WiFi Latency Issues Under Windows 7?

This is just a short guide for Windows 7 x64 users with a Broadcom 943xx WiFi chipset.

Usually I balk at using any of the Windows Update provided drivers. I feel that if anyone is going to optimize the use of their device/chipset it's going to be the manufacturer, not Microsoft. However, with Windows 7 my opinion changed slightly, perhaps incorrectly, because for the first time when adding hardware to the system, Windows asks to check Windows Update, actually does it, and in many cases finds the driver (in contrast to XP and Vista).

The issue I was having with Microsoft's driver was high latency. I was playing my MMORPGs with about a 300ms ping, which is playable, but caused me to shy away from doing anything group-related. Of course, I started with troublshooting the router, the cable modem, etc, but my conclusion was that it was my computer. Other computers in the house didn't have the same issue.

So I started searching and it wasn't an easy quest. Most of the information I found didn't solve my issue until I came across this post. LaptopVideo2Go has always been my first stop after reinstalling Windows on a laptop as I tend to be very unsatisfied by the OEM-provided Video drivers. My search led me to a forum post in which many of the Broadcom 943xx drivers were archived.

A word of warning: Using video drivers which aren't specifically written for OEM hardware (read: embedded hardware, laptops) can be dangerous and I hold no responsibility for any damage which may occur as a result of using drivers from LaptopVideo2Go.

So, the driver that I chose was the latest.

http://files.laptopvideo2go.com/wlan/broadcom_v5.100.57.8.exe DriverVer=08/19/2010, 5.100.57.8

This is the latest driver for Windows 7 users, both 32 and 64 bit.

I recommend reading the forum post before fiddling with your system: Latest Broadcom 943xx Driver.

I installed, rebooted for good measure, and found that my ping was now hovering around 90ms, which is exactly what I wanted. Of course, faster would be good, but I'm satisfied with eliminating about 200ms from my ping just by installing a driver.

The only caveat is that when the P.C. awakens from Sleep Mode, the device is missing from the system. This is actually an old issue from the RC days of Windows 7. So far, the only way to solve it is to use Microsoft's driver. Of course, using MS's driver will most likely result in a higher latency, but you'll be able to use the Sleep function of Windows 7. It's your choice; my priority was to lower my latency, yours may be to never have to reboot.