Several ideas come to mind including cabling, interference, and bandwidth thieves. Let’s take a look.
Testing Internet Speeds
Several online tools are available where you can check your actual connection speeds. CNET’s Bandwidth Online Test is one such tool. I just tested my own connection with this tool and was pleased to see that my speed appears to be about what I expected it to be.
When you sign up for high-speed Internet access, you are often given several different plans from which to choose with the fastest connections costing more. If you’re paying for higher speeds, you certainly don’t want to live with a slow connection. Apparently, the speed being delivered from the DSL line into your modem is coming in as it should. But from the modem to your computer to your Internet experience, something is causing a bottlejam.
Physical Connections
Back when I worked in broadcasting, cables were often the culprit when quality issues arose. It didn’t matter if it was a video or audio signal, if the image or sound was bad, swapping out the cables often resolved the problem. I would try a fresh Ethernet cable from the modem to the PC as well as a new DSL line from the jack to the modem. In addition, if you are using splitters or adapters of any type, lose them and invest in the appropriate type or length of cable. Adapters and splitters further degrade signals.
Interference
Have you noticed whether or not the slow connection speeds are intermittent? Does the connection slow down when another part of the DSL line is in use, such as when you’re on the phone or sending faxes? Do you have numerous USB peripheral devices such as scanners and printers? If so, these could be using the computer’s external bus which in turn could cause a slower than expected DSL speed.
Bandwidth Thieves
One of the most common causes of slow Internet connections, DSL or otherwise, is having too many programs and processes using the available bandwidth. Some of this is necessary and legitimate. For example, your antivirus program regular transmits back and forth with its developer in order to download the latest updates and keep your computer safe. Likewise, Windows regularly downloads hotfixes, updates, security patches, and other operating system files from Microsoft. I can always tell when Microsoft Updates is doing its deed without even looking for the icon in my system tray because my entire computer slows down, especially my Internet connection.
The real bandwidth thieves are those you aren’t even aware of. If your computer is infested with spyware such as keyloggers or Trojans, these nasty little intruders are busy recording your keystrokes and downloading other spyware applications which have missions of their own. Soon, you may have dozens of unwanted visitors performing malicious tasks - and hogging your bandwidth as they communicate back and forth with their master.
What to Do
I would start by investing in the right cables, especially if your current cables are old or funky. Next, I would run a complete, system-wide virus and spyware scan to rule out spyware (after downloading the latest updates of course). If you don’t have these products, you are strongly urged to invest in them. Here’s a series of antivirus reviews we recently conducted on the latest editions for 2009. Look for a product that provides virus and spyware protection as well as real time blocking.
I would also keep my eye on the connection speeds and observe what seems to affect them. Try unplugging multiple USB devices and see if that helps. If none of these tips speeds up your connection, the modem itself may need to be adjusted or may be failing.
Celeste Stewart | November 13th, 2008
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