Wow, my RR speed now STINKS

[SteveO]

The past week or two I've noticed my page loads taking FOREVER. This is in both Safari 2.0.3 (417.9.3), and Camino (1.0), sending email, etc. on 10.4.6 on a PowerBook 1.67.

I called RR yesterday and they said I'm on a 5mbps (or whatever that last part is, the first number is 5), but SpeakEasy just now -- at 1am CT so the network should be freed up -- showed my speed at 704 down, 224 up. I can remember testing it several months ago and getting much, much higher numbers. I think that speed is pretty close to el cheapo DSL.

Anyone got advice for how to get my speed back up where it should be? Is my cable modem going bad? What about my AirPort BS? I connect with a snow and I also have an AP Express for iTunes. Any way to test the AP?

I suppose I should test just an ethernet to PowerBook connection...and see if speed is the same. Maybe I should just unplug it all overnight or something and give it all a rest. Anything else? Should I wipe out all my tcp/ip prefs? Reset AP? I'm game for just about anything. Thanks in advance...

[Carm]

Only recommendation is to check your Ethernet settings.
Below is a picture of the settings you should have set for your RR account. Im on El Cheapo Verizon DSL package, so the speeds you are getting are pretty pathetic compared to what cable is supposed to be. http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/1808/changeec8.jpg

Another idea is to check the upload/download speeds your modem is reporting. You will need the admin and login though.

Carm

[mikebw]

At least restart everything, modem and routers too. With DSL modems, the provider can test the speeds remotely, maybe RR can do the same with your cable modem?

[SteveO]

Thanks guys, I'll give all of it a shot.

[yeoman]

I don' think this will help if your connection is bogged down but it's a very useful for speeding up browsing. Go to http://www.opendns.com and spend a few minutes to read their blurb. In summary, set individual computers to use DNS numbers below or set your router for all computers on your lan.

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

[TLB]

Locally, Roadrunner is now selling throttled back cable service to compete with the huge price drops in DSL. Their ads still quote "up to 5Mbps download speeds" -- which was their standard service until last year -- but the fine print reads "quoted price reflects a 768Kbps service." I'd bet your download pipe got throttled back accidentally--any neighbors recently get roadrunner? On the other hand, the skeptics amongst us may believe it wasn't accidental.

[cbelt3]

yeah, they just throttled me back without notice. We used to have comcast, and we were up to 6MPBS. Now it sucks rocks.
Time Warner is 'da devil'.

[SteveO]

TLB, good point, that's why I called them and ask what setting they had me on. They said it was 5 mbps, not the 768 number. I asked if they were SURE I wasn't on the 768 number, and they said, yeah, you are on 5.

???

[mikebw]

Well then tell them if 5Mbps = 768Kbps real world performance, then they should charge you about 1/6th of your current bill, since that's about the speed you're getting.