I can't stand it any longer, slow DSL
 

FIOS cables are up in the neighborhood, but they have been for 2 months. No word on when this might be available. Meanwhile, my Verizon yearly DSL contract is up and my rates are going up $5/month on a month-to-month basis.

OK, no big deal, $60/yr. while I wait. The thing is, I don't trust Verizon. Well and my only other options are Direct TV satellite Internet at some outrages price (I have D-TV now for TV), or Charter Cable, which has the worst reviews on the planet.

Now, I was doing OK for most of the last year on my 768KB low buck DSL plan. But, things are so slow now I might as well be on dial up. I even abandoned my wirelless connection and I've done several "tune ups" to make sure the computer doesn't have any problems. For instance, if I hit my own profile button here at Pelican> 30 seconds to load. Verizon home page> 30 or more. DirectTV, well I can't even connect, I just get a time out. The one exception that I note every day is Google. Right there in an instant and most searches take 5 seconds or less. Links vary, but most are pretty fast.

I don't want to wait any longer for Pelican or any other slow site. The Early S Registry fires right back faster than Pelican ever has. What do I need, a freakin' T-!??

The dilemma : Wait and see when this FIOS thing gets up and running and put all the marbles in that basket (TV channels, phones, the works), or what? I didn't spend all this money for a new computer just to sit here and be able to make a sandwich while pages load and be back in time to watch the final data appear.

I've been at other people's houses and businesses and they get pages fully loaded in a blink of an eye. That's my style!

Addendum: The only reason I have 768 is that a year ago I was on Win98, 256 RAM and some kind of Neanderthal processor that was probably made by Bomar.

http://internettime.com/images/bomar.jpg

Well, lets get the facts here first.

Run a speed test through speak easy.

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Go to www.speedtest.net and test your connection's speed. Use the wired connection.

If you don't like the speed, then consider Comcast all-in-one service (if available in your area) as well as Verizon FiOS.

I have the Comcast and am very happy with it. Only 1 outage, for a couple hours, in almost a year. The DSL I had in Berkeley was less reliable and much slower. Works fine w/ our phones, Airport wireless access point, and (of course) TV.

And, as for speed . . .

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122376118.png

It still isn't instant, takes about 1.5 seconds for the full Pelican page to display.

Download= 580; upload= 137 to Los Angeles.

A click on my profile just now= 26 seconds.

With 4 browser pages open, a new page, then a click on my bookmark for Google= less than a second. I then typed in 3 different ridiculous search terms like "laughingstock footwear" and got hits in less than a second. With results like that, I can live.

A new test: I switched to the Early S Registry on this open page with the bookmark. 5 seconds.

Last test: Searched google for direct tv, got results in .22 seconds. Clicked on the sub link for "current offers". 1:50 to see the first of the screen; it finished loading at 3:35 minutes. WTF?

down: 2853
up: 729

On Verizon DSL in west LA.

OK, 580 kbps is awful. Wait for FiOS then choose a new service, including looking at a higher service level of DSL. In meantime, check http://www.dslreports.com/ for reviews on the different services, e.g. "fiber" "CA" and "FIOS" pulls up numerous reviews, most seem positive. No FIOS available in my area, so no experience to give you.

Milt,

I HATED my local cable co. Cablevision. Dumped them for Verizon DSL which SUCKED compared to the cable modem.

Was the first person on my area to get FIOS and the servce is great.

Here'a a tip. Order the internet service 1st. They will provision you for 10 mb which is fine. Then order the HD TV service which requires 15 mb min for a good signal. They will autotmatically bump your broadband service to 15 for no extra charge. (The HD signal needs it) Then wait 2 weeks, call and complain about your TV sigmal, tell them that it's pixelated. They will up your bandwidth again to 20 or better for no additional charge.

716 Down
122 Up

Verizon DSL in the LBC


I don't really like our service here, never out, but somewhat sloow.

