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I'm trying to diagnose an internet problem I'm having at home.
I have DSL and:
- I cannot always obtain a signal
- I cannot always maintain a signal once obtained
- When I do obtain a signal, it is very slow (i.e. 3 kb/s download rate)
- If I attempt to use a lot of bandwidth, the connection dies (e.g. going to stream a video)
I've called my ISP numerous times, and every time the line test says the signal is fine, save once where it said there was a problem on my end. So, apparently the signal is fine from their end, but I'm having trouble recieving it and maintaining a connection.
So basically either it's:
- A problem with the wiring on my house, which doesn't make sense because sometimes the signal works, and sometimes it doesn't
- The modem, which I've had more than one person tell me, so maybe it's just worn out
- The physical cords, which I'm replacing when I return home
Is there a way I can determine exactly what the issue is?
 
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How is a 3 kb/s download rate not a problem?
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On May 07 2008 09:42 rpf wrote:
How is a 3 kb/s download rate not a problem?
well if your only downloading porn images its not a problem.
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On May 07 2008 09:44 MoNKeYSpanKeR wrote:well if your only downloading porn images its not a problem.
Says Monkey Spanker
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My internet is way slower than it should be too. It fluctuates between saying it is 36mbps and 12mbps but right now it's supposedly 12mbps is downloading Spitfire's 2007 WCG movie at a pathetic 115kbps (thats actually faster than I last checked) but just wondering. Can other people with DSL download at an actual rate of several mbps or is that BS that it can be that fast...
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The advertised speeds are bullshit. You'll never, ever get those speeds. I'm on the "old" DSL (i.e. from when it first came out), and my download speed was normally about 90 kb/s (and about 110 if I was downloading from FileFront). Now it's 3 kb/s, which is useless. :X
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Are you on a wireless connection? I probably don't need to tell you this but wireless is vastly slower than wired connections. I get a consistent 3-7 mb/s wired but barely crack 1.5 mb/s wireless.
Also, don't expect to get the advertised speed but don't blame your ISP. Most of the time your speed is being limited by the speed of the source site you are downloading from.
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Baltimore, USA22251 Posts
Haha... I'm going to take a stab at it and say Jonoman92 is on a wireless connection (the 'speed' your computer is saying you're connected at is the wireless connection from your router to your computer, not your actual connection to the internet), and that a few of you may not know the difference between a bit (what is commonly advertised) and a byte (how your computer generally expresses data size/speed).
There are 8 bits to a byte, so if your DSL company advertises 3meg service, they mean 3megabit, or what amounts to about 375 kiloBYTES per second. Now, since DSL is a pretty crappy/unrealiable technology (hence commercials sayings "up to"), you're more likely to be getting about 768k, which is about 95 or so kilobytes per second (I can wager this is what you guys on DSL typically get).
Now, for rpf... what do you mean when you say you cannot always 'obtain a signal'? If you mean wireless, you REALLY need to narrow down where the problem is. Hardwire a computer to your modem and test the speed. If that doesn't work, rule out the PC by trying a different computer... if you don't have a different computer, at least try yours in Safe Mode with Networking (XP/Vista) incase you have any malware causing issues. Or, if you have a laptop and that's your only computer, try it at a different location and see if you have the same speed problems.
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Well, let me explain. My DSL modem has three lights on the front of it:
1. Power - Self-explanatory.
2. Ready - Solid if signal obtained, flashing otherwise
3. Ethernet - Blinks in sync with the ethernet port on the mobo
Item 2 is the most important. Normally, after resetting the modem, the "Ready" light will begin flashing while it connects to Verizon's servers. Normally, after about 20 seconds or so, the light will go solid, and within a couple of seconds, the networking icon on taskbar will change to reflect the new connection.
However, recently the light just continues flashing for minutes--and sometimes hours--before it'll establish a connection. And then once a connection is obtained, the actual download rate is significantly slower than it normally was (i.e. the speed is normally 90 kb/s but is now 3 kb/s).
My computer is directly wired to my router, but my mom also experiences the same crappy connection from my router if she connects wirelessly with her laptop. Her connection speed also dropped significantly the same day my connection dropped.
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I just tried my other PC with the internet, and the connection was the same. So, it's not my current PC.
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Baltimore, USA22251 Posts
Erm, yeah, that's 100% a signal problem (physical signal from VZE's end to your modem over the analog lines). Could be bad wiring inside the house, maybe even a poor signal coming into your house in the first place, or too much noise/feedback on the line. It's not the modem, modems don't really act intermittent... they either work or they don't.
You need a Verizon technician to come out to your house.
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Alright, thanks ETT. Verizon has been in the area for a while doing a lot of work on the telephone lines. They probably fucked something up.
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EPT
