the last year I've noticed a slower connection, but attributed it to Comcast bull****.

For reference we have a Netgear Nighthawk, which was always the most reliable modem back when I was doing testing for online games.

Usually what you see is either an unstable wifi signal (it goes up and down in signal strength), it can just run slow, or it can slow then completely just stop until you unplug and plug it back in clearing the memory. The latter is a classic failure over time, the bummer is it's hard for most people to figure out if it's the modem or the router that failed (if separate), just reset (unplug then plug in) the router first and if it consistently fixes the problem you have your answer, but it's almost always the router (99% of the time). Cable companies tend to do reliability testing on modems and companies are held to task on making sure they work well. Router companies, not so much if it's not enterprise grade. Surprisingly, even some of those are not really that great either.

Much of this is because a LOT or routers are not properly powered, the power system is designed to supply just enough juice for the cpu, nothing more (I.E. the switch, usb ports, etc...), over time the capacitors wear out and things go bad. They're probably outsourcing the design. Some include too small of a brick but others actually limit power internally for some reason. Some are also insufficiently cooled and some use cut rate internals. Then there is software, at least one major manufacturer does almost ZERO in house programming and instead farms it all out to India, they also have a history of pushing beta testing firmware onto customers, often with no way to revert to what sort of worked other than sending the customer a new device which is just dumb.

It's not easy for the average consumer to find out what brands, much less models are reliable, some of the most highly praised routers in history on launch were duds a year or two down the line regardless of cost. One simple rule I have found however is to make sure it has open source firmware, the companies making chips that can use open source firmware probably give better information on power requirements rather than some generic chip and they are usually using firmware built from a well known common base rather than programming tons of it from scratch and crossing their fingers.  This usually adds a a few dollars to the price and beware, some companies differentiate the open source models from closed source variants with a simple letter change so you need to be careful, but almost every closed source router I've used has had a short life span while almost every open source router I've used has lasted two to eight times as long. The companies I have seen do well repeatedly is Asus, Buffalo and TP-Link, even the closed source seem to work better than average.

[tp4tissue]

The open source doesn't help if the community isn't large enough to fix the bugs. Only 2-3 models tops are popular per brand.