Notices
Computer & Technology Related Post here for help and discussion of computing and related technology. Internet, TVs, phones, consoles, computers, tablets and any other gadgets.

Slow Internet speed.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12 May 2009, 08:10 AM
  #1  
andyr
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
andyr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Slow Internet speed.

Desktop PC at home running XPSP2
Run fine until recently when it started going mega slow checking email etc.
Now trying to access most web sites it is sooooo painfully slow, most of the time the site never comes up completely even given 10 minutes.
Strangely off the homepage, google.co.uk, I found some of the linked sites, eg The Indian Times, which I chose randomly from some quick search topic I tried, was really quick, but just about everything else is dog slow.
So, using another PC I downloaded Spybot onto a memory stick and installed it to the desktop PC. Went fine but it then insisted on getting an update from the 'net, and hence fails due to the aforementioned crappy speed that achieves.
Got a copy of Ad-aware which went fine, did quick then full scan, found 2 items (forgotten names of them) which I removed. Have rebooted since but the email download speed , surfing etc is still soo slow.

Any more ideas ?
Anything that forced an update via internet post-install is a no-go at the moment so I think I need to source full packages of applications.
PC speed itself seems fine, looking at the Task Manager doesn't indicate anything untoward.
We have a laptop running off the same router that the PC is on - that connects wirelessly and it's internet speed is great so tht for me eliminates the phone line and the router.
I've rebooted the router. Even connecting to the router on the PC is painfully slow.
Maybe I could install anti-virus or spyware stuff to the laptop then scan the networked PC drive ?

No anti-virus s/w installed - big oops methinks but that's to be dealt with soon, for now the PC is unusable as a surfing/emailing machine.
Old 12 May 2009, 09:58 AM
  #3  
andyr
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
andyr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Cheers :
I cleared down the internet history and temp files, emptied trash.
As mentioned, even using the PC to access the router via routerlogin.com is really slow whereas the laptop doing the same takes seconds.
Did a ping to the router ip from the PC and DOS level and the response was a few milliseconds so the physical PC - router connection appears fine. Seems it is an issue 'above' this, ie the application or maybe the tcp/ip or something.
Not sure if any of the settings could have been screwed - 2 young children, 2 and 5 years, sometimes get to touch the PC and one is allowed access to a couple of specific sites but I guess they could unintentionally mess up some of the settings.
Old 12 May 2009, 07:40 PM
  #6  
bioforger
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
bioforger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pig Hill, Wiltsh1te
Posts: 16,995
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Default

Could also be the PC's onboard NIC failing.
Old 12 May 2009, 07:55 PM
  #7  
jpor
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
jpor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Have you tried re-installing/updating the network drivers? Maybe Windows Update has updated your drivers for you and knackered up the speed.
Also check the speed of the network card in the network properties in 'My Network Places'.
Old 12 May 2009, 08:09 PM
  #8  
evilpob
Scooby Regular
 
evilpob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

who is your internet provider? and is the slow performance all the time? as a lot of broadband speed can be throttled by the provider..

and have you connected a mates PC or laptop to rule out your broadband... ?
Old 12 May 2009, 10:04 PM
  #9  
andyr
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
andyr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Broadband connection is fine - I connected right now using laptop via Netgear wireless router that the PC is also connected to via network cable (have tried a different cable with no improvement)
Network adaptor shows no problems, is also a Netgear, driver showing dated as 2001 so won't have been recently updated ?
Have gone and bought Norton Internet Security (cost me £40 at WH Smith) and it's been running a full scan for 3hrs : found 1 tracking cookie and 10 or so trojans (multiples of ByteVerifys and also Maliframe!HTMLs )

Norton scan has completed and generally it is as poor, random sites off a google searches can be pretty quick to come up, many are dog slow tho'

Tried alternative phone line filters with no effect. About to try my old adsl broadband modem.

ISP is virgin.net.
Old 12 May 2009, 10:55 PM
  #10  
andyr
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
andyr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Ok, some success :
The old bband modem has fired up and connection is restored at a decent speed so ...
fingerpointing is to ?
a) PC network card
b) Router (altho' as an adsl modem connecting wirelessly it is perfectly ok
It has 4 network ports and I've tried them in turn with no difference.
c) screwed winxp settings

Beginning to think it's the PC network port/card : even just connecting to the router is slooooowww whilst using the BBmodem is still good.
At least I've now got my net and email connections back on the main pc.

Best way to pinpoint the problem ?
Old 13 May 2009, 01:52 AM
  #11  
bioforger
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
bioforger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pig Hill, Wiltsh1te
Posts: 16,995
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Default

bband modem is USB is it? Got to be a bad nic then. Unless the routers ethernet ports have all got a fault, possible but more likely to be your PC's NIC. 1 way to know for sure, buy yourself a cheapo PCI nic for a fiver and test.
Old 13 May 2009, 08:16 AM
  #12  
andyr
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
andyr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Current BBmodem is USB connection so, I agree that the router is, in my unexpert opinion, least likely to be the problem, the card isn't showing as having any problems when I look at it in Windows but it is maybe not failed, just a fault that causes it to be mega slow.
Thanks all for help here : it was getting to be very frustrating.
Old 13 May 2009, 05:53 PM
  #14  
bioforger
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
bioforger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pig Hill, Wiltsh1te
Posts: 16,995
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Default

Yea don't trust Windows error reporting its usually wrong I had a nic that was toast n Windows reported it as fine. As soon as I dloaded something it locked up my net connection. A new NIC sorted it.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
JimBowen
ICE
5
02 July 2023 01:54 PM
Wish
Computer & Technology Related
3
30 September 2015 10:39 PM
RS_Matt
Lighting and Other Electrical
8
28 September 2015 12:08 PM
Baskey
General Technical
3
25 September 2015 03:45 PM



Quick Reply: Slow Internet speed.



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:41 AM.