internet speed issue?

[ShippoFox]

Okay, I think there's something not right here....

768 Kbps downstream/128 Kbps upstream is my connection.

When I download things, I rarely ever get 100kb/s. It's usually a bit slower than that. Is something messed up?

Also, it costs about $40/month (in US dollars). Is that a ripoff?

 

[Spirit]

Firstly, does your ISP have a download limit at all? If so, you may have downloaded too much and had your speed reduced until the end of the billing month. EDIT: If your ISP has a download limit, stick to it and make sure you don't go over. If you can't, consider upgrading to a higher plan. But be warned, some ISPs claim to have better value for money, but the main way they sting you is by counting uploads, which essentially halves the claimed download limit. Read the fine print!

Secondly, have you tried power cycling the modem? This usually fixes sync issues.

Thirdly, where is the server located? Is it local or international? Also, are you testing with SpeedTest.net? One important thing you need to know about SpeedTest is that it is horribly inaccurate. On nearly ever server in Australia and New Zealand, I get 10Mb/s at the maximum, when in reality, my modem syncs at about 18.

Finally, are any programs slowing the connection? I have nightmares with µTorrent, it just uses all of my bandwidth for no discernible reason, yet the actual throughput is negligible. If you are running Windows Vista, go to Task Manager, point to the "Performance" tab, then to "Resource Monitor". Expand "Network" and see what is happening. It would also be a good idea to go to the "Networking" tab in Task Manager to check your network utilization.

Now, your ISP. $40 seems a bit steep for the connection you're getting, although I know nothing about American broadband, over here that would be considered a rip-off. What ISP are you with?

 

[ShippoFox]

Firstly, does your ISP have a download limit at all? If so, you may have downloaded too much and had your speed reduced until the end of the billing month.

That can't be it. It's always this way. I just now noticed the slowness after comparing it to another (cheaper) DSL connection I used the other day.

Secondly, have you tried power cycling the modem? This usually fixes sync issues.

I do that when the connection screws up (goes out completely). It doesn't usually have any effect on my connection speed itself though.

are you testing with SpeedTest.net? One important thing you need to know about SpeedTest is that it is horribly inaccurate.

Yeah, it's not exact. SpeedTest was giving me 699/114 or something like that. I just know that 768/128 seems to be what I'm SUPPOSED to be getting. Plus the download/upload speeds seem slow.

Finally, are any programs slowing the connection? I have nightmares with µTorrent, it just uses all of my bandwidth for no discernible reason, yet the actual throughput is negligible. If you are running Windows Vista, go to Task Manager, point to the "Performance" tab, then to "Resource Monitor". Expand "Network" and see what is happening. It would also be a good idea to go to the "Networking" tab in Task Manager to check your network utilization.

Nah, it's not my computer. I was getting amazing download speeds on the other connection with this same computer (my laptop). Downloading a 300MB file on here from megaupload (during happy hour) takes about an hour, but it only takes 15 minutes on the other connection (which is at my mom's house).

Now, your ISP. $40 seems a bit steep for the connection you're getting, although I know nothing about American broadband, over here that would be considered a rip-off. What ISP are you with?

Earthlink.

 

[Deleted member 989]

Your ISP is working perfectly and there's nothing wrong. You are getting your advertised price.

768kbps. That's kilobits per second.

When you download stuff, as the 100KB/s you're seeing, that's in kilobytes per second.

If you recall from math class, there are 8 bits in a byte. 768/8 = 96. Simply put, 768kbps is 96KB/s which is just about exactly the speed advertised.


Congrats, you've been suckered by ISP's using kilobits as the unit of measure to make the numbers look bigger. Proof that the method is effective though, huh?

 

[inquantum]

Of course, allow me to do a little edit to what Ashley has said. Take roughly 80-85% of 96 and you get your approximate average figure. It is due to different server loads, and more importantly, how your data is getting to you. Which websites you view are also of importance since the data has to be transferred a longer distance.

In essence, a local site would give better download speeds rather than you downloading from an Australian site. And of paramount importance is where your exchange is located at. If your exchange is located far away from you, it also slows down some. Thus, if you are a geek, find a place that is situated near an exchange to get optimal bandwidth speeds. =)

 

[ShippoFox]

So we're basically being ripped off because there's a much better ISP for about half the price, correct? If so, then that's what I suspected.

 

[Deleted member 989]

Totally, 100KB/s for like $40 a month is like crap. :O I get like uhh... 10mbps (1280KB/s) for $55 a month from Rogers in Canada. I dunno what prices are like in the United States but it sounds like you're getting shafted.

But personally, I'm less concerned with speed as I am with total download/upload ammounts, I'd be fine to have stuff come in at only 100KB/s, so long as I could take in like 200-300GB per month. :O Right now I only get 95GB, I only went with this speed service cause their next lowest rank was 60GB. :/

 

[ShippoFox]

I don't think most places in the US have monthly bandwidth limits. Well, at least It's supposed to be unlimited, but I think some ISPs have a hidden limit. (though the limit is usually quite high.) I think it's 600GB for Comcast.

"Up to 1.5Mbps" -Earthlink website
That's not what I have, is it? That's what I should be getting for the price we're paying though....

 

[mm3]

$40, for 768kb/s DSL? Verizon or Earthlink, I assume? My friend Mike has the same plan and he pays $14.99 for it. $40 should be able to get you a pretty fair decent cable connection. That much money seems way high for a connection like that.

