slow download speed..fast connection...why?and what can i do?

starlite_2

I am currently on a 2 meg connection, yet my downloads are really really slow and eat up all the bandwidth making web surfing really slow and annoying.
i have installed net medic but don't understand what it is telling me or how to fix the problems.
i have heard that bandwidth is shared beteween a few customers in the same area, so if one is using excessively the rest are slowed down...but i dont understand the ins and outs of this and how it may affect me
is there anything i can do to improve my speed? i feel like im paying too much for something i am not getting...

VH

Have you checked your PC for spyware and viruses? It's possible that this is using up your bandwidth and slowing down your connection.

starlite_2

oh yes...im at least savvy when it comes to that..i run spyboy and adaware at least once a week....
thanks anyway..
any other ideas?

alanrowell

It's not the download that's causing the problem, it's the upload. You'll have a 2Mb download bandwidth but only a 256Kb upload bandwidth.

When you do a download a smaller upload signal is also sent.

If you are doing P2P then that can swamp anything else you want to download such as web pages or e-mails.

The only solution is to see if the P2P software has a means for restricting the bandwidth used for downloads which will then have a corresponding effect on the bandwidth used for uploads. If it doesn't then find software that does.

Toxteth_OGrady

Try this Speedtest.

Check the service status on your ISP's website to see if they have any problems.

Type in your phone number on this link and see if there are currently any problems with your local exchange.

If not you may need to tweak your MTU and RWIN settings. For help with this see here.

HTH

:cool:

TOG

wealthsaver

imported_ami wrote:

I am currently on a 2 meg connection, yet my downloads are really really slow and eat up all the bandwidth making web surfing really slow and annoying.

i have heard that bandwidth is shared beteween a few customers in the same area, so if one is using excessively the rest are slowed down...but i dont understand the ins and outs of this and how it may affect me
is there anything i can do to improve my speed? i feel like im paying too much for something i am not getting...

You do not say who your ISP is nor what exchange area you are in.

Ring up your ISP or email Tech support and ask if they can test the line if you have not already. Check http://www.adslguide.org who have headlines about current issues and have a forum where you can read about customer feedback about ISPs.

http://www.samknows.com allows you to see which exchanges are suffering from VP congestion. This is the backhaul from the local DSLAM to the rest of the world and is one point where internet traffic may bottleneck. You can search for your local exchange and rule out this as an issue.

for example Bowes Park http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange.php?ecode=LNBPK
Bowes Park is red status
IPStream VP status (BT Wholesale DSL) - This tells you the status of the "Virtual Paths" on your exchange. This can be either Red, Amber or Green. If your exchange is Red or Amber then you may find that at peak times your speed may degrade. You should also find an VP upgrade date attached for your exchange if this is the case.

Hope you get a resolution to your issue.

starlite_2

thanks for all the help...i am with ntl...our speed has never been brilliant which makes me think its a general problem with our provider rather than caused by a specific problem. i will give all of these ideas a go, and let you know if it helps.

amateur_saver

It's not the download that's causing the problem, it's the upload. You'll have a 2Mb download bandwidth but only a 256Kb upload bandwidth.

This is totally why this is all happening... although people think we are getting super duper deals from the internet people for download bandwith, the upload is still really really slow, and most people don't realise this. 256kb is the case for most of us... I'm afraid....

Technology - don't we just love it !

Hope this helps.