Pronounced Lag After Upgrade to .342 Firmware

[Bulldog]

I love my RT-N56U but I think...maybe...that the .342 firmware is causing a problem.

My RT-N56U is paired with a Asus USB-N53 adapter (w/latest driver) and runs on Windows 7 x64. Maybe coincidence, but around the time I installed the new firmware my computer developed a pronounced lag before connecting to the internet. Example: I load my browser (Chrome, Firefox or IE) and there is a 'waiting period' of 10 - 12 seconds before the browser connects to the internet.

Same thing happens with email (Outlook 2010): There's a waiting period before Outlook starts downloading mail.

When I replaced the USB-N53 adapter with an Ethernet cable, wow: virtually instant connection.

* Anyone else w/similar experience after .342?

* If .342 isn't the cause, I'll gratefully appreciate troubleshooting tips.