Hey Steve, long time, man. So which plan do you pay for? $14.99 for 768, or 31.99 for 3 something megs?

2527 Down
426 Up

AT&T DSL. Service has been rock solid.

Upgraded from Comcast cable to AT&T's DISH / HomeZone product a few weeks ago. How did I ever live without DVR and the ability to pause Live TV?

10779 down 559 up. Cox cable rocks!
11151 down 561 up on the retest.

3000 down, 661 up on TWC (cable). I have seen 9000+ down before but it's cable so it fluctuates.

Verizon FIOS, 4156 down, 1802 up. I guess that's good. 750 processor, 256mb ram, win 2k.

4409 down
387 up
Time Warner Cable, Seattle.

My wireless is weak where I am sitting, I usually get closer to 6000k down.

Hey Milt,

I don't know what I'm paying for. But it's like 35.00 a month or so. I don't know anything about the new service you're referring to. I looked it up but its not available for us here.

Got the rotors you dropped off. Aaron has them now. Thanks again.

See you around.

7432 Down
356 Up

And I know I can pull more than that Down.

We're with Earthlink. Cable provided by Comcast.
Been withthem for a long time, and love it.

6105 Down
755 Up

Qwest DSL

Cable sucks.

4841 down
367 up

time warner digi-cable

Milt, I had a similar problem a couple of months ago. The home office network when dog slow. I took a laptop and pugged straight into the DSL modem and ran a few speed tests. It was dead on with what I was paying for. Next I hooked the router back up and pugged into it. Dog slow again. I went to Staples, bought a replacement Linksys Firewall / Router and all was well again on the network.

I could probably have just reflashed the ROM on the old router, but for $89 it was worth it to buy a new one.

Basic* Comcast Cable...connected since 2001. I really can't remember if/when I ever lost service from them. If I did, it couldn't have been for very long, as much as I use it.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1178456061.jpg

* I say "basic" because locally, they also offer higher speed rated programs too.

Randy

I feel so inadequate..
2552-427

Comcast cable:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1178461277.jpg

Hey! I think I win!

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122518138.png Milt, it could be worse...this is SBC DSL in central coast California!

i guess i'm in still in the stone age i still have dial up .but for the amount of time and what i do on computer's it's enough for now only time it's a problem is when downloading new programs or pictures .....

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122534177.png

This is from RoadRunner cable in the San Fernando Valley.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122542791.png

It actually should read ~80 000 Kb/s, but i'm having my lap connected wireless via a slow Linksys W54G to my 100 000 Kb/s Internet provider.

It sucks :mad:
:p


A bit slower connecting to server in CA. Close to Pelican i believe? Cannot blame the Linksys here i guess :-)

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122554370.png

My service sucks with my ISPs DNS servers, but if I use a local caching server or point to a other known-good dns source it is just fine... I bet that will be a similar problem for you...

pm me if you want to use the dns server i run

In that case, IE should direct me to a different dns server other than firefox, or is that true? I could try the speed test using IE, but me thinks my real problem is my DSL service from Verizon. I might upgrade temporarily while waiting for FIOS.

Milt, DNS is a function on the PC. But DNS lookup is another issue. Once your system resolves the name to IP, DNS is out of the equation.

Have you done anything to make sure that it is, in fact, the level of service? In other words, did it used to be faster? Have you connected a friends laptop to see if they get the same issues? Are you going through a Linksys (for example) router? If you are wireless, have you tried a wired connection? Have you tried a different connection method such as connecting direct to the modem?

What Halm said is right - DNS is on the network level, don't matter which browser you use...

Especially on Vista. Pelican in particular runs like it never has in the past.

Hold onto your hat:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122977924.png


Halm offers some pretty good tips on testing your connection.

Cablevision: Happy with a month-to-month. No thanks to annual contracts.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/122995511.png

Office T-1
http://www.speedtest.net/result/123078824.png

firefox
 

I just switched to firefox from IE6. It is quite a bit faster. Thanks for the tip, Wayne