Faster broadband, slower surfing?
 

An unexpected hike on the delivered speed at my router (3.3-4.2mb) has miraculously happened. However, ALL web sites now seem to take an age to open. Speed check shows a proportionate increase. I have run a TCP 'tuning' programme which recommends 'no change'. What is happening please and what can I do?

Win XP SP3

There's probably very little YOU can do other than shout at your ISP.

However, the things to try are:

1) Ensure the speed increase HAS happened by logging into your router and checking the synchronisation speeds on the line.

2) Change your DNS settings in your router to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and see if this helps (you will probably have to reboot your PC to see if it helps).

3) Ensure your firewall on your PC doesn't block DNS requests to t'internet. (not a problem if you're using MS Firewall, but if you're using a 3rd party one you would need to reconfigure it.....or better still junk it for the MS one).

See if that helps?

Mike.

MB -
1) was where I saw the increase

Why would 2) and 3) change simply with a hike in delivered speed?

Understanding Internet Speed Test Results

SD

Forget the 'speed test' (wish I hadn't mentioned it!) - this is the measured down stream data rate at the router - as shown in the control panel (3Com), which I have always understood to be accurate? Upstream also greater than last week.

Should I need to change other settings like MTU just because the speed has gone up?

A hike in delivered speed could be related to the move of your connection to a different piece of network hardware, which may be not so well configured as the ISP would like. Hence mandating a 'known good' set of DNS servers used on t'internet may help with speed of name resolution (and hence perceived speed of page delivery).

Also, some client firewalls embed the internet IP address within themselves, denying access to services when you appear not to be located 'at home' - this may be another reason for the slowdown.

The MTU should hardly ever need changing unless you're on a hokeycokey ISP (like TalkTalk). All it defines is the maximum packet size before fragmentation, and as such if the ISP's doing their job right (and has deployed good network hardware) then the MTU should be defined by the link and/or be of a size delivered to the end-user such that it should need no fiddling.

Ummmm. My new router is working well (Linksky 120n) all websites open at warp speed but now my speed has dropped from just over 6mb to just under 5mb. My ISP is TalkTalk. Any relevance to any of the above? Ta!

SD. That link is so wide its in two halves and a bit unreadable.

BOAC,

You may of course be experiencing a mixture of contention, packet shaping and rate limiting.

TCP tuning programs are generally a waste of time for typical home broadband connections, mostly a placebo.

Thanks all - I will sit and wait for the 'BRA' to settle down, perhaps.:)

Not too sure about the ISP 'deploying' network hardware

a) My provider IS part of the talk-talk net. Balanced reasons for not shifting at present.

b) Broadband here in darkest Sussex is 'bundled' and strictly BT

There are possible signs of a 'settling down' as the down stream has dropped back a little this am, but still up on previous. I'll try changing the DNS address.

Eh? That's your browser doing that!

SD

Well, something has obviously taken two Aspirin and lain down for a bit - all sites now opening at normal speed and down rate still 20% higher than it was last week.