Odd problem - 25 megabit internet connection, very slow download/stream speeds

A

Adreneline

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 16, 2008
Messages
363
Hello,

I have Telus Optik Internet/TV package. It's a 25megabit connection, I usually average around 3mb/sec on downloads.

Just out of the blue a few days ago, my download speed is severely inconsistent. Sometimes reaches up to 1mb/sec and others it stays below 500kb/s like today. It makes no sense, and never again at 3mb/s or even close. It's never done this before.

Same with YouTube and other stream sites, I can't manage to even stream well at 360 resolution. This has never happened in the last two months besides now, it has been solid as a rock before this.

I've tried resetting modem and a bunch of other things, nothing works. The weirdest of all things is that my connection as a whole hasn't changed, I checked on speedtest.net:

1407416511.png


What's going on?? I immediately downloaded after doing this speedtest and it was no more than a few hundred kb/s - from my premium megaupload account where I always got 3mb/sec.
 
Last edited:
Adreneline said:
Hello,

I have Telus Optik Internet/TV package. It's a 25megabit connection, I usually average around 3mb/sec on downloads.

Just out of the blue a few days ago, my download speed is severely inconsistent. Sometimes reaches up to 1mb/sec and others it stays below 500kb/s like today. It makes no sense, and never again at 3mb/s or even close. It's never done this before.

Same with YouTube and other stream sites, I can't manage to even stream well at 360 resolution. This has never happened in the last two months besides now, it has been solid as a rock before this.

I've tried resetting modem and a bunch of other things, nothing works. The weirdest of all things is that my connection as a whole hasn't changed, I checked on speedtest.net:

1407416511.png


What's going on?? RARELY when I go on speedtest it will say 8mb instead of 21-24 now, but that's rarely.
Click to expand...

I have an 18mb ATT Uverse connection and have had similar Youtube streaming issues the past few days. It may not be a problem on your end...
 
Well, that solves it for YouTube... but still not downloads in general.

Quite confused!
 
your download speed is determined by the slowest of all of the network links between your computer and the source of the file (the server at the other end). your home connection to your ISP might not be the bottleneck, but that doesnt mean you will always see the kind of speeds offered by your ISP.

that said- your ISP could be throttling or QoS'ing youtube or streaming video traffic for whatever reason. the problem isnt necessarily with your private home network or with your home internet connection, and may not even be in your control.
 
Even if your isp has started knocking down speeds, speedtest.net likely gets an exception to any shaping.
 
It just doesn't seem normal, if they were slowing down my download speeds on purpose, they wouldn't make it astronomically slow considering I'm paying for their fastest connection yet it's not even as fast as 1.5 megabit sometimes.

I have no idea. I guess I'll just call them.
 
Ugh what the hell is going on? It was fixed for a day and now it's bad again, this time speedtest.net is actually saying how fast it's going:

1409892249.png


Is there anything I can try?
 
Next time you call your ISP ask if they have an in house speed test, they almost always do.

Do some trace routes, test at speedtest and ISP tests. Not likely anything you can fix, but you can point your finger in the right direction.

I had a similar problem once. I traced it to a bad switch on my ISP's network. A phone call and an hour later the ISP thanked me for finding the problem. Apparently it had just failed and they had not figured out what the problem was yet.
 
As far as youtube goes, sometimes downloading 720p or higher videos will result in higher download speeds due to them being on faster cache servers.

But definitely, follow enuro12's advice, not a bad idea.
 
I've noticed that on my megaupload account, it's been having a pattern.

If I download one single file, the speed is abysmal almost at >90kb/s - 300kb/s.

If I had 3/4 downloading, then the speed sometimes reaches up to 3mb/s ... very odd. I checked megaupload settings and there's no problems with it.
 
Week later, no answers, ISP doesn't know what it is, it's just getting worse.

Speed test shows 23-24 megabit, only downloading at 300-800 kb/s varying, and that's with their official Telus FTP test download. Megaupload goes all the way up to 3000 kb/s then goes all the way down to 500-1200 kb/s, paid account.

Very, very strange ... reformatted computer, reset router several times... not sure what it is.

EDIT: just trying downloading on my MacBook, looks very stable but only 1800-1900 kb/s on the FTP test. A lot more than on my wired computer. I think my MacBook was always capped in download speed somehow since the beginning, not sure why (shows 23-24 megabit on speedtest.net as well though). Maybe my ethernet card inside my computer is dying?
 
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kidchunks said:
That or a driver issue. I would also check the port on the router/switch.
Click to expand...

Hm, I've never had to install drivers for my motherboard / ethernet card, but I tried this time and it did nothing... I'm not sure.

Also, this is happening now too:

1421734627.png
 
Onboard network cards can go wonky, i'd suggest an Intel PRO 1000 CT (PCIe 1x if you have a free PCIe slot). That is, if it's working on your laptop fine - it's best to start looking at your motherboard / onboard NIC.
Always install your motherboard drivers.
 
Rison said:
Onboard network cards can go wonky, i'd suggest an Intel PRO 1000 CT (PCIe 1x if you have a free PCIe slot). That is, if it's working on your laptop fine - it's best to start looking at your motherboard / onboard NIC.
Always install your motherboard drivers.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. If I buy the card, I have to be absolutely sure it's my onboard network card making the problem, because I can't return the card to the only decent retailer around me in Canada :(

Anyways, I hooked my macbook up straight by ethernet wire to see if it would do it as well, and it's still acting wonky. But not nearly as wonky.

1422094427.png


And then...

1422095269.png


Doesn't seem like much of a difference, but it also resulted at 23 megabit (normal). It's still varying, but not as much. When I tried downloading off my ISP's FTP (their way of testing), it was a solid 2mb/s (usually normal for my MacBook - even when my speed was 100% for some reason my macbook would never quite go 3mb/s)

Just need to be sure it's my network card before buying it, I won't be able to return it otherwise. Any other tests I can do to single out my Network card?

Thanks.
 
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