ARrrrrgh!1 Total frustration! WHY do my gadgets stall/loading YouTube videos?! UPDATE, post #15!

[UTUSN]

Last edited Sat Jan 19, 2013, 10:54 AM - Edit history (1)

Not that many years ago I was one of the last troglodites on Dial-Up and thought that that was why I could never get to see YouTube or whatever videos. Then with the laptop and DSL, started out sort of sometimes able to see things, but soon got back to the stalled out same old. So a month ago with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" it seemed like my stalled out condition was over, well that is over with now and I'm not able to get videos, just stall stall STALL!1

I don't know whether this has anything to do with anything but last week in the Java unpleasantness I UNinstalled Java, which was an outdated Java 6, and have not installed Java 7. This would be on the laptop. The Fire hasn't had anything done.

Is it the speed of the connection, the strength, WHAT?!1 Thanks for any consideration to this.

I don't know what information is pertinent. I use IE and a router.

[NYC_SKP]

1. First, check your connection speed.

Here:

http://www.speedtest.net/

Then, maybe try someone else's WiFi connection with one of your devices.

That should begin to isolate your problems to connectivity versus hardware versus software.

[UTUSN]

3. Thanks. Got PING 55, Download .12, Upload .31 - so these mean what? n/t

[NYC_SKP]

5. Those are some crappy numbers.

I have slow service and my numbers are these:

Ping 554, Download .59, Upload .09.

Your download is the number that impacts loading and running a youtube, so at .12 you're hurting.

That's my amateur opinion.

Incidentally, our numbers are like the worst in the world.

The GLOBAL average is 12.5 Mbs Download!

Your speed is 1/100 of the global average.

[ohheckyeah]

8. Doesn't it make you want to cry when you see people

talking about getting over 100mbps? Speeds in Europe are much higher than here and we pay premium prices.

[NYC_SKP]

9. I would kill for your 35.60.

What is that, comcast?

[ohheckyeah]

10. Yes...it's Comcast.

I wish I could get their super fast speed.

I just got a new router that took it from 19 mbps up to the 35 mbps. It increased the upload from 2.8 to the 6 plus. I'm loving the increase in speed.

I'm thinking about getting a new modem. Might not increase speed but I can quit spending $7 a month on modem rental. But, it's possible a new modem would up the speed some as well.

What service do you have?

[NYC_SKP]

11. ATT DSL, in neighborhood that doesn't yet have their TV service.

So, no fiberoptic cable yet.

It sucks, they suck, and I use them for DSL, iPhone, iPad, and laptop connect card and landlines to the tune of $300+/month.

I should have some classy fast shit speeds but I don't.

[ohheckyeah]

12. Oh man - that sucks.

$300+ a month? I thought my $79 was bad. For that amount you should have great speeds.

I would like to get the Comcast telephone service but they don't offer it yet where I live. The day Comcast brought cable to my house I wanted to kiss the installer. Dial up was the best I could get before that except for satellite and it was cost prohibitive.

My brother and one sister live rural and pay over $70 a month for the Verizon Air card and their speeds aren't great - about 2.5mbps. They have to pay according to usage, too. My usage is unlimited.

[ohheckyeah]

7. Those numbers are, no offense intended,

crap. I have cable so it is naturally faster, but those are horrible.

[ohheckyeah]

2. Since it's both the laptop and Kindle

I wouldn't think it is software. Chances are it's your Internet signal or the router, IMO.

[UTUSN]

4. "internet signal" = DSL? What solution for the router, a new router? Thanks. n/t

[ohheckyeah]

6. Yes, internet signal would be you DSL.

Have you checked the DSL speed without the router? Check the speed with the router connected, then check it without using the router - in other words, connect the DSL directly to the computer without using a router and check the speed. If the speed is significantly worse with the router you probably have a router problem. If it's relatively the same, it's not the router.

I'm no expert, but I just recently went through something similar. I needed a new router.

[UTUSN]

13. Thanks, All: I've learned a lot. I'm printing out a de-identified page of your information and

"confronting my internet provider, a local outfit.

More than likely, a new router will be the thing I will be told to try. Last request, if anybody can recommend a router that is both powerful and easy to use/install, please let me know. I've got NetGear right now. Thanks again.

[ohheckyeah]

14. Don't buy a Belkin!

I just got a Netgear N6900 Dual Band Router. It was easy to install and upped my speeds significantly.

[UTUSN]

15. All/your info REALLY helped. My DSL provider cranked it up

I had called them before a couple of years ago, but apparently that Tech didn't know enough, and I didn't think they were the source of the problem. But your information proved that they ARE the source of the problem. This time a different tech was as shocked as some of you at the numbers I got here. The first thing he did was to give me YOUR SAME speed test website. Then he was gone on hold, tinkering with my connection. He told me that their connection for Download should be 3.+ and when he came back and I did another speed test the numbers were:

PING 25 Download 1.32 Upload 0.31

Wait a minute, since their normal is supposed to be 3, this still doesn't sound that good, albeit better than what I had before.

Anyway, he told me to do a speed test whenever problems return and call in for tinkering. He said that having two devices on at the same time might drain the connection speed. He also asked whether I disconnect the modem when I am not using the device.

So I missed what he said about disconnecting, maybe you wizards know: SHOULD I keep the disconnection of the modem when the machine is off?

Anyway, it's not great, but sincere THANKS for what you gave me!1