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When trying to connect to the Big Fish games site and my account page, the connection is VERY slow and no matter how long I wait, I cannot get by the processing stage and therefore am unable to purchase any games. I don’t know when it started to go wrong as I haven’t used the site for a while. I can get through eventually with Mozilla Firefox but it’s too much hassle.

The typical culprits behind a slow Internet connection include problems with the provider, too much data stored in temporary files, malware, or a bad connection. Since you can eventually log in to Big Fish Games, most likely the problem is with your available memory or malware infection. Clearing up some of these potential problems could be the fix that you need. Read through and try the following tips.

Troubleshooting Slow Connection to Big Fish Games: Clear Temporary Cache

One of the first strategies to try when your attempts to connect to a website are slow is to clear the temporary Internet cache on your web browser. Use the first set of directions to clear the cache in Mozilla Firefox:

• Open Mozilla Firefox.
• Select “Edit” and “Menu.”
• Select the section for “Preferences.”
• Select “Navigator.”
• Select “Clear History” and “OK.”

Use the second set for Internet Explorer:

• Open up Internet Explorer.
• Look for and open the section labeled, “Tools.”
• Navigate to “Delete Browsing History”
• Select each of the following by marking off the small white box in front of them: cookies, temporary Internet files, history, and form data.
• Click “Delete.”

Slow browsers can occur whenever you allow too many tabs to remain open for extended periods of time as well. Consider closer some of the tabs on the browser if you aren’t actively using them.

Troubleshooting Slow Connection to Big Fish Games: Scan for Spyware, Viruses, and Trojans

The presence of spyware or viruses can really slow down your computer, preventing you from gaining access to websites easily and quickly. You should update your anti-spyware/anti-virus application and run it on the computer to remove any lurking problems. Malware uses up a lot of bandwidth at times and can be responsible for response-time problems with the Internet.

Troubleshooting Slow Connection to Big Fish Games: Timing

If you have dial up Internet and you are trying to access the Big Fish Games website during a widely-used time of day, your connection could be lagging and produce this type of undesirable waiting period. Try using the Internet at a different time of day or night and see if that makes a difference and releases you from problems with a slow website.  

Troubleshooting Slow Connection to Big Fish Games: Update the Browser

If you haven’t updated your web browser, this fact could account for problems logging into different websites. Check the website for your browser and update to the latest version that is available. After you do so, check your settings to make sure they are where you want them to be.

Troubleshooting Slow Connection to Big Fish Games: Odd Tip

A tip that might seem a bit odd, but that has been suggested by Big Fish Games, is to make sure that the time and date on your computer are accurately set. Windows users can access this function through their “Control Panel.”

Troubleshooting Slow Connection to Big Fish Games: Security and Privacy Settings

Since you haven’t used the game in a while, it is possible that your security and privacy settings have changed. See if changing the level to medium level helps out.

I have an issue with a slow browser when my modem cable is connected to the Linksys Wireless-G Router WRT54G. The speed is great when not connected to the router but connected directly to the cable modem. Linksys wants to charge a tech support fee to adjust the settings for the router for faster speed. I have access to the Linksys Admin Web site, however, I don’t know which settings to adjust for faster router speed. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Before forking over money to have Linksys troubleshoot your slow modem connection, let’s see if we can’t try a few steps to speed it up. Some users have reported that flashing the firmware has solved this problem for them. Flashing the firmware has its risks, so let’s try a few other steps first.

Try a Different Channel

It’s possible that other wireless devices (such as cordless phones, baby monitors, and even microwave ovens) are interfering with your wireless Linksys router. Try a different channel and see if that solves the speed problem. Go into the Linksys Admin Web page and click on Wireless> Basic Wireless Settings. Find Wireless Channels and try either channel 1, 6, or 11 which are considered “non-overlapping” channels.

Checking the Router’s Transmit Rate

The WRT54G router should have its transmit rate set to Auto. Auto allows the router to use the fastest data rate and connection speed based on conditions at the time. Generally, you shouldn’t change this rate as it will shorten the wireless network’s range. However, if you want to experiment with this setting, you can do so by going into the Admin Web site and clicking on Wireless>Advanced Wireless Settings. Under Transmission Settings, choose your desired rate from the dropdown list. 54 mbps will be the highest possible transmission speed.

Router Hard Reset

If you’ve made a great deal of changes to your router’s settings that you think might be interfering with performance, you may want to reset your router to its factory settings. You’ll need to reenter your network information after doing so as the router will no longer remember these settings. To perform a hard reset, look at the back of the modem, just next to the Internet jack. You should see a small reset button. Press and hold this button for 30 seconds. With so many versions of the WRT54G router, your router’s reset button may appear elsewhere, so if it is not by the Internet jack, keep looking. In the case of the WRT54GX router, the reset button is found on the bottom, near the bottom left corner.

Update Linksys Firmware

The Linksys WRT54G wireless router has been around for a while now, with several versions. Updated firmware is available. First, go to the Linksys WRT54G Download Page and select your version of the device. You can find your version number by looking at the label found on the bottom of your router. Let’s say that you have version 6; the label will say “Model No: WRT54G ver 6.”   

Once you select your version, a list of available downloads will appear specific for your exact version of the router. Select the firmware file and follow the prompts - making sure that you have selected the exact version of the router beforehand.

Linksys provides detailed instructions on updating the firmware. Follow all steps, including backing up your current router settings. Once updated, set up your router from scratch rather than using the backup as the backup could contain settings that are slowing down your connection. Use the backup only if all else fails.