vandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 10-10-2003
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Slow internet? Use up all your GigaBytes too fast?
A note to everybody experiencing "internet problems":
BE sure that your computer is optimized for the net.
It's really common for a computer to update while you're using it.
For example, by turning off "automatic Windows Updater", I now have almost a half a GIGABYTE of updates waiting. If I decided to download all at the
same time, it would use up my TelCel Banda Ancha for half a month!
A way to check if your computer is streamlined for internet use is to look at the download/upload info page.
When you first turn on your computer and hook up the internet, it should show a few dozen kilobytes being used, even if you let it sit for five
minutes. If it's tallying up fast into the megabytes, you are slowing your computer down/wasting bandwidth. If it's UPloading a bunch, you have a
virus.
As you surf the net doing emails, weather maps, Nomads, Craigslist, surf and wind reports, fishing reports, etc, FROM SITES YOU TRUST...
the downloads should be around 10X the uploads. That means your computer is receiving way more info than it's sending, a normal expectation.
I shut off ALL automatic updates, including antivirus, Windows, Adobe, or anything that slows down my computer while using up my monthly allotment.
This includes turning off Instant Messages, Skype, Facebook, etc from the Start menu.
I sometimes remember to update antivirus/Windows/etc manually when in a WiFi zone, but often put it off for six months or so.
I almost never have a problem with viruses, watching out for attachments on emails, new websites and being ESPECIALLY careful of a borrowed thumb
drive or SD card or portable hard drive or homemade CD/DVD.
So what does this get me?
Really fast Internet through just a dongle (at least during off-peak hours when queueing programs don't strangle my signal).
I don't even use up my 1 Gigabyte per month.
And a bunch of people asking me to fix their computers the same...horribly time-consuming or impossible if I'm unfamiliar with all the crap they have
on there.
"You mean you're bitTorrent-ing music and movies all the time?!! And you didn't tell me?!! What are you, retarded?!!? AND it backs up automatically
to a cloud server????!!!!! AAARRRRGGGHHH"
So that was my contribution. I recommend a new $150 netbook for those who have hopelessly screwed their computers beyond redemption.
Then streamline it for internet BEFORE hooking up to a satellite or Banda Ancha dongle
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unbob
Nomad
Posts: 407
Registered: 8-7-2006
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Great topic.
I recently started using NetWorx for this very purpose. Here's a summary of NetWorx:
NetWorx is a free and simple, yet powerful tool that helps you objectively evaluate your bandwidth situation. You can use it to collect bandwidth
usage data and measure the speed of your Internet or any other network connection. NetWorx can help you identify possible sources of network problems,
ensure that you do not exceed the bandwidth limits specified by your ISP, or track down suspicious network activity characteristic of Trojan horses
and hacker attacks.
Here's the link to the NetWorx product page - http://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/manual/?lang=Eng...
Oh, and yes, it's free!
"I'm too young to be this old!"
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vandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 10-10-2003
Member Is Offline
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Oh yeah, I forgot that part.
Your internet service could actually just suck!
BTW, I have a friend who works on the queue programs for cell services.
There are over 150 different levels of service/priority given to each cell user account at any given time.
That's why I mentioned using off-peak hours, when you aren't ranked like 151st in service priority.
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