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View Full Version : Internet/speed problems


Houkou
03-19-09, 05:15 PM
Ok, so a while back, maybe three weeks now, I downloaded some stuff from the bf's computer via Filezilla. It was about 6GB, and I stopped it during the main part of the day, so it mostly downloaded when no one else was using it. Two or three days into the download, everything s l o w e d down, (to dl speeds of around 4kb/s) so I stopped (and finished the next week, haha).

Since then, I've been having problems with my internet speed and connection. Around 18:30pm, and 8pm, it especially grinds to a complete halt. It can take literally half an hour to load a page here, if at all. Emails, accessing schoolwork online, pretty much anything is impossible. After about 23:30 it becomes ok again.

I have ran Avira, SUPERantispyware, and F-Secure numerous times, but it never finds anything. Also, I just booted up my old laptop for the first time in months (poor thing never did fully recover, I keep meaning to turn it into a Linux machine) and that is working fine. I downloaded Opera and Pidgin, loaded pages, it's all normal. So all I can assume, is either I'm missing something, there's a super sekrit virus somewhere, or the admins restricted me.

I'll have to ask tomorrow somehow about the latter (how the heck can you do such politely? And what if I am wrong, ugh), but for now, is there anything else I can try? This is incredibly frustrating, and contrary to popular belief I do use the internet for more than LTV. I couldn't access my school email or the online virtual learning environment, so didn't know about a meeting with a lecturer, for example.

What bothers me is that I have downloaded large amounts at a time before (such as entire series of shows at once), and nothing has happened, so I don't know what makes this time such. Thoughts?

scotpgot
03-19-09, 05:23 PM
What's your internet set-up, Houkou?

Sateliite? Cable? Going through school/work?

Houkou
03-19-09, 05:26 PM
Wireless broadband, logged in with the school's network, then connect via openVPN to the bf, and everything goes through that. Though it makes no real difference in speed or anything else if connected, it's just to avoid filters.

Edit: Crap, I didn't realise I'd posted in the wrong help section, sorry.

John
03-20-09, 06:22 AM
Hey, no problem. I'll move it for you. :)

What Operating System are you running?

If running Windows, if I were you, I'd be checking my computer for ad/spy/mal ware. Spybot S&D and Windows Defender to a good job of cleaning house for the usual culprits, and if used in conjunction with a good antivirus package, it gets even better.

If you're on another OS, let me know.

Houkou
03-20-09, 02:31 PM
Thank you :)

I'm running Vista at the moment, have not ran Spybot (I found that got worse over time on my other machine, to the point where it missed a lot of obvious stuff that other things picked up) but have tried Avira/F-Secure/SUPERantispyware, and Windows Defender is standard. :) The worst I've found is two tracking cookies.. and I'm not really sure how I could/would go about looking for any changes or such myself.

Edit: To clarify, the antivirus etc are not all running at the same time so as to be possibly interfering with each other. :)

John
03-27-09, 05:23 AM
Crap. Sorry I didn't get back to you. I've been a little busy. :(

How long have you had your current OS installation running?

In re-reading your original post, the times that you stated are interesting. Is is possible that there is either network maintenance or something else happening on the schools network that might be hogging bandwidth?

A good way to test that, is to go somewhere where you get free wireless during that time. If everything is working fine, then it's probably the school's network.

LostEmissary
03-27-09, 05:50 AM
Sounds a lot like a network issue to me. Those times sound like "peak" times where people are people would get back from classes/dinner and start using the net.

Also, you can try bringing up your network status window (click on the tray icon for your internet connection and click on "network and sharing center, then click on "view status" for your connection). If the sent or recived number increasing at a decent rate but you're not downloading anything on the computer, then it's likely that you have some sort of program running on your computer stealing bandwidth.