PC getting slower

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Recently my pc has got much slower on some sites, the pages take ages to load.
At the bottom left (above start menu) I get the message 'waiting for' plus the web address - on the right I have the green dots which seem to be stuck but the page looks fully loaded.
I have about a quarter of the disk space free and use Norton anti virus.

Grateful for any ideas on the problem

[Guest]

have you tired deleting your temporary Internet Files and History,
Also try a Defrag and disc clean up ???

[KiteRunner]

Could be a problem with your Internet connection / your ISP? If it was lack of disk space then it would be going slow on everything, not just web pages loading, I would have thought.

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Thanks Val and Kite,
I have done all those things on a regular basis Val with the exception of deleting temporary files on Firefox as I haven't found out where to do it. I've been using Firefox for a few weeks now.

Kite the only other programme that is slow to open is 'my pictures' everything else is ok. Perhaps I have too many on there.
Although I can do most things with the pc, I am useless with the technical stuff like disk space, speed and memory.

We are at the end of the line here (STD code) and had problems receiving broadband initially.

Someone told me that if I switch the router off periodically that it will speed it up but I am reluctant to try it as I sometimes loose connection.
Does anyone know if this is likely to help

[Britec]

1) If its a wireless router, make sure no one is conected to your network and using your internet this can slow your conection down if they are downloading alot.

2) make sure you dont have any spyware this also slows pc and internet down.

3) bypass router and just use modem to see if your internet improves, if it does then your router may be at fault or the settings of the router or point 1) is the problem.

4) if problem is still happening after doing all these ring ISP up to make sure theres not a problem in your area or with your modem

5) right click on your internet icon in bottom right and click on repair see that helps

6) you could also reset the router incase your settings got messed up if on adsl connection make sure you have all your details to hand.

after all is said and done are your sure its your internet and not your computer?

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

1) If its a wireless router, make sure no one is conected to your network and using your internet this can slow your conection down if they are downloading alot.

2) make sure you dont have any spyware this also slows pc and internet down.

3) bypass router and just use modem to see if your internet improves, if it does then your router may be at fault or the settings of the router or point 1) is the problem.

4) if problem is still happening after doing all these ring ISP up to make sure theres not a problem in your area or with your modem

5) right click on your internet icon in bottom right and click on repair see that helps

6) you could also reset the router incase your settings got messed up if on adsl connection make sure you have all your details to hand.

after all is said and done are your sure its your internet and not your computer?

Thanks Brian
It was back up to speed prior to me going out, now I'm back its slower than ever.

I have another newer pc which as been used very little as a pc, OH uses it to watch TV. I've just tried it and that is just as slow so would I be right in thinking that it must be the internet connection.

I am WEP encripted so I don't think anyone would be able to connect on my internet.
As for spyware - I think Norton takes care of that - how would I check if not.

What details would I need on hand to reset the router?

I will try bypassing the router tomorrow - I don't want to upset his TV this evening

I had problems when I first had broadband, it took weeks to sort out and BT want you to try everything else before they will do anything.
After disconnecting some of my phone lines they eventually had to do something (don't know what it was) to their exchange, to make it work.
The same happened to everyone on the close.

Having said that ...they did repay me for the time without broadband, my numerous expensive phone calls and the charge for disconnecting my lines.

[Linda from Murton]

Hello Kathleen, why not try a speed test here thinkbroadband :: Broadband Speed Test then come back and tell us your download and upload speeds. Mind at this time on a Sunday afternoon, the internet is always slloooowwwww.

Safe surfing.

Linda

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Thank you Linda here is the result although it means nothing to me.

Speed down 382.76Kbps (0.4 Mbps)
Speed up 378.39Kbps (0.4 Mbps)

[Britec]

Hi Kath,

You may be getting packet loss. you could try this below but i need to see the data to tell you.

Select Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.

black box will appear type this below

tracert bbc.co.uk

run this test 3 times and print screen to copy result so you can post them here
If there is packet loss you can then email them to your isp tech support as proof and they should fix it


or theres this option cool program tells you everything you need to know lost packets or sorts. Dan Elwell's Broadband Speed Test - downloadable utility to perform tests on your ADSL, DSL, Cable or Wireless Internet connection.

