How can I optimize my broadband connection at 512kb download speed?

[wolram]

i have just connect my BB its maximum download is 512k
not the best, but an amazing difference to the old system,
now i have BB is there a way to optimise its uses?

 

[dduardo]

Try the tweak test:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/tools

Once you complete the test, you can download a registry patch to help maximize the speed of your connection

You should also try using Firefox or Opera. Both are faster than IE.

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
http://www.opera.com/

 

[MythioS]

Also use any download accelerators. Some servers will only give you a set amount of bandwidth when downloading, etc. So download accelerators log you into the servers multiple times to get that limited amount but *x # of connections.

 

[kioria]

Usually, trying to optimise your BB's bandwidth is useless. Unless of course if you want to fasten your download speed, you could try what MythioS suggested. If your BB is 512kbps, it is most likely to be capped (by your ISP).

 

[Evo]

Wolram, is it DSL? DSL speed is usually priced by the maximum amount of bandwidth an ISP will agree to deliver for that connection. Did your ISP offer different speeds? If you think 512k is significantly lower than what they sold you, call them and ask them to have the line tested, in some cases the LEC can improve the line quality if you complain enough. The technician should have told you what the maximum bandwidth your connection could sustain at the time they did the loop test.

A problem with DSL is that attenuation on the line will reduce the speed. The longer the distance of the local loop, the greater the attenuation. Even with a very short loop, poor quality (numerous splices, damaged sheathing, etc..) will also decrease the bandwidth.

If it's cable, it's a shared environment and heavy subscriber ratio's in your area will reduce the amount of bandwidth available.

 

[wolram]

i live in a rural area and our local exchange has just been converted,
i think download rate is in the ball park on a good day, but as you say
EVO it can slow down due to usage, the only thing that bugs me
now is that often i have reboot to get a connection, tiscali help
informs me that it is a common problem with ADSL.

 

[Nereid]

wolfram's "Location" says "warwickshire", which is in the UK. This means, in terms of Evo's informative post, that the "LEC" (local exchange carrier) is almost certainly BT (formerly British Telecom) as almost all "local exchange" competitors have been driven out of business.

tiscali, IIRC, is an ISP; the underlying ADSL infrastructure is BT's. In theory, wolfram has a contract with tiscali, which *should* specify the 'line speed', sometimes expressed in terms of threshholds (e.g. '512KB available 99%, as measured by xxx'); you can be sure that tiscali has such a contract with BT!

However, if BT's contracts are anything to go by, they are carefully constructed by very smart legal staff to explicitly avoid making any commitment whatsoever to the 'consumer' customer, and any failure to deliver against the *perceptions* created by the marketing dept is (from BT's POV) totally irrelevant. wolfram's only recourse is a complaint to tiscali, then Oftel.

tiscali's help is probably telling wolfram what the marketing dept told them to say; the underlying cause of the failures is likely both tiscali (or the vendor of the equipment - more likely the software - which sold to tiscali) and BT. wolfram likely has a 'manta ray' ADSL modem attached to his PC, manufactured by Alcatel. This is most unlikely to be the cause of the need to reboot. If the local (BT) exchange ("central office" in US-speak) has only recently been converted to ADSL (this is a very significant engineering effort, IIRC), there will likely be a period of up to a year before all the wrinkles are ironed out.

 

[Evo]

Wow Neried, also very telecomm savvy!

I remember in the olden days of yore when I would try to get an international private line installed, having to deal with Mercury there in the UK and waiting 6-12 months for them to get their end done.

 

[Nereid]

Sadly Mercury - now Cable&Wireless, IIRC - has all but exited the UK consumer market (global IP networks, for megacorporations, is another story); no more local "Dr Who" telephone booths (except BT ones, and Kingston ones, if you live in Hull).

The behaviour of telcos is almost as much a red cape to this cow as racist **** from the likes of {fill in your favourite Social Sciences poster here}.

 

[Evo]

Cable & Wireless has pretty much pulled out of the US market.

The cannibalization within the telecomm industry over the past few years has whittled the top players down to a small handfull again.

I've worked most of my life for AT&T, designing corporate global data & IP networks and have seen so much change over the past few decades. I remember designing data networks back in 1985 and we only had 4 digital hubs in the entire US, capable of 9600 baud & that was as good as it got. I would have to design the circuit as analog until I could get to one of the digital hubs.

Nereid, you amaze me by your broad knowledge of topics!

 

[wolram]

1985? looks can be deceptive, the modem i have is a SAGEM, the
stories i could tell about getting a "good", line, after months of
complaining, and having a separate line exclusively for my PC on
BTs recommendation, i had five engineers call on three consecutive
days, each to do different test, how many can there be? well
at least i had my monies worth that week, so i have a perfect
line, but as NEREID said a new exchange may take a while to
settle in.

 

[Evo]

1985? looks can be deceptive, the modem i have is a SAGEM, the
stories i could tell about getting a "good", line, after months of
complaining, and having a separate line exclusively for my PC on
BTs recommendation, i had five engineers call on three consecutive
days, each to do different test, how many can there be? well
at least i had my monies worth that week, so i have a perfect
line, but as NEREID said a new exchange may take a while to
settle in.

Born in 1955, and yes, it's a recent photo. I'm wondering if the ISP is providing sufficient bandwidth. If it is a rural area, they may have only leased a tiny amount of bandwidth to make it more profitable. At least you're getting a decent speed.

I can't even get DSL where I live, it is much too rural to be profitable.