Why is my Internet Connection so SLOW (and keeps dying on me)?

**jamestl2** · 05-29-2008, 05:10 PM

Seriously, I've tried sending email, editing my forum template, even FTPing things to my server, and there ALL roughly 10X Slower than normal.

But when I perform different tasks (such as creating this thread, or just browsing the web) the connection speed's fine.

I have no idea what's going on. (All this was within the past few days or so.)

Also, I don't know if this related, or is due to just being a (Wired) Microsoft Router or what not, but my household activity suddenly stops working at LEAST once a week. (This has been going on for over a two years.)

I have to go downstairs (where my router is kept) unplug the router from the wall for 5 seconds, *then* plug it back in, and everything is all the sudden working fine again.

I don't know what to make of these anomalies.

**davemies** · 05-29-2008, 05:47 PM

i had a similar problem with my adsl box and it turned out to be faulty - it died completely a few days later

however, you say 2 years it's been going on so it probably isn't that ...

**HxcDesignerXD** · 05-29-2008, 09:51 PM

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001053.html
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/more...elesstips.mspx
http://lifehacker.com/software/wifi/...nal-126219.php

It happen's to me sometimes also. I have given you some resources on how to Correct youre Wireless Connection. Get You're own t1 line coming In LOL but we all know how pricee that would be.

**jamestl2** · 05-29-2008, 09:54 PM

Heh, I said my connection was "wired"

:

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamestl2

Also, I don't know if this related, or is due to just being a (Wired) Microsoft Router or what not,

**SMGenius** · 11:01 PM

Could be your cables having too much resistence in them? Have you had an engineer take a look?

Although if browsing the web is fine then...

Sound like it could be firewall releated.

Odd.

Quote:

my household activity suddenly stops working at LEAST once a week. (This has been going on for over a two years.)

You should really have some one take a look but I think it could be your cable.

How are you connected? Cable, ADSL, etc...

Oh and are any machines connected wirelessly in your home?

**jamestl2** · 05-29-2008, 11:09 PM

Sometimes it's working fine (Although I don't use those programs I mentioned above *all the time*, just when I make changes to my websites, for the most part).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMGenius

Could be your cables having too much resistence in them? Have you had an engineer take a look?

I'm not sure about that, they aren't "tight" or anything like that, we still have about 5 feet or so of "loose" cable, if you understand what I mean. It's a 50 foot long cable and was easily run through to my room, no problems like overstretching or anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMGenius

How are you connected? Cable, ADSL, etc...

Cable (specifically Roadrunner). The cable types are just standard CAT 5's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMGenius

Oh and are any machines connected wirelessly in your home?

No......
Well as long as things like wireless mouse and keyboard, radio, etc. don't count.

**SMGenius** · 05-31-2008, 08:23 AM

Well it's probably not cable releated then.
Unless of course you're running it by some power cables?

It still could be your firewall? What are you using for that?

And as far as

Quote:

Well as long as things like wireless mouse and keyboard, radio, etc. don't count.

No, I just thought someone else might have been "sharing" your network

**jimmychen** · 06-01-2008, 08:09 PM

yeah, i don't think cables are the culprit. Most of the time, i just unplug the router and i'm all back to normal. I would suggest you try out another modem or router for your home, thats my best best.

**jamestl2** · 06-02-2008, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmychen

yeah, i don't think cables are the culprit. Most of the time, i just unplug the router and i'm all back to normal. I would suggest you try out another modem or router for your home, thats my best best.

That's what I have to do, but it gets kind of tiresome having to do that *all the time*. Besides, how would I know if buying a new router would solve the problem, and the new one doesn't act the exact same way?

**ForrestCroce** · 06-02-2008, 10:34 PM

When was the building you live in made? Or last rewired? Mine has these black out periods where I can't reach any site on the web, that can last from a minute or two to several hours. Usually bouncing the router does the trick, but not always. Comcast insists its old wiring in the building that sends my router into a state sort of like a blue screen, and that once that happens, rebooting it brings it back to life. It makes sense they would blame someone else ... but it's still possible, and sounds a little bit like you described.

**jamestl2** · 06-03-2008, 12:23 AM

It's not TOO old. My old house I lived in never had these problems and was built in '93 by my family (well..... not literally, but you know what I mean).

The home I live in now was around since the early '40's I believe, I don't remember the exact date off hand. Also of note, when we moved here, there were already tons of cables in the basement where the router was set up, don't know exactly what each was for but there were probably around 30 or so seperate cables in that small setup area.

The only rewiring we did was through the new cable we put in (roadrunner's 3-Deal Package, and 4 outgoing cables or so to seperate rooms in the house).

**chrishirst** · 06-03-2008, 08:34 AM

Sounds like a DNS TTL/cache problem.

Is your router is also a DNS forwarding/caching server?

**tryme** · 06-03-2008, 10:54 AM

It sounds like a virus. Some take like forever to find out about, and even years. I'd try deleting all files you don't need, anything questionable, and especially all cookies and temporary internet files. Better safe than sorry!

**jamestl2** · 06-03-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tryme

It sounds like a virus. Some take like forever to find out about, and even years. I'd try deleting all files you don't need, anything questionable, and especially all cookies and temporary internet files. Better safe than sorry!

Already did that, deleted virtually everything I could on my computer (via firefox options, registry cleaners, ad-aware, everything possible that I could think of).

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Is your router is also a DNS forwarding/caching server?

No, it's just a regular 4-port Microsoft Router.

I tried searching for the product I'm using online to give you guys an idea of which specific router I'm using, but can't find it anywhere, it must be from an old product line or something.

**wayfarer07** · 06-04-2008, 12:51 AM

I agree with Chrishirst. It does sound like a DNS/caching issue. I had similar issues on my network here, and then I switched my DNS, and the issues vanished. Try this: http://www.opendns.com/

**ctutt** · 06-10-2008, 12:57 AM

I had a similiar problem and found out my ISP had a "Fair Use Policy" which meant that after I used a certain amount of bandwidth within a given time span, they shut me down to about 10 kpbs.

I now have a different ISP.

**hightower-it** · 06-11-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

I have to go downstairs (where my router is kept) unplug the router from the wall for 5 seconds, *then* plug it back in, and everything is all the sudden working fine again.

If it works for a minute then stops, try a different router to rule out the router at fault.
If the router isnt at fault assume it must be an issue with your ISP limiting/throttling specific service traffic.