How to speed up broadband

  • Thread starter Powellx235
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Powellx235

Powellx235

3,799
Ireland
Ireland
powellx234
Hi,
I have what we call in Ireland 'mobile broadband' and its very slow recently
I have a Dovado mobile router and a modem plugged into it. I have it in the best spot in the house. I cant show you speed tests as im on my iphone but ill type it out:
Ping: 443ms
Download: 1.46mbps
Upload: 0.07mbps
Its too bad alot of the time to do drift tournaments on gt5 and i have tried everything.
About 2 months ago i updated the router and modem and it was a good bit better. It was around this
Ping: 110ms
Download: 3mbps
Upload: 0.15
I was happy with it, but over time it gradually gets slower and slower and i dont know what to do.
I was going to get an all-in-one router but theres no upgrade due for a while. If i have one its around EUR100 but without its about EUR300 so ill have to wait. But i havn't a clue why this is happening, and i need help.
Many thanks to your replies. :)
 
It sounds like if it's gradually getting slower it maybe that more people are starting to use mobile broadband in your area, so it's making it slower for you.

Have you tried it at different times of day? At late nighttime it should be faster if people using it up is the issue.

Also, mobile broadband isn't the best anyway, especially for online gaming. Is there no other way of gaining internet access?
 
*You can get USB extension cables to use with the modem, should help get a good signal.

*Consider double barrel mobile broadband, that is, signing up to another modem+sim package but with a different provider. It will come with different software and will not conflict with the other connection unless your computer is strange, although I have never tried it with a router so not sure if that will be ok. Having the 2 connections active gives better download speeds/ping of course.

*Alternatively, blame the indians that run the provider, they can mess with your connection from their desk, and will deny they have done anything, I currently have a thing where if I am getting an improper speed, I have to disconnect/re-connect a whole bunch of times until I hit the 'fast' connection I am supposed to have all the time, otherwise I get half speed or 3.0kb/s dialup speed.
 
G.T
It sounds like if it's gradually getting slower it maybe that more people are starting to use mobile broadband in your area, so it's making it slower for you.

Have you tried it at different times of day? At late nighttime it should be faster if people using it up is the issue.

Also, mobile broadband isn't the best anyway, especially for online gaming. Is there no other way of gaining internet access?
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Its not that. I have an extension cable and it was the same before i updated the router and then it slowed down again so i updated the modem which brought it up again. It probably is the indians messing with it but could it be because the modems coming on to three years old? And that speed test was at half three at night. And i am sure i have the best internet in my area. The only thing left i can do is ring the provider and to be honest they soumd like their helping when their just going on about the same thing.
 
Yeah could possibly be them then. It maybe worth ringing up to see what's going on, but they may just give you some dribble down the phone. :P Worth a try though.

If worst comes to worst just say you'll change provider - usually that kicks their butts enough to do something about it/offer you something else.
 
G.T
Yeah could possibly be them then. It maybe worth ringing up to see what's going on, but they may just give you some dribble down the phone. :P Worth a try though.

If worst comes to worst just say you'll change provider - usually that kicks their butts enough to do something about it/offer you something else.
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It could be the modem as it has had a hard 2 years. But i am no more than two miles from the mast and its on the top of a mountain so i have full signal but no speeds.
 
Probably not... mobile (and satellite) internet is known for their long ping times.

There maybe ways of improving it that I don't know of but you'll never get it close to ordinary broadband speeds.
 
G.T
Probably not... mobile (and satellite) internet is known for their long ping times.

There maybe ways of improving it that I don't know of but you'll never get it close to ordinary broadband speeds.
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Would you get it around 100-130 ms?
My neighbours is around 110. But he has a newer modem, would that help? As ive said my modem is coming onto 3 years old.
Edit: i have a dovado umr router, id i got a proper operator router (you put sim card in router) would it be any faster?
 
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How about using a can of air to clean the dust. I'm sure there is some nasty dust bunnies in it after 3 years.
 
Ping is always disgraceful on Mobile Internet, I'm surprised you got 110ms.

Speed is a number of factors you can't do anything about. On Mobile even the weather highly effects it, load on the Cell Towers, interference in and around your house, etc.
 
Well i have no choice but to make it better as theres no home internet in my area. Right now im getting around 150-160ms ping.
 
The screws are most likely hidden under the router(under the rubber feet or plastic tabs). If you can't then I would just use the can of air through the vents to blow some of the dust away.
 
nick09
The screws are most likely hidden under the router(under the rubber feet or plastic tabs). If you can't then I would just use the can of air through the vents to blow some of the dust away.
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The router and modem are two different. Ive done everything with the router and its not that old. The modem is a little kind of round thing you plug a cable into it from the router.
What i said is theres now way i can find to open the modem as there is no screws and theres no things to cover them.
I might borrow my neighbours modem to see if thats the problem.
 
