daman4469

make sure your refresh rate is set at 75 hertz...i believe thats what the electricity in a standard household runs at, so they should match. and also, everything else everyone has said above is awesome advice too. -rob

if you hit F8 right when the computer starts to boot, it will start your computer in safe mode. there should be an administrator account there WITHOUT a password being required, even if his account is set as administrator (unless he knows computers really well, most likely he made it an administrator account but not THE administrator account). Log in under that administrator and go to control panel and remove the password for his account. then reboot and he should be able to log in and make a new password! -Rob

if your modem and router both have the same IP address, that IS a problem. I have the same linksys router (although I dont use it), and its IP address is not changable...perhaps your modem's IP can be changed. Having two of the same IP address on the same network is a big no-no....try playing around with that! -Rob

Wow....those speeds are totally unacceptable. With speeds like that, it's unlikely that it is your computer. I often love to give the tech line "keep your computer running clean first" to users with slow internet speeds, but a speed like that HAS to be your ISP. There can be many problems. When I first got my DSL line, I had similar problems, along with dropped connections. It turned out that, upon linking a new subscriber, Verizon crossed my line with theirs at the CO. It could be a problem like that, a grounded phone line in your home, loading coils in your telephone lines at home, or many other problems. Try www.speakeasy.net/speedtest , see how that works out (although this site's speed test is very, very consistent). I would say that most likely, there is a problem with your ISP. Give them a call, let them run their tests, etc. Be sure to ask what your connection speed is at your router. Knowing what the line speed is coming into your home can be a helpful tool as well. My guess is that your connect rate is very low..which translates into a problem at their end....anyway, keep us posted! -Rob

What everyone else has said is excellent info. Also, as one member said, McAfee is a resource hog, and lower resources limits your computer's ability to process information (such as downloaded information). A connection is only as fast as your computer. I used to use McAfee, now I use Adaware and Windows Defender - they scan for viruses AND spyware, and don't run all the time. I run them every night at 3 AM. This saves system resources, and my connection no longer suffers (as it used to).

Hey all, I am in the process of revamping a network setup, and I was wondering if, instead of using a bridge, I can use a crossover cable between two hubs, as long as their uplink ports are turned off. From what I understand, it is the same, but I'm not positive. I want to make sure before I go making a crossover cable. thanks, -Rob

Graphics cards can definitely scare someone away, but for your uses, it should be more than fine. Watching movies, and even playing most games, you should be allright. It isn't a super-graphics computer, but that's not what you're after, so I say it is a good choice. Some graphics cards may surprise you, even if they are integrated (as this one is).

Also, if that doesn't work, try starting the computer up in safe mode (press F9 at startup I think) with the new CD burner unattached. See if the former CD device (if any) is still installed. If yes, then remove it. If not, then shut down the computer. Attach the CD drive as you normally would. Perhaps then Windows will recognize it (this works for me with sound cards and the like).

Try and download TCP Optimizer....I have seen this work well for a lot of people. http://www.testmy.net/forum/index.php?topic=11975.0

You are not the first person to complain about Comcast. Placing an amplifier on your line will not help things, like swimmer said, 99.9 % of the time..it will only cause problems. If they are not getting enough complaints to make the problem a priority, then the problem is most likely something close to you, if not in your home, simply because with speeds like that at that price, almost everyone in your neighborhood/node would be complaining. Just don't give up...many places will gfive you an "I don't know" answer....just ask to talk to someone who would know. Of course, be polite, that goes a long way these days.

Oh and P.S....if you guys don't want to help b/c you're unsure of the situation or whatever, I completely understand...thanks!

Well here is the catch....I am running a server on this network as well, and she is 23 years old and rebellious, with a boyfriend who thinks he knows all about computers. When he found out that I cleared her cache/cookies (as a part of my weekly maintenance), he password protected her computer. My parents said to keep her offline until they talk to him and her. So I guess I am asking you guys for help in my dirty work, but it really isn't dirty....he has caused some problems on our computers, and this is a way to keep him (and her) off until things are straightenened out. As far as my problem, I think I have it well sorted out. I changed IPs to dynamic...the router is the DHCP server. Since there are 5 computers on my network, I assigned the IP range from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.5. This allows only 4 computers to have an assigned IP from that server. The lease time I have set to 365 days, so it is good for one year (computers wont give up their IPs for a year).

wow....triple my speed for half the cost....maybe ill move to switzerland!

Yea I just changed the IP address setup of my network....I was using static IPs, which hers is set up for....and I changed the rest of the computers to use dynamic IPs...so that should take care of that....thanks for the quick help! -Rob

my router is a Westell VersaLink model 327W....for Verizon DSL.