Verizon is the evilest ISP in our area. They block, like, every single port. Cable providers, such as Comcast, Optimum, etc, don't. Even with Verizon's "FiOS" crap, you STILL get your place in the Dynamic IP pool, and your $80/mo paying butt behind the wall of blocked ports. What's all the hooplah? a little more upload speed? Earthlink is somewhat the same way, blocking ports. But at least they don't block everything like Verizon does.

...wow, was I just ranting? Sorry for hijacking . I just really, really hate Verizon.

I, personally have Optimum Online Boost. So, I can use my VNC server, host my website, host a few game servers... all those goodies.

I'm paying $135 for cable. That's my internet, phone, and TV. I pay for 30Mb/s down, and 5Mb/s up.
FiOS? Try $135 for internet alone. For 20Mb/s down and 10-12Mb/s up? Big whoop.

And, yeah, you're paying for 768kb/s, but you'll never get that raw speed. No one ever does. I pay for 30Mb/s, the maximum download I've ever gotten?
-2.2MB/s on BitTorrent downloads.
-2MB/s on HTTP downloads.
-1.6MB/s on FTP downloads.

My friend, who has the same plan as you... all ports forwarded, UPnP, etc, same as mine...

-57kb/s down on BitTorrents
-80kb/s down on HTTP downloads
-90kb/s down on FTP downloads.

Remember that you're not the only one connected to the line that you access your internet on. Your block, your town, your state...

Notice how internet always seems to be faster really late at night? Why? Most people are asleep .

Remember, there are 8 bits in a byte. You're only going to get about 96KB/s download speed, ever.

EDIT: Ahh, someone said it already.

...I Download loads of crap. Over the course of April, I've downloaded at least 800-950GB.

 

[ShippoFox]

Haha.... Verizon is the fast & cheap connection I was talking about. And my Earthlink service is sorta somehow provided by Verizon (don't completely understand that)

http://www.earthlink.net/access/

DSL Up to 768Kbps $14.95/mo.
(First 3 months; $35.95/mo. thereafter)

DSL Up to 1.5Mbps $14.95/mo.
(First 3 months; $39.95/mo. thereafter)

I bolded the price being paid and the speed we're getting.

 

[mm3]

And my Earthlink service is sorta somehow provided by Verizon (don't completely understand that)

Exactly, I knew it. That's sorta what I was saying, guess I just didn't say it clear enough (re-reading, yeah, I didn't, may bad on my part)

Honestly, I assume you are the bill payer, look into Comcast and ditch DSL completely. Although it is my opinion, I strongly, as I'm sure as a number of other members would agree, recommend Cable > DSL (well, at least your DSL).

I would honestly say that for $40, you could get the base package for comcast. Comcast is cable. Comcast is fast. With Perks. Since you're in PA, I assume that comcast is the alpha-cable-ISP available in your area

(Not really perks, but things that they give you which an ISP should, not like Verizon/Earthlink >_>)

 

[ShippoFox]

No, I'm not the bill payer, but I can try to convince her. It'll be easier since I know we're being ripped off. Not sure if I'll eventually end up with cable or not (may be too much hassle to get cable), but something has to be done about this.

 

[daria7483]

I have comcrapstic and pay about the same, though I'm not sure what my speed is. I know we determined that you are actually getting the advertised speed, but is it also possible someone is using your connection without your knowledge?

 

[ShippoFox]

Well, it's cause of the bits/bytes thing. No one's using our connection (wireless encryption) BUT it still stands that my connection isn't worth the money being paid.... and we may be paying for a connection slower than we should be getting....

How would we go about switching to a new provider? Would it involve days without internet? Cause we kinda.... really don't want that. :sweatdrop:

Hmmm.... I find it pretty.... contemptible that they all want me to jump through hoops to get the price. They say "Oh it's 12.99 for the first six months!" But they don't want to tell you how much it is after that!

 

[ShippoFox]

I'm pretty sure I'm keeping Earthlink. I'll end up with a 6x faster connection for the same price! :biggrin:

 

[baby_mike]

Were is a good place to check you internet speed?

 

[ShippoFox]

http://www.speedtest.net
http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html

Just a few places. There are many more. Speakeasy also gives you your result in kilobytes (which is more familiar to most people) and not just kilobits.

Download Speed: 728 kbps (91 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 134 kbps (16.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

That's the result I just got from there.

Scratch my earlier statement.... I'm getting a 3mbit/s connection. No fiber optic lines here, which a 6mbit connection needs. Still happy though! My internet speed should increase by a ton within the next 5 days or so!

 

[ShippoFox]

I don't know what they did, but I love it!

Download Speed: 19332 kbps (2416.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 2049 kbps (256.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

They somehow.... routed my DSL through the cable company... or something.

 

[Error404]

Get Firefox then do this. Some web servers will hate you for it, but it may help you get a faster download speed

Type in about:config in the address bar

Then type in 'pipe' in the search bar. You SHOULD get THREE results, if not, don't continue

Right click the first and toggle it to 'True'
Right click the second, edit value to 25
Right click the third, toggle it to 'true'

Restart Firefox, clear your browser cache altogether and go give a download a try. Let me know what you think. ^_^

 

[ShippoFox]

Crap, that was my neighbor's internet. Still, at least I know I can get fast downloads until my own connection is faster. I won't do any uploads, so it probably won't bother him. (meaning I certainly won't download anything from torrents. not that I use them often in the first place.) But... I really just want my own connection faster. And I don't really need to download anything.... got plenty of stuff using the neighbor's connection last night.

And yeah, I know about that trick, but thanks anyway!