Internet Painfully Sluggish

[Missy]

This problem is hugely frustrating, I'll avoid the rant about stupid roommates bullshit.

Basically my ISP recently changed, everything else is the same, just the ISP and the associated modem/router and stuff. The speed used to be fine, now it's largely unworkable and just painfully slow.

I mean I tend to get annoyed when images and youtube videos load extremely slowly, or when my phone gets better speed than my desktop. Sometimes pages are slow or give me trouble, it's most frustrating, and I can pretty much conclude at this point any sort of game which requires an internet connection is going to be entirely unplayable. It's definitely the connection and not the machine, since local stuff works fine.

I looked at an AT&T speed test which just confirmed everything I knew without offering me any new information that would be helpful to me.

The question is: What can I do about it and what's likely to work? I've gone through some of the usual basic steps to try to fix it, reloading the page, quitting the browser, restarting the PC and the router/modem, but it hasn't helped a bit. I'm not uncomfortable dropping $70 on router/modem from best buy if I know it will fix the problem, but I naturally don't like to spend money on junk that doesn't work. Even a cord would be fine with me, if I knew one of the sufficient length would resolve the problem.

I just don't know what I can do about it.

[Vekseid]

Is it a cable modem or dsl? Can you get to the diagnostics page for it?

Cable modems are often at http://192.168.100.1

[Missy]

Is it a cable modem or dsl? Can you get to the diagnostics page for it?

Cable modems are often at http://192.168.100.1

I'm not sure really, but we plug it into a phone line. That is different from the old one which went into the old style cable. Other than that I'll need to go find out.

[jouzinka]

Our internet used to be painfully slow as well and crashed often. I called the hotline, they just said something along the lines of let's try to disconnect and reconnect all the cables, sometimes it helps. So I did. And it worked.

But I'm really scared that you connect into a phone line. That sounds like a dial-up from the 90s. :o

[Thesunmaid]

Well...since you plus the modem from the phone jack to your modem/router I am guessing DSL?...also maybe check to see if they possibly changed the speeds on your connection with your contract(if you have one).  I have worked for an ISP that went from its one servers to being bought out by another company all customers were sent new equipment and for the most part the prices stayed the same but the speeds dropped. And yes they can legally get away with this shit...citing loop length and equipment adjustments.(it was an american company that got turned into another bigger company but they should still have all your info.) So yeah..I would maybe ask them what the package you had before was and the speeds on that and what it is now because it is possible that they dropped your speeds down with out telling you.

Or it could be that the modem/router you do have now does not have the updates to the firmware. Which I had to update with my own router last time I got a new one right out of the box never been plugged in before.

And sometimes it can be because the wires and not seated correctly...but that's more of a it would not connect at all or would keep dropping the signal sort of issue not slow speeds. But yeah sounds like it is most likely not because things are not plugged in all the way and since the other modem worked fine with it its not likely to be your computer.(and they will try and tell you sometimes it is rather than admit they lowered your speeds.)

But I would be asking about updates and if they changed your speeds at thier end before you go spending money on a new modem/router since the only thing that's changed is thier equipment. (and possibly your set speed...which sometimes is actually a simple error and can be fixed easily and... Sometimes the billing office liked to make changes like downgrading so they could upsell and not put it in the notes to boost thier sales.)

[Nadir]

An issue I had with my internet was that one of the adapters' copper contacts had oxidized. If you follow the line between your modem and the phonejack, unplug any adapters or extenders and check the little plates inside the socket/plugs to see how they look. It would be a visible difference between the contacts prongs, a dulling. 

[Missy]

@Veks
yesterday morning I couldn't get your link at all, it just gave me a time out error. Later it worked and gave em a page which stated the following:

WARNING:   DSL Failed to Connect (Message ID: NAD-3305)

The Motorola NVG510 device does not currently detect a DSL signal or is having problems connecting to your Broadband service.

To restore your broadband connection:

1. If your device is connected to a DSL phone filter, make sure it is connected to the filter jack labeled DSL and make sure the filter is connected using the green data cable to the device port labeled DSL.

2. If your device is not connected to a DSL phone filter, verify that the telephone cable is still properly connected between a working wall jack and the device port labeled DSL.

3. Make sure all phones, answering machines or other devices which connect to a phone jack have a DSL phone filter attached.

After checking the above items, click on the "Check Connection" button to retry connection to your Broadband service.

If the problem persists, please contact the AT&T Help Desk at 1-800-288-2020.

I've actually been getting stuff similar to that on and off yesterday since the new ISP was connected when I'm trying to browse. Sometimes it says the DSL is working and sometimes not, it's been very frustrating.

@ Everyone else
I's not a change in AT&T's service, it's a completely different ISP since the guy who used to have the internet for us left (and I don't blame him, the other roommate was a major dick to him and ran him off, now I'm just mad I have to be the one dealing with all the bullshit after the fact). It's funny in a sad sort of way, I used to look forward to August last year when my roommate was some crazy anarchist who played his base all night long.

There's supposed to be a technician coming tomorrow now so hopefully that will sort itself out, thanks to everyone for trying to help out.

[Oniya]

I'm assuming you've already made sure that any land-line phones/answering machines have the little filter-box plugged in?  You should have gotten at least a few with your DSL equipment. 

*has Verizon DSL*

[Missy]

As far as I'm aware there's nothing else even plugged into the phone line, unless my roommate has something plugged in that I don't know about.

[Missy]

I've been a little busy the past week, but I am still having problems with this and am not sure the best way to proceed.

Basically it's better, but not really by much. The technician has come and went and well it's changed, but it's still pretty far from what I think I should be getting.

To put it into perspective prior the technician coming I was having Steam downloads telling me it could take weeks or months to complete, now I'm getting the days to week range. I currently have an 18GB steam download that's estimating about two days going right now, the estimate steam gives you to begin with offered 5 hours. The best that it's done for me as far as steam downloads go is 145 KB/s, though it's usually less than that getting in the area of 50-100 KB/s, still better than it was before.

My roommate is the one handling the internet and according to him the tech said to be getting anything better after he did whatever he did would require us to upgrade to a better package. I'm not really sure what the speed we're supposed to be getting is, but as slow as it is I'm kind of not convinced of that. I've actually gone online and tested the speed with webpage At&T set up to let you do that, plus looked up the average internet speed for my state. The speed test said I was getting about 0.3-0.4MB which was better than before the tech came at 0.2-0.3MB. The average for Indiana stated 7MB, I know that's an average and takes into account higher speeds as well, but it seems odd to me I'm getting the super short end of the stick here. I'm even paying more for this shit than the old ISP and it was much faster.

I mean it's like I'm not really sure what I should do about it at this point.

[Oniya]

Silly question, but is there any reason that you can't set up a new account with the old provider?  I saw that the reason you got a new account was that the old roommate who moved out had been handling the ISP, but it sounds like the new provider either has outdated lines or is throttling your bandwidth.

[Missy]

Silly question, but is there any reason that you can't set up a new account with the old provider?  I saw that the reason you got a new account was that the old roommate who moved out had been handling the ISP, but it sounds like the new provider either has outdated lines or is throttling your bandwidth.

It's not silly, it's what I would have done to begin with if i knew who they were. I asked Greg (who moved out) via text and he didn't reply.

The other confusing thing I forgot to mention is my Roku stick won't connect at all now. Which is something, that's the part that makes me wonder how much of this is the equipment. Though thinking on it it's probably both and everything even, *frustrated sigh* this is all so amazingly shitty.