Dog slow Download

[Rob Roten]

I'm on Earthlink DSL through AT&T lines... about 3 months ago, download speeds on two computers (one laptop, one desktop) dropped to 150kbps. I don't know what it was before but it was fast enought that I never bothered to check it. Had lines checked... no problem. Did speedtest and received a consistent speed of 1.2Mbps. Replaced DSL modem, hooked modem directly to service entry to the house. No change. Uninstalled McAfee. No change. downloaded Mozilla firefox, uninstalled Internet explorer. No change. Had laptop checked at Geeksquad, no problems.

Took laptop to another location and hooked it up to a cable modem. With a speed test of 4Mbps, download speed was 360 kbps.

It appears to me that something is throttling my download speeds and has affected both of my home computers. Possibly a virus that McAfee has missed? (both of these have the same McAfee software.

Test results as follows...
« SpeedGuide.net Speed Test Results »
1218 kbps down (~1.22 Mbps, 149 KB/s)↓
214 kbps up (~0.21 Mbps, 26 KB/s)↑
2048 KB downloaded in 13.77 seconds
500 KB uploaded in 19.178 seconds
Tested on: 2008.01.29 08:46 EST
Tested from: speedguide.net
Test Link: http://www.speedguide.net/speedtest/results.php?test=1QVDHPU9SBKP
Latency: 45ms
Provider: dsl.mindspring.com
Location: Aiken, SC, US

and...

« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results »
Tested on: 01.29.2008 09:20
IP address: 66.32.xxx.x

TCP options string: 020405500103030201010402
MSS: 1360
MTU: 1400
TCP Window: 257040 (multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 2
Unscaled RWIN : 64260
Reccomended RWINs: 65280, 130560, 261120, 522240
BDP limit (200ms): 10282kbps (1285KBytes/s)
BDP limit (500ms): 4113kbps (514KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 51
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)

Much thanks to all in advance...

Rob

[trogers]

If your comp can get 4 mbps on another internet line, the problem is probably with your signal device or internet line and not your comp. Get your ISP to test your line.

[Rob Roten]

Thanks for the response Trogers.

Please note that, when a speed test shows 1.2 MBps, the download speed is 150kBps (12%). When on cable, and the speed test shows, 4 MBps, the download speed is 360 kBps (9%).

I'm far from an expert on this so thanks for bearing with me... but..

If you look at the second line of my speed test results, run on the DSL line, it says.. 1218 kbps down (~1.22 Mbps, 149 KB/s)↓ . This is essentially the results I'm getting.

The DSL line has been tested. Also, given the similar dismal results between a cable modem and a DSL modem, it appears to be the PC.

Also, I downloaded and ran, AVG Antispy, Spybot and AdAware 2007 last night and deleted everything they found. No change to download speed.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards...

[trogers]

Thanks for the response Trogers.

Please note that, when a speed test shows 1.2 MBps, the download speed is 150kBps (12%). When on cable, and the speed test shows, 4 MBps, the download speed is 360 kBps (9%).

I'm far from an expert on this so thanks for bearing with me... but..

If you look at the second line of my speed test results, run on the DSL line, it says.. 1218 kbps down (~1.22 Mbps, 149 KB/s)↓ . This is essentially the results I'm getting.

The DSL line has been tested. Also, given the similar dismal results between a cable modem and a DSL modem, it appears to be the PC.

Also, I downloaded and ran, AVG Antispy, Spybot and AdAware 2007 last night and deleted everything they found. No change to download speed.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards...

First you need to know what speed each internet is paid to get.

Is the DSL line paid to give only 1500 kbps?

Is the cable line paid to get 5000 kbps?

Second, you must differentiate between kilobits per second (kbps or kb/s) from kilobytes per second (KB/s).

The first is a measurement of internet speed while the latter is a measurement of file transfer speed.

1 KB/s = 8 kbps.

If you want to tweak your comp for the DSL line, find out the speed your ISP is paid to give you on this line. Also, post your TCP Analyzer report.

[Rob Roten]

Thanks again Trogers...

speeds I'm paying for...

DSL line - 1.2Mbps (I take it as Mega bits per second)
Cable - 8 Mbps (also, Mega bits per second)

The download speed I am quoting is from the file download dialogue box that shows up in Internet Explorer when I right click, save file as, etc. etc. Is this bits or bytes?

TCP report as follows...

« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results »
Tested on: 01.30.2008 09:31
IP address: 66.32.xxx.x

TCP options string: 020405500103030201010402
MSS: 1360
MTU: 1400
TCP Window: 257040 (multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 2
Unscaled RWIN : 64260
Reccomended RWINs: 65280, 130560, 261120, 522240
BDP limit (200ms): 10282kbps (1285KBytes/s)
BDP limit (500ms): 4113kbps (514KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 51
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)

Regards,

[trogers]

File transfer speed indicated in the browser is for kilobytes per second (KB/s) just like the sizes of files are in kilobytes (KB).

Since you are paying for 2 different lines and your comp may be used for both lines (at different times), I suggest you tweak it for the 8 mbps cable.

Try the following with TCP Optimizer:

General Settings tab:
Custom settings - check
Modify All Network Adapters - check
network adapter selection - your NIC
MTU 1500
TTL - 64
TCP Receive Window - 128480
MTU Discovery - Yes
Black Hole Detect - No
Selective Acks - Yes
Max Duplicate ACKs - 2
TCP 1323 Options:
Windows Scaling - checked
Timestamps - uncheck

Advanced Settings tab:
Max Connections per Server - 10
Max Connections per 1.0 Server - 20
LocalPriority - 1
Host Priority - 1
DNSPriority - 1
NetbtPriority - 1
Lan Browsing speedup - optimized
QoS: NonBestEffortLimit - 0
ToS: DisableUserTOSSetting - 0
ToS: DefaultTOSValue - 80
MaxNegativeCacheTtl - 0
NetFailureCacheTime - 0
NegativeSOACache Time - 0
LAN Request Buffer Size - 32768
Then select "Apply Changes" and reboot to take effect

[Rob Roten]

Thanks for the response... and your patience.

Just to clarify... the cable ISP is away from my home. the DSL is used for 99% of my work.

If I'm reading your right... The advertised speed is in bits... the file download speed is in Bytes (8 bits to a Byte).

This means that when the file download box tells me that it is downloading at a rate of 150kBps (download dialogue box in IE), that matches up well with the advertised speed of 1.2 Mbps (1.2 mega bits per second). Is this correct?

Which leads me to ask... Is my observed loss in download speed all in my head? (I know you can't answer that but....)

and two... why have I spent countless hours talking to my ISP's support center, been to CompUSA and to Geek Squad and nobody EVER mentioned the bits vs. bytes difference. You would think this would be on the FAQ question list on every ISP's site. Just wondering....

anyway... thanks for your help...

[trogers]

We have a bits/bytes calculator in Speedguide.net -

http://www.speedguide.net/conversion.php

And a bits/bytes article - http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=115