Yeah if your neighbor's modem does not get better results then that's all you could do for it. I can see wireless broadband being bad at ping since wireless is not as stable as wired. There is plenty of interference from other devices.
 
nick09
I can see wireless broadband being bad at ping since wireless is not as stable as wired.
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It's just a different technology which at this stage is going to have no where near the low latency of a fixed line. I'd be really surprised if you got under 100ms. Similar to Satellite internet, you can have the best and fastest Sat connection in the world, but you're still going to have a 500ms-1000ms ping.

Right now I'm sitting at my desk at work (a university) which has a cell tower 100 metres from me. Literally I can see it here from my desk. My 3G connection is 3.59Mbs down and I still have a ping of 132ms. Another day I tested it and got 1.4Mbs a second and 224ms Ping. Depends on so many variables.

Even with 4G, mobile internet isn't really designed for gaming. 300ms+ ping is perfectly acceptable for 95% of mobile broadband usage, which is web browsing and media consumption.
 
Casio speaks the truth.

Here right now I get 2Mbps download 0.5MBps upload with 136ms ping on TMobile. And I live in a very good area for 3G/HPRS signal. But sometimes it has been over 200ms.

In fact I'm surprised you can even play GT5 online without major connectivity issues. A lot of mobile providers block the ports to allow you to play online. But that's another possible issue that isn't related to your one so don't mind me. :P
 
G.T
In fact I'm surprised you can even play GT5 online without major connectivity issues. A lot of mobile providers block the ports to allow you to play online. But that's another possible issue that isn't related to your one so don't mind me. :P
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This is also a good point. If you live in a low reception area, and it keeps changing cell towers looking for a better signal. On most carriers you'll get a new IP address, which generally kills your game session.
 
Casio
This is also a good point. If you live in a low reception area, and it keeps changing cell towers looking for a better signal. On most carriers you'll get a new IP address, which generally kills your game session.
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We got it locked to the closest server, and i live on the top of a hill. I dont live in a town, just a village (small community)
I have absolutely no problem with signal, the only reason i cant see the tower is just a few trees. Im also wondering is 2 miles from the tower far?
 
Coming from someone who works on the kit supplying your connection, you have absolutely no way of improving your connection beyond what you have done so far.

Distance from the tower is a tiny fraction of the latency in your connection, the big problem is that in rural parts of Ireland, mobile phone masts are generally connected together with only one actual mast connecting back to the physical network required to make calls, access the internet. This means the most remote masts may actually carry your signal through 3 or more masts before hitting a physical connection.

What makes your situation more difficult is that the backbone that feeds these multiple sites is actually a lot smaller than your may think.

If you can game at all using mobile broadband consider yourself very lucky.

Make sure you keep an eye out for wireless broadband, its very popular accross Ireland and the connections are generally on par with Eircom's ADSL.
 
O2 and 3 are the only networks here so i have no choice. Theres last mile but everyone knows its absolutely crap. And the price makes it worse. 2mb with 30gb allowance is about EUR40. Eircom was supposed to be here for the last (roughly) 5 years. Are you able to check if theres any proper broadband in Ardagh, Co. Longford?
 
Good news.
The reason it was so slow was the modem. My neighbour brought his to my house and it was around:
Ping: 106ms
Download: 1.50mbps
Upload: 0.50mbps
Im really happy with that! :)
 
Though I have a PS3 currently on wi-fi, I actually have it right next to my router. I get a decent download/upload rate on 3M DSL. Even the moderators can see what I'm using, scary, isn't it?! :nervous:

Right now I am okay with wireless, but if I feel the need, I can always use direct Ethernet connection to my wireless router. I strongly recommend this, I don't know about you!
 
autofusion
Though I have a PS3 currently on wi-fi, I actually have it right next to my router. I get a decent download/upload rate on 3M DSL. Even the moderators can see what I'm using, scary, isn't it?! :nervous:

Right now I am okay with wireless, but if I feel the need, I can always use direct Ethernet connection to my wireless router. I strongly recommend this, I don't know about you!
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My router will only work well the other side of the house so i cant really use wired. :-/
 
You can buy 50ft-100ft ethernet cables. 328ft is the max length you can get without the signal in a wired connection dieing. I found a 100ft here which seems to be a good deal if you want to hook up your PS3 wired.
 
nick09
You can buy 50ft-100ft ethernet cables. 328ft is the max length you can get without the signal in a wired connection dieing. I found a 100ft here which seems to be a good deal if you want to hook up your PS3 wired.
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But ill have to bring a cable out the door, down the hall, up the stairs, up the hall, and into my bedroom. And i know for a fact that if my parents saw a cable like that they would go mad!
 
Well try running it through the floor. Just ask them 5 times a day untill they give up(I'm just joking). Even if you got your parent's permission you would have work ahead of yourself.
 
nick09
Well try running it through the floor. Just ask them 5 times a day untill they give up(I'm just joking). Even if you got your parent's permission you would have work ahead of yourself.
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But you would have to lift the carpets, and im not too keen on that. (can you blame me? Lol)
 

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