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Inconsistent Internet... What to do?
OhtheVogonity
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I share internet with my friend/landlord who lives in the other half of our double house. They pay for it and have the modem and router on their side. They graciously allow us to use it. However, it's not perfect. If something is not working correctly, it requires a phone call and someone to be home in order to reset any equipment or jiggle cables or what have you. They also leave it open and unsecured, which makes me a little uncomfortable. They don't seem to be heavy users of bandwidth, except for when their Roku box fires up. Then it literally destroys my ability to use the internet at all. As in I can't even load my home page. And then for a while after that, it will work veeeerrrry slowly, like AOL slow.
Question the first: I have reason to believe that I might be able to see improvement if I replace my network card or do something to it, as my girlfriend is able to surf the internet from her laptop during these times from anywhere in the house, and I get nothing from my PC directly through the wall from the router. As far as Windows tells me, my drivers are up to date. Can a new network card make a difference? This one is my current card.
Question the second: Were I to decide to give up my flawed but free internet, how much internet do I actually need? Worst case scenario for just the two of us is her running netflix and me playing Tribes at the same time. My local provider is Cox, but AT&T has been trying to make in-roads in the area. I would probably go with Cox because AT&T has been having major problems locally such as never setting up the service and then charging you for it anyway. I've used speedtest.net to see where I'm at now and speeds seem to average around 3 MBPS down and 2 MBPS up. It normally does all the things I need it to do. Except for when it doesn't work at all. Cox's speeds and pricing for reference
So what should I do, HA? I'm pretty sure I have enough to gain from giving up my free internet (encryption, reliability, stability), but should I try a new network card first? Is there something I'm missing?
Question the first: I have reason to believe that I might be able to see improvement if I replace my network card or do something to it, as my girlfriend is able to surf the internet from her laptop during these times from anywhere in the house, and I get nothing from my PC directly through the wall from the router. As far as Windows tells me, my drivers are up to date. Can a new network card make a difference? This one is my current card.
Question the second: Were I to decide to give up my flawed but free internet, how much internet do I actually need? Worst case scenario for just the two of us is her running netflix and me playing Tribes at the same time. My local provider is Cox, but AT&T has been trying to make in-roads in the area. I would probably go with Cox because AT&T has been having major problems locally such as never setting up the service and then charging you for it anyway. I've used speedtest.net to see where I'm at now and speeds seem to average around 3 MBPS down and 2 MBPS up. It normally does all the things I need it to do. Except for when it doesn't work at all. Cox's speeds and pricing for reference
So what should I do, HA? I'm pretty sure I have enough to gain from giving up my free internet (encryption, reliability, stability), but should I try a new network card first? Is there something I'm missing?
Oh freddled gruntbuggly...thy micturations are to me/ As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee
OhtheVogonity on
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Replacing or adding a network card is likely to do nothing and would be a waste of T&M.
I would get my own connection to the internet, as you found out when you dont have control over it it sucks when things go wrong or someone doesnt have QoS setup to prevent things like Roku/Netflix from hogging ALL the internet.
The reason I ask is that it can affect what sort of internet you might be able to get. HFC cable, for instance, is typically only installed with a single cable drop into a property, and if your place is considered a single property you may not be able to get it. It depends what kind of internet you have.
Worst comes to worst, can you ask your landlords to upgrade to the Ultimate cable plan, and go halves with them on the bill?
It's a shotgun double, it was built as two units, but it's one normal house lookin' building. Very common in my area, so I imagine there's hundreds of doubles each with separate internet accounts and they are accustomed to dealing with it.
"Preferred" seems to be the right amount to meet me needs (15 MBPS down, 1.5 up), but perhaps it would be wiser to get the lowest package and then upgrade if necessary instead of paying for more than I need.
Thoughts?