Ferrari Mailing List: (OT) RE: Internet Slowbies - Queries for Gurus

[Dennis Liu (bigheaddennis]

Dr Ken, I think Steve's advice is right on.  It's pretty clearly a network
issue, since your laptop is working fine at the office.  Given that slower
speed is a notorious by-product of a busy cable trunk line, I'd conclude
that this is the issue.  Solutions?  

1.  Check and see if your phone provider is offering fiber optic broadband
(Verizon is rolling out FiOS in many metro area).   They are offering some
pretty good deals on bundled packages that include HDTV, nationwide VoIP and
blazing, blazing fast broadband ISP.

2.  Comcast offers a software accelerator, IIRC, which might ameliorate your
situation a bit.  Free to subscribers, though it has its limits (e.g., I
dunno if your p0rn downloads will run any faster.

3.  If not, and if you're fed up with the slow speed at home, consider
getting a Verizon WLAN card for your laptop.  $59/month (so it's more
expensive than DSL), but you get DSL speeds and it will work throughout
Houston (assuming Houston is covered).  If you're out of the EVDO 3G service
area, you can still connect, but at slower 1x speed (about dial-up speed).
The card is free with a 2-year sign up.  Note that there is a "hidden" limit
to the "unlimited" data plan, something like 3 gig or 5 gig monthly, so no
24/7 streaming webcam from the co-ed dorm room for you.

4.  Break into the utility closet and disconnect your neighbors' cable
broadband connections.

5.  Surf around for a neighbor's DSL-to-wifi signal, and STEAL from him.

Vty,

--Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Jenkins [mailto:steve [at] stevejenkins.com] 
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 12:17 PM
To: Dennis Liu
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Internet Slowbies - Queries for Gurus

Ken:

The best way to check for network saturation is to do speed tests at
different times of the day. Are there general times are that consistently
faster? Have you called the cable company to complain about it? What did
they say?

In general, I prefer cable over DSL. But cable's main drawback is the fact
that you and your neighbors are sharing the same pipe.

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: Hans E. Hansen [mailto:FList [at] hanshansen.org] 
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 8:32 AM
To: Steve Jenkins
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Internet Slowbies - Queries for Gurus

OK, so whatever you are doing different now for
your images makes them no longer visible on
Gmail.

And, Larry, if his computer works fine at work, how
will cleaning the HD, etc. help him at home?  Does
it get messed up on the way to work, and then magically
fixes itself going home?  Not a guru here, so maybe
you can clarify.

Hans.

On 8/2/07, ken rentiers <rentiers [at] mac.com> wrote:
> Dear F-List Computer Gurus:
>
> I have a vexing dilemma for which I need some guidance: I live in a
> luxe apartment complex in the center of Houston ( see my garage below
> - taken from Blackberry as I rolled this AM - HA! Ferrari content! )
> I use a cable
>
>  
> modem feed for the ISP. Used to be OK but the past three days the web
> is slo-o-o-w like an old 300 baud phone modem. It ain't my laptop
> 'cause the DSL wifi at work is smokin' fast. It ain't the ISP 'cause
> the computers down in the business lounge in this apartment office
> complex are also muy rapido.
>
> Am I a victim of too much signal dilution - same thing happened when
> I lived in the 'burbs as more and more houses plugged in to the cable
> TV trunk line, splitting the bandwidth to shreds. Can I fix this by
> going DSL with my own personal phone landline? Would replacing the
> coax in my apartment help?
>
> The big red thing in my picture is the "clown nose" beneath the E39
> rearview mirror which contains the motion sensor alarm. The other big
> red thing is driven by one of my neighbors.
>
> ken
>
>
>
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