# Why has my internet connection speed gone all to hell? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485 "2010-11-30T23:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/1 "2010-11-30T23:50:00Z")
Sometime within the last week, my internet connection speed has regressed to circa 1992 levels. It is my desktop that is pulling this stunt; my laptop - accessing the same modem - works great. Laptop speeds: around 5000 kbps. Desktop? Currently, it’s at around 700; there were periods of time - this morning and yesterday - when it was more like 200. Here is what I have done: [ul] [li]Reboot the PC[/li][li]Unplug the modem and router for 10 minutes[/li][li]Run Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus and spyware scans[/li][li]Installed Avast & did a full scan[/li][/ul] None of these had any effect (all scans showed no suspicious junk). My next move is to install and run Ad-Aware. I am most baffled as to why the two computers differ so much. Any thoughts? mmm ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/2 "2010-11-30T23:53:37Z")
Can you say more about your network layout? Is your desktop going though a router? Your laptop? Are they using wired or wireless connections? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/3 "2010-12-01T00:27:47Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > Can you say more about your network layout? Is your desktop going though a router? Your laptop? Are they using wired or wireless connections? Pasta, you’re my favorite carbohydrate! I went to check how, exactly, I was wired, and I found the ethernet cable disconnected from the back of the desktop. Doh! I unplugged it the other day when I was messing around with my DVD drive, and Did Not Plug It Back In. So I guess I was running wirelessly (it’s an older machine so I’m not shocked at the poor wireless performance). I plugged the cable in, took it for a spin, and I’m getting around 5700 kbps consistently. I’ll keep an eye on it, though. Thanks! mmm ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/4 "2010-12-01T00:47:45Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > (it’s an older machine so I’m not shocked at the poor wireless performance) I’m surprised an older machine would even have Wifi built in. I still don’t see that as a usual option on desktops. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/5 "2010-12-01T16:37:06Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m surprised an older machine would even have Wifi built in. I still don’t see that as a usual option on desktops. Agreed. I had one desktop that was self-built that offered a wireless option on the motherboard, but you still had to connect an external antenna if you wanted reception beyond a couple of feet. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/6 "2010-12-01T17:03:17Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > [ul] > [li]Reboot the PC[/li][li]Unplug the modem and router for 10 minutes[/li][li]Run Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus and spyware scans[/li][li]Installed Avast & did a full scan[/li][/ul] I know that you’ve already found the problem, but running two virus checkers simultaneously - Avast and MSSE in your case - is not recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/7 "2010-12-02T01:32:53Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I know that you’ve already found the problem, but running two virus checkers simultaneously - Avast and MSSE in your case - is not recommended. I didn’t mean to imply that I ran them simultaneously. I didn’t. And it’s not _that_ old of a machine, maybe 4-5 years. Pretty crappy wireless performance, though. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/8 "2010-12-03T03:17:52Z")
I swear that my ISP subjects me to random slowdowns to try to goad me into buying the faster premium service. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-internet-connection-speed-gone-all-to-hell/562485/9 "2010-12-03T03:32:26Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Sometime within the last week, my internet connection speed has regressed to circa 1992 levels. > > It is my desktop that is pulling this stunt; my laptop - accessing the same modem - works great. > > Laptop speeds: around 5000 kbps. Desktop? Currently, it’s at around 700; there were periods of time - this morning and yesterday - when it was more like 200. > > Here is what I have done: > [ul] > [li]Reboot the PC[/li][li]Unplug the modem and router for 10 minutes[/li][li]Run Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus and spyware scans[/li][li]Installed Avast & did a full scan[/li][/ul] > > None of these had any effect (all scans showed no suspicious junk). > > My next move is to install and run Ad-Aware. > > I am most baffled as to why the two computers differ so much. > > Any thoughts? > mmm If I may add, as a suggestion, check the phone jack or whatever the modem is connected. My modem was randomly dropping and go at half-speed. I checked everything and couldn’t find the problem. It turned out to the the jack splitter I was using for the phone and the modem. Someone had tripped and pulled it apart. Hence, I wasn’t getting a full connection. I simply removed the splitter and connected the phone line to the surge protector it was plugged into and haven’t have any problems since then.