Ask Leo!: Network Equipment

How can I be sure I'm getting the internet speed I'm paying for?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:08:49 -08:00

I live in rural Arkansas and I have been paying for DSL at a premium. Most of the time, however, my system runs like dial-up rather than DSL. How can I check to see if I am actually getting what I am paying for?

]]> There are many things that factor into the speed that you actually get from your internet connection. If you read the fine print on most ISP agreements, they're quoting you a maximum speed, not a minimum, and there is no guarantee of throughput.

Nonetheless, if you're paying for 1.5 megabits and you're only getting 33 kilobits on average, then it's time to talk to the provider.

I'll look at some of the reasons that speed might vary and, of course, show you a quick way to test.

Should I buy my own DSL modem?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:14:41 -08:00

What opinion do you have about buying a modem instead of using one supplied by the ISP. Presently I use a dsl modem supplied by my phone co. which is also my ISP. Somewhere in my web rambling I read that modems seem to invite spies, malware and viruses. I don't know how but that's what i think the writer said. As I've been perusing today's newsletter I also see that you mention that it's feasible for people to see our internet addresses if two PC's are behind the same router,which mine are. Do you have any feelings or fears about such things? One thing I don't like about my modem is that the default address of the modem must always remain the same. I am thinking that perhaps with a different modem I could have some leeway in changing the address from time to time as I do with my router.

]]> There's a fair amount of confusion evident in the question, because the modem isn't really related to many of the things mentioned. That's fine, and I'll do my best to clear that up.

Purchasing a modem, rather than using the ISP provided one, isn't all that common but can occasionally be useful. In fact, I had at least one case where I actually had to buy my own. On eBay, no less.

Why does my internet connection slow down sometimes?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:40:51 -08:00

Intermittently, my internet connection becomes really slow. The download speed seems to be OK (650 -700 kbps) but I periodically show a latency period as high as >3600 ms. My ISP says that is normal but I don't think they know what they are talking about.

]]> I used to be with your ISP (the original question called out the ISP by name), and, well ... let's just say I'm no longer with them.

There are several reasons that internet speeds can vary, but in general I wouldn't expect latency (the time it takes for a response to arrive) of over 3.5 seconds.

My new network card lights up, but Windows doesn't find it. Why?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Thu, 03 Jun 2004 08:55:53 -08:00

I have installed a Wireless XtremeG Network card in PCI slot5 of my PC. But it cannot be found. It writes: No card found. But suprisingly, it lights, showing that it is working.

]]> Unfortunately the person asking the question did not include the version of Windows he was using. Assuming you're running Windows XP it is surprising that the card hasn't been found automatically.

I'd take the following steps:

Why does the Linksys wusb11 not work in Windows 98?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sun, 30 May 2004 20:13:05 -08:00

Why does the Linksys wusb11 not work in Windows 98?

]]> It should. I show Windows 98SE as the minimum required platform, so it should. Make sure your software is as up-to-date as possible. You may also want to check out this discussion thread out on Broadband Reports.