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Thanks Brian, I will have a look at that later, I will be able to concentrate when the grandchildren have gone home. Although pc is behaving itself today, up to now anyway

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Here is the first one

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

I've looked at the BT web site and it has quite a bit of help/advice/tests regarding a slow internet connection
ie. distance from the exchange - peak times

As I understand it - the speed of broadband varies from the 'advertised' speed of connection and can be considerably less due to the above conditions - but the price isn't

[Britec]

Trouble with bt they say you get upto 8meg, 24meg so on so on BUT and its a big BUT... depends how far from exchange, plus is your phone line new outside and not old type? do you have filters on all sockets? is your phone line in the house over 15 feet? is modem in master socket? if not is it in extension phone line how ling is it? do you live in a area where server is overloaded? do you use wireless phones are they on different channel to router, is slow speed in peak time etc etc the list goes on and on.

I see lots of customers with same problem sometimes its BT and not customer at all.
They all promise the earth but never deliver. I must say I am with virgin and thats fiber optic nothing to do with phone line and I get good speed all the time. but even virgin cap people and I know people that live in london and they are on a exchange that is bursting at the seems and they get poor speed.

I would say if you get virgin in your area use them not BT but if you want to stay with BT then you need to track down where the fault is so you can fix it.
Maybe get a local IT guy round to check and fault find, if he is good he should do it in 1 hour and then you will know if the fault is at your end? this will then give you ssomething to show BT so you can get the problem fixed. Your tracert dont look to bad

This site tells you want you will get appox, most only get 2 to 4 meg 7 if you live ontop of exchange. just put phone numbet in http://www.productsandservices.bt.co...band/speedtest

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Thanks Brian
Thinking about it the problem is likely to be overload as it happens at certain times and the fact that we are at the end of a long line.

BT came out to check when I first had wirless broadband, they disconnected two phone extensions but it didn't make any difference at the time.
They did eventually sort it out at the exchange but it is still sometimes exceptionally slow.

I was thinking of looking for a better deal elswhere but I thought I might still have the same problem.

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

It seems that my problem was the router, I've been offline since Sunday until today when my new hub arrived. Fingers crossed!!

My broadband speed was 1.5 when I did a check last week, however when the engineer came, it read .5 which he said wasn't too bad as we are 4 kilometers from the exchange and maybe they had turned it down to make it stable and enable me to get online.

I was thinking how far we have come since the days of Marconi - we can see TV from far away countries - talk to people on the phone at the other side of the world....
but......

I sometimes get a very slow connection on the net because the exchange is 4 kilometers away in the next village
So considering the pace of modern technology and my situation, it doesn't seem to add up.

I don't understand it all .....so rant over.......:D:D at least I'm online now.

[Guest]

Kathleen I am getting the same problem at certain times during the day or evening we are quite a few miles from our exchange too, funny thing is since the so called updates to our connection its been worse ???

[borobabs]

Been reading this thread as my comp is doing my head in today, taking ages to open pages and even when I r click takes ages for the box writing to open ,,,so have done the speed test and this is my results ??????

Date 26/02/09 23:31:13
Speed Down 9521.39 Kbps ( 9.3 Mbps )
Speed Up 480.58 Kbps ( 0.5 Mbps )

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Babs the readings don't mean anything to me really but I have to say, yours do look healthier than mine
OH told my supplier that I was convinced they had turned me down on purpose as my contract had ended and I would have to call them if I couldn't get online :o

Val maybe you have the same problem with distance from the exchange - as I remember your equipment is new so I wouldn't think it could be at fault. The instruction book regarding slow connection after installation says to wait for 10 days as the hub needs time to settle down.

The only problem I seem to have now is that my pc doesn't automatically come online, I have to look for available connection and ask windows to let it connect. I think it is something to do with the built in wireless adapters software. So I will have to fathom that out too.

[WendyPusey]

Our line was capped at .5MB as we live about 2 miles from the exchange. We have just asked for it to be upgraded as Dave has been monitoring noise margins and line attenuation, (how much signal is lost from Exchange to home) and these figures showed that we could probably get a 1 or 2 MB service.

As of yesterday we are now getting about 3MB, although it will take about 10 days for it to stablise. What a difference!!

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

Its nice to hear that I'm not the only one Wendy.

Can we borrow Dave please....:D:D:D