Charter cable modem - very slow Internet browsing
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Posted by on August 14, 2006, 4:41 pm
Please log in for more thread options Hello, I have been having an issue with extremely slow web browsing for the past couple weeks. I have contacted Charter's tech support a number of times without any success. Initially they suggested that I may have spyware but I assured them that I do not have spyware. I run Windows Defender, Ad-aware, and spy-bot. None of which report any issues. I have also connected a differenct PC to my cable modem and had the same issue. I really don't think this is a PC issue. The strange thing is that when I run a speed test it checks out fine. It's just browsing that is verrrrry slow, especially if there ar graphics on the page. I tried swapping the cable modem and had the same result. I also tried manually entering DNS addresses in order to bypass Charters DNS servers and this did not work either. I'm not sure where to go from here. This is extremely frustrating as Charter is the only "high-speed" Internet provider in my area. Any ideas? Thanks for the help!! Raul | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Warren on August 14, 2006, 5:33 pm
Please log in for more thread options raul.s3@gmail.com wrote: What browser are you using? If you use more than one browser, do you have the same problem in them all? If you're using Internet Explorer, try this: 1. Close all Internet Explorer windows. 2. Go to Control Panel > Internet Options, and delete all Temporary
Internet files.
(If you just go to Tools > Internet Options within IE, it won't delete the
Temporary Internet files currently in use by the browser. Always go to
Internet Options through the Control Panel.) 3. In the Temporary Internet Files section, go to Settings 4. Don't set the space available for the Temporary Internet files to be more than 60-80MB. Bigger than that and the browser takes too long to search the caches. 5. Press the View Objects button. Pull down Edit > View, and if you
don't have it set to Details, set it to Details.
6. Note the status of the items listed. Delete any that are damaged. 7. Note what objects are there. Are there any that don't look familiar? Google them to see what they're about, and delete any extraneous objects. Something else that can affect your browser's speed are settings on anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. How many of these programs do you have installed? How many are trying to scan everything you're downloading? If your browsing habits take you to sites where live virus and malicious spyware are a problem, perhaps you may need a lot of redundant protections, and a speed hit is desirable compared to the dangers. But if you're regularly doing full scans, and are browsing only to safe sites, you may want to consider your protection choices. Multiple anti-virus programs can cause problems just by being installed on a single machine, even if the automatic settings are turned to off. -- Warren H. ========== Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife. Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants to go outside now. Power Lawncare Tools for Spring Clean-up: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blackanddecker/ | |||||||||||||
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Posted by on August 14, 2006, 6:00 pm
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Warren wrote: > What browser are you using? If you use more than one browser, do you have
> the same problem in them all? I'm using Win XP Pro SP2 with IE7. I was using IE6 when the problem began. I upgraded to IE7 thinking that the browser was having problems. I have also tried Firefox. Every browser has the same issue. I also tried a different computer, running a W2K and IE6. Same problem. > If you're using Internet Explorer, try this:
> 1. Close all Internet Explorer windows. > 2. Go to Control Panel > Internet Options, and delete all Temporary > Internet files. > (If you just go to Tools > Internet Options within IE, it won't delete the > Temporary Internet files currently in use by the browser. Always go to > Internet Options through the Control Panel.) > 3. In the Temporary Internet Files section, go to Settings > 4. Don't set the space available for the Temporary Internet files to be > more than 60-80MB. Bigger than that and the browser takes too long to > search the caches. > 5. Press the View Objects button. Pull down Edit > View, and if you > don't have it set to Details, set it to Details. > 6. Note the status of the items listed. Delete any that are damaged. > 7. Note what objects are there. Are there any that don't look familiar? > Google them to see what they're about, and delete any extraneous objects. I regularly delete all of my temp files. > Something else that can affect your browser's speed are settings on
> anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. How many of these programs do you > have installed? How many are trying to scan everything you're downloading? I use AVG free for AV, and I use Microsoft Defender for Anti-spyware > If your browsing habits take you to sites where live virus and malicious
> spyware are a problem, perhaps you may need a lot of redundant > protections, and a speed hit is desirable compared to the dangers. But if > you're regularly doing full scans, and are browsing only to safe sites, > you may want to consider your protection choices. Multiple anti-virus > programs can cause problems just by being installed on a single machine, > even if the automatic settings are turned to off. I don't browse to any unsafe sites. I have very basic browsing habbits. I rarely download anything as I am very aware of the dangers that lurk on the Internet. I ran a netstat -a and there are no established connections. So I really don't think this is a trojan issue. My PC is clean as far as I can tell. I'm actually thinking this may be a routing issue on Charter's side. Any other ideas? Thanks for the help Warren! Raul | |||||||||||||
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Posted by on August 24, 2006, 10:08 pm
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raul.s3@gmail.com wrote: > Hello,
> > I have been having an issue with extremely slow web browsing for the > past couple weeks. I have contacted Charter's tech support a number of > times without any success. Initially they suggested that I may have > spyware but I assured them that I do not have spyware. I run Windows > Defender, Ad-aware, and spy-bot. None of which report any issues. I > have also connected a differenct PC to my cable modem and had the same > issue. I really don't think this is a PC issue. The strange thing is > that when I run a speed test it checks out fine. It's just browsing > that is verrrrry slow, especially if there ar graphics on the page. I > tried swapping the cable modem and had the same result. I also tried > manually entering DNS addresses in order to bypass Charters DNS servers > and this did not work either. I'm not sure where to go from here. This > is extremely frustrating as Charter is the only "high-speed" Internet > provider in my area. Any ideas? Thanks for the help!! > > Raul I've also been getting rough connections. It is very intermittent. The bandwidth tests have only gone as low as 1.3 (I have the 3mb srvc)...but I swear it's worse than that. I'm not even sure it's a speed issue as much as a load issue or routing issue...it -seems- to have started after a phone calling asking if I wanted to upgrade to the 5mb speed. I'm in Michigan if that makes a difference. No spyware, viruses, etc. | |||||||||||||
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Posted by on August 26, 2006, 5:00 am
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I live in Long Beach, CA in a area too far away to be reached by DSL. Charter has a monopoly in all things broadband and cable in my area and is indifferent to customer problems. They charge $49.95 per month for a supposed 5Meg connection but the best I've ever tested was 1.2Meg. Usually I am connecting below 500Kb. Charter claims that the problem is with my firewall or with my spyware or with my IE internet security settings or with my router but not once do they admit that the problem is with their network loop which is overburdened with large numbers of subscribers using telephone, TV and broadband all over the same cable line loop. These are the results of the monopoly that the City of Long Beach awarded to this company. Verizon will soon be installing FIOS fiberoptic in my area and I will be their first customer. | |||||||||||||
> past couple weeks. I have contacted Charter's tech support a number of
> times without any success. Initially they suggested that I may have
> spyware but I assured them that I do not have spyware. I run Windows
> Defender, Ad-aware, and spy-bot. None of which report any issues. I
> have also connected a differenct PC to my cable modem and had the same
> issue. I really don't think this is a PC issue. The strange thing is
> that when I run a speed test it checks out fine. It's just browsing
> that is verrrrry slow, especially if there ar graphics on the page. I
> tried swapping the cable modem and had the same result. I also tried
> manually entering DNS addresses in order to bypass Charters DNS servers
> and this did not work either. I'm not sure where to go from here. This
> is extremely frustrating as Charter is the only "high-speed" Internet
> provider in my area. Any ideas? Thanks for the help!!