Is my bandwidth bottlenecked?

[Dr Cool]

Me and my dad have been with AOL since 2000 and even though we've had issues with them, now its much better. We don't use the bundled software, just the connection via a netgear ADSL wireless router. Our speed has been going up in fashion just like every other ISP but for something reason after we hit around 235kbs download speeds it stopped going up even after getting these results from speedtest. No matter what source I have to download a update or video etc it never goes above 230 or so, while It clears just up to 350 and works its way down.

[sadbuttrue]

The initial download speed should be ignored, as the calculation done by software will be inaccurate. Some software will download a large chunk of data before starting the calculation, but still include it in the average speed.

What speed are you connected to the wireless router? With an 802.11b connection (11mb/s) you will only realistically get 4mb/s at best, with 2mb/s being the average. This matches the download speed you're getting.

[mehmeh]

+1 on the above. Remember speedtest.com is reporting your speed in Kilobits (Kb), to get actual download/upload speeds divide that number by 8 for KiloBytes. So 1677/8 = 209KB

If you wanna rule out your Router slowing things down. Connect via LAN or direct to a Modem and compare the speeds.

FYI: ~250KB/sec would equate to a 2Mb connection. Assuming its not your router, AOL may need a push to upgrade you to an upto 8Mb package. Have you got it comfirmed what package your on?

[Shooty*]

Sorry, I can't help. I just wanted to say: People still use AOL??!?!?

But then again, having intially raved about Sky Broadband, I am now actively looking to go to another ISP.

[matty-hodgson]

Shooty*

o2!!!
i went from Sky's 16mb package recieving 4.5mb/s and now we're on o2 getting the full 20mb/s promised

[Shooty*]

O2? Despite the sh1tty adverts? OK, will look into it.

Sky are going to lose me, by the way, because from 5pm to midnght and at weekends, the speeds are intolerably slow*.
Fine, if you want to sopt people torrenting or something, do take measures, but when it renders skype unusable, you're doing something wrong.

O2 don't do that, I take it?


* max speed per machine post 5pm seems to be 25kbps, or kps, or whatever.

[matty-hodgson]

and if you have an o2 phone, even if it's just a PAYG, you get a fiver knocked off the bill i think.

[Shooty*]

My work mobile is O2... wonder if that will count... it's probably in the company name...

I wonder how much fight Sky will put up. What did they try with you?

[matty-hodgson]

they tried saying that because our broadband was bundled in with the TV and phoneline aswell, that if we canceled the broadband we'd have to pay more for the TV and phone, so then my dad said "right then, i'll just cancel everything then" and they soon changed their tune and just dropped the £10 from the monthly bill.

we were past the 12 month contract though, don't know if you are or not.

[Shooty*]

Apparently not. On the phone to them at the moment, and they've not mentioned it yet... MAC code requested...

O2 here I come...

[matty-hodgson]

have you even checked you can get o2 in your area?
you seem to have acted pretty quick.

[Shooty*]

I can get the "it's your fault for living in the sticks" package with o2.
Fairly quick, yes, coz Sky is unusable. Been thinking this for ages.

[Shooty*]

signing up now

[Prezzy]

I have to say Virgin Media is one of the best ISP's around at the momment (well I think anyway !!)

Their current connection speeds at the momment are 10mb, 20mb or 50mb !! I have the 2mb connection at present but sometime between now & May they will be doing away with the 2mb connection so I am getting put up to 10mb connection for free !!!

My wee sis is on the bt broadband & she complains about it all of the time, think she is looking into moving to the sky broadband package !!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

One of my family member's Sky internet connection used to be intolerably slow. Rang them and soon found out it was a probem with the line settings on their end and also there was a firmware issue with the Netgear router they had supplied. They resolved the issue quickly to give them credit.

Low and Behold now the line actually works at the advertised speed.

[Shooty*]

My Sky USED to work fine, but then they just start throttling at 5pm each and every single day, and when we're trying to skype our parents so they can see their grandkids/ my kids, it's absoutley unusable. And you can't get webpages or owt.

So off I go. If O2 seems the same, then fine, it may be a problem with my end, as it were. I didn't use the Sky router: I thought it was a piece of sh*t. This was about 2 - 3 years ago, one of those white, crab-looking things. It could maintain one wifi connection for all of 20 seconds.