Let's Talