Slow internet (usually 10mbps)

[Leatherface]

My internet connection seems slower than usual for the last few days - it is a uni connection so its very fast - 10mbps - but it hasn't been anywhere near that fast recently. I thought it may be viruses, but I have done all I can to get rid of any.

What I hope is it is a temporary slowdown. There is only one other thing I can think of, which is it might still be something to do with my laptop itself, so maybe I should 'reboot' it to an earlier date (before it became slower).

Can anyone offer help?

[Vaughan]

So, no-one else at the Uni notices it's slow? Is it slow for all sites?

[Leatherface]

Someone else did say theirs had been slower for a short time recently, but I don't know if that is related.

[MarcMorris]

I'm sure the Uni's IT techies would be able to tell you more. My guess is that it's due to bandwidth/Routing Issues or something to do with the ISP.

[christats]

I have suffered a terminally bad service from Orange recently.Although someone else I know says their's is fine.So I cannot bad mouth a company.Maybe I was unlucky.
I have just received my new modem and with any luck should be back on Broadband next week.I just wanted the opertunity to say that most servers probably have their ups and downs.
It dosn't help when you ring a call centre and they go through a rehearsed routine that dosn't solve anything.Or send an Email that isn't in the script and get a reply,"you have contacted (name) and would you like to complete a customer satisfaction form."
Nothing to do with the orginal thread,but ....

[MarcMorris]

You must remember that if you have broadband, then you are sharing the load with however many other people in your area use the same ISP. It's called 'contention ratios'. If they are all downloading huge files, then your connection will suffer as a consequence.

What is 'contention' or a 'contention ratio'?

[Leatherface]

The thing is it isn't really even an ISP as such, well, it is, but it's provided by the uni, not Orange, Tiscali etc.

It's only truly noticeable when it comes to trying to stream something (YouTube etc).

Could someone just explain bandwidth to me, as Marc mentioned, and why problems with it might be affecting my speed?

I just hope it IS temporary - but as every day goes on, I keep thinking it must be something to do with me.

[christats]

I know,with most things to do with computers tolerance is needed as quirky things happen.Especially with lots of computers on a server.
I couldn't even download a complete page never mind files.
I gave the company an opertunity to help me and now I gone to another.3 weeks of half completed downloads was begining to get at me.
I have had no problem with my temporary Dial up.Just enough time inbetween pages to make a cup of tea.

[Vaughan]

--The thing is it isn't really even an ISP as such, well, it is, but it's provided by the uni, not Orange, Tiscali etc.--

Not quite true - where do you think the Uni is getting their bandwidth from? They don't just plug into the net, they have to pay someone.

--Could someone just explain bandwidth to me, as Marc mentioned, and why problems with it might be affecting my speed?--

Bandwidth is a simple concept - just think of it as a pipe. The larger the pipe, the more information that can get through. Works just the way with water. You wouldn't expct to get the same anount of water through a straw as you would get from a firehose. Same thing.

Now, you share that pipe with everyone else. So if your neighbor is consuming 50% of the pipe, the most you can get is 50%. In fact, you can never use 100% of a pipe, but to explain that is probably getting too technical.

So in short - people might be using the pipe and there isn't much room left. or the ISP itself might not be getting it's usual allotment of bandwidth. Maybe the ISP has internal problems, for instance.

[Dante Cubit]

What uni are you at Leatherface? I have used many networks and you tend to find there are characteristic periods of heavy usage (aside from the usual maintenance). At some of the more "boring" places you find Sunday's have heavy traffic and some uni's have traffic shaping policies on subnets to minimise peer-to-peer use.

[mushie]

I have used Telewest for about three years now and got broadband very early on, and apart from the odd day (maybe 2 or 3 times a year), i get a damn good service and on average getting 1750 kbps on a 2mb service even at weekends.

[LoungeLizard]

Is this why?

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/4...rnet1qhmi5.gif

[SicCoyote]

Let the guy incharge of regulating teh internet explain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f99PcP0aFNE

or with commentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iMDRVzMfEM