Can't tell if its a hardware, software or connection problem, but my ADSL slows down

[Marcos]

Periodically, if that's the correct word.

Basically every 10mins or so all of the programs on my laptop that are downloading slow down for about a minute, they slow to about 10% normal download speed, then go back to full speed.

Even IE slows right down loading pages as if it was on 56k. It doesnt disconnect me, but it halts me for a while, i get no 404s.

I dont really know where to start looking for the problem. It is a new laptop, but everything works perfect other than this and i think it could be more of a software problem than hardware.

Here are the contents of my task manager:



Laptop is a Sony Vaio S3HP, centrino, intel PRO something or other.

I am wirelessly connected to a Linksys router, which has a few "connections exceeded" problems but otherwise kept the line at full speed on my old laptop.
Also these effects are not experienced by the second machine on my network so that must mean its a problem with this machine.

[Merlin4458]

try the usual, virus scan, spyware scan and change to firefox, all i can think of

[Marcos]

I used IE in my old laptop fine, whatever is affecting my connection is affecting all internet program's bandwidth.

I will try a new spyware and virus sweep though

[dodgybob]

Just a quick question, is the other pc also wireless or connected to router via wire?

[skuzgib]

Tried firefox?

[Swafe]

Try firefox, 55mb is an awful lot for a browser to be eating isnt it ?

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by dodgybob

Just a quick question, is the other pc also wireless or connected to router via wire?

There are two other machines, although usually only one of them is connected at the same time as me. Both are wireless, so all 3 machines connect wireless.

Originally Posted by skuzgib

Tried firefox?

Nope, but like i said, my old laptop which i had been using up to last week had the same IE version with no problems. And the problem seems to affect all of the programs connected to the internet, not just the browser. But since i use the browser most, thats the one i notice.

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by Swafeman

Try firefox, 55mb is an awful lot for a browser to be eating isnt it ?

I think there were several windows open at the time, and one of them had a gallery open

[Olly1234]

In you process list you have g3torrent.exe running, as this is a bit torrent client you'd expect your connection to be slow as it'll use all the bandwith you have pretty much, run your connectin without G3 torrent and I dare say it'll be quick

[Swafe]

Theres that, it could be some sort of p2p running it down if your using that

Or again, IE, whether you had the same version of not on another pc and it was fine, maybe your is riddled with spyware and adware which slowly take it down, i recommend shutting p2p apps, spybot search and destory, adware then firefox for t3h win !

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by Olly1234

In you process list you have g3torrent.exe running, as this is a bit torrent client you'd expect your connection to be slow as it'll use all the bandwith you have pretty much, run your connectin without G3 torrent and I dare say it'll be quick

I have set limits on the program to make sure it doesnt throttle the line. Seems to be downloading/uploading well within my connections max.

Have run Spybot, found some cookies, nothing too bad, cleared that out.

I thought adaware had become a bloated POS nowadays?

[Olly1234]

Btw if you have xp sp2 it sets the max open network connctions to 10 which seriously hampers performance for things like torrents, there is a patch available to open it back up to sp1a levels, find it here http://www.lvllord.de/

Faq http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=4226patch/faq

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by Olly1234

Btw if you have xp sp2 it sets the max open network connctions to 10 which seriously hampers performance for things like torrents, there is a patch available to open it back up to sp1a levels, find it here http://www.lvllord.de/

Faq http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=4226patch/faq

I'll try that, thanks


Although the thing i find most strange is it happens in cycles, if it was a constant problem it would make more sense, but seems odd that it goes full speed for a while, then slows etc

[Olly1234]

Might even be worth having your contention ratio checked by your provider, if it's too high might be having an effect on your perf

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by Olly1234

Might even be worth having your contention ratio checked by your provider, if it's too high might be having an effect on your perf

I did think that, but because the other computer keeps going at full speed it can't be the reason.

Later today i'll try again having just my laptop on the connection for an hour or so and i'll kee an eye on it to see if the speeds drop again. That'll rule out wether or not the other machines are causing this

[Trippledence]

Try doing one of the speed tests from http://www.adslguide.org.uk/, then try it again on another pc.

My opera's using 140mb of ram atm... but then it is doing a hell of alot.