Slow connection?

[slamminshaun]

Not sure what the deal is, but since yesterday my Internet connection has been horse shit. I called India (BellSouth) and they had me restart, reboot, unplug, and replug everything from my modem, computer, to DSL connection at the wall plate. A "speed test" at their website says I'm getting the optimum speed for my service (Fast Access 6x).

Sometimes, the connection works like it should....sometimes my searches timeout. I'm running a 3.19 processor, 1GB RAM, and have 40GB left to go on my hard drive. I use anti-spyware, clean my cache, clean my temp files and think all of my software is updated. I use FireFox to browse.

What could it be? Any troubleshooters out there?

[pod]

What type of modem did Bellsouth set you up with?

[swank]

Originally Posted by Slammin'

Not sure what the deal is, but since yesterday my Internet connection has been horse shit. I called India (BellSouth) and they had me restart, reboot, unplug, and replug everything from my modem, computer, to DSL connection at the wall plate. A "speed test" at their website says I'm getting the optimum speed for my service (Fast Access 6x).

Sometimes, the connection works like it should....sometimes my searches timeout. I'm running a 3.19 processor, 1GB RAM, and have 40GB left to go on my hard drive. I use anti-spyware, clean my cache, clean my temp files and think all of my software is updated. I use FireFox to browse.

What could it be? Any troubleshooters out there?

I think that part is a recording...you better call back and press #5 to speak to a REAL agent.

But seriously...if you're wireless make sure your connection is locked so the neighbours kid is not using your internet to download porn.

[pod]

Sounds like it is a line quality issue almost. Those tend to be intermittent.

[swirlundergrounder]

Yeah my Comcast Cable Internet has been really slow the last couple of weeks also...

[pod]

Comcast has had some backbone issues recently.

And, since it's a consumer-level connection, there really not obligated to do much.

My advice realistically is to spend the extra ten or twenty bucks per month and get business service. You'll get an SLA that way.

[macboy]

See here:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...ce=rss_topic17

I guess this must be some sort of artery that it can affect internet service throughout the country.

[pod]

L3's a big backbone provider, so yeah that might be an issue.

[clubchicky]

I have comcast and I also have a wireless router..and it happens to me all the time...it is ridiculous....I call up to tell them my connection isn't working and they say oh do you have a wireless router? I say yeah...they say oh well that is a problem yada yada yada...I had to bypass the router unplug everything...plug it back in then it worked...THEN unplug everything again...plug the wireless router back in and then it works...they don't even explain to me WHY this shit happens.....it just happens....

[pod]

See, half the problem with consumer broadband connections is that they're operating over an infrastructure that could be anywhere from five to fifty years old. Sure, the DSLAM/CMTS might be circa 2005 or something, but the intervening wire is god-knows-how-old.

Wi-Fi complicates things. Most people leave their wireless routers in their default configuration when they buy them. Out of the box, 'oooh, I'm on the internet! Without wires!'

Which is fine and dandy, but most of the time, you have to secure your wireless connection, and also when I do it, I take the extra step of switching the channel to one of the less common ones. Channel 2 I usually put it to.

Also, the router itself could be a problem. Most Wi-Fi routers have a pretty lousy power output. That was the problem here at our apt. We have a DSL line (that works decent, surprisingly) coming in, that goes to a wireless router. Originally, the router was a bog-standard Linksys, the one everyone has. Now, that router is fantastic. But only for one or two people, with maybe one intervening room. The Linksys here was in a hot outdoor closet, serving ten people across six thousand square feet. It frequently overheated, and needed to be reset. So, what I did was I installed a weatherized, high-power commercial wireless router. Problem solved. It's been running for twenty days now without a problem.

Now, I wouldn't suggest for you a commercial router, since I'm guessing it's just you in a small condo. But, you can get cheap amplifiers for existing wireless routers. That will solve the wireless weak link. Next step would be to have some techs to come out and check the line.

Also, you can usually point your web browser at the DSL device itself (try 192.168.1.254) and see what speed you're synced at, line conditions, etc...