Upload faster than download

[the3dge]

I searched and didn't see a recent topic covering this problem, so I apologize if it's a common question.

I'm using Comcast 6mb cable in Seattle, and over the past three weeks my connection speed has become terrible.

There have been no changes in software or hardware that could have affected this.  I have five computers here that all have roughly the same download speed.

All of my machines are spyware and virus free.  I've ruled out that it's a router problem by hooking one PC straight to the cable modem.  I've tried my speed with all firewalls disabled.  I've even pulled my cable jack out of the wall, and connected the wall cable straight to the cable modem.  Nothing I've tried has made any difference.

Now, the strange thing to me is that my upload speed has tested normal, around 1300k - 1400k per second.  My download speed has varied from 400k-1100k depending on the time of day, but that's a far cry from the 10,800k I was getting the last time I did a speed test back in August.

So, now I'm wondering, is there a common issue when your upload speed is normal, but your download is drastically lower than it should be?  My initial thought is that Comcast has limited the download bandwidth on purpose, because if there was a physical problem someplace I'd think the download and upload speeds would be close to the same.

I haven't called Comcast as of yet because I've heard horror stories of people just getting the runaround, so I'm hoping to come up with some ammunition to throw at them when I do call.

Thanks in advance if you have any ideas.

[ninjageek]

To deal with just this kind of stuff. Speed issues. If you can, put a fresh copy of xp on your computer, either a second harddrive, Or another partition. Update it. Leave it alone. Now with your perfect copy of xp, See how your speeds are if you hook that strait to your modem. This will make trouble shooting your connections issues tons easier, Especially with more than one computer hooked to your cable connection. I realize this may be extreme. But with you running 4 or 5 computers on the same connection, and probably will for years to come. This will just save you tons of time and work when you troubleshoot it.

Now this may sound nuts. I run 2 hard drives, On my slave drive, I put on a fresh copy of xp, Update it, Then back it up to my c drive with norton ghost. If I start having connection issues, I use ghost, restore my slave, then check my connections. I always make sure my connection is fine and right before I back it up. I always use cablenut myself.

I have been advising of late my friends and family and co workers this method. I even set it up for them. That way if they are having issues, and simple fixes are not doing the job. Restore that good copy, now how is it, Still bad, probably your modem, Get better? Then you need to back your stuff up, and worse comes to worse, Reinstall xp. Simply put, sometimes it just the best and easiest and quickest solution.

[ninjageek]

Wow , I wonder, How hard it would it be to put a copy of lynix on cd or dvd, With all the updates, Run it, conect to the net, and check your speeds. Does that make sense? I know you can run lynix right from the cd, or dvd. That would tell you if its software or hardware related. It sounds like its possible, but is it realistic? You could simply call the programm, connecton checker. Yea sounds stupid. You come up with something better. I just wonder, could it be done, and done for your average user?  Or even not, make a disk, run to your friends, pop in the cd, check the connection speeds? Sure sounds like it would be possible. Will be intresting to see the responces. Who knows, maybe im nuts, maybe not possible. But sure sounds reasonable.

[CA3LE]

Try unplugging your modem, wait like 10 seconds, then plug it back in... this will force it to redownload your config file from the TFTP server... I hope this helps.

-D