Vista Wireless Performance Questionnaire

Having watched this post grow and all the comments change about MTU value i feel it is now time for me to speak up.

I must first say that i am quite dissapointed with the wireless performance and since this was a Vista issue that has also not gone away with Windows 7 i can continue to assume the issues is not (specifically) windows related.

Here i will post my observations - needless to say i still have no desire to spend more money on powerlines (network points that use earth lines in your electricity supply) or run ethernet cables round the house - thats the whole point of wireless and the reason i bought a wireless router!

My setup (all devices listed, PC Specs are not relevant as i have tested many many devices).

Router - Netgear WNDR3700 (only 2.4GHz used, with WPA2-PSK (AES))
NAS - Netgear ReadyNas NV+ (4x2TB ST32000542AS) Enable fast CIF is on everything else - off.
PC1 - hardwired Windows 7
Laptop 1 - wireless Windows Vista
Tablet - wireless windows 7
PC2 - wireless (currently XP)
Cowan Q5 - Wireless WindowsCE
Netbook - wireless - Windows XP
2 x Nintendo Wii wireless
Nokia N86 Symbian 9.1 wireless
Epson PX800FW hardwired

As well as other wireless devices from time to time.

Ok so, a lot of the above are not relevant but will give an insight in to the fact that wireless is becoming very much used not just by laptops but by many other devices now. (Even my Nokia can map a drive to the NAS fine)

I setup a PC - new build with Windows 7 on, let it do its own thing for drivers so they are all certified, i then later on tried netgears own latest drivers - with the same results (wireless dongle WN111V2 was used).

All tests performed without any MTU changes - all out of the box defaults.

Test 1 - router configured for 54Mb only
Internet speeds (downloads) of 2Mb/s (around about 20mbit)
copy from the nas - less than 15 bytes per second

Test 2 - router configured for 130Mb only
Internet speeds (downloads) of 1Mb/s (around 10mbit)
copy from the nas - about 300-400kb/s

Test 3 - router configured for 300Mb only
Internet speeds (downloads) of 60Kb/s (around 512Mb)
Copy from the nas - about 2Mb/s


What i dont understand is why when i increase the wireless speed does my internet speed reduce but my Nas transfers actually work, but when i lower the wireless speed my nas transfers are rediculous and my internet speed returns.
Both the ReadyNas, router and the wireless dongle are Netgear devices - ok one was an aquired vendors kit but now labelled Netgear.

Can anyone explain?

As we know most wireless devices will conenct at 54Mb - and herein lies the problem for NAS speeds as above.

I have changed the MTU and got better speeds, but i shouldn't have to change these, it is in a way the same as me buying a fast car but the mechanic telling me, oh it wont go that fast on the road, you have to tweak it for it to actually move and even then dont hold your breath.

I am willing to test but please, someone, anyone - there must be an answer, i see other vendors do not have this issue, so what is so unique about the ReadyNAS for this to still remain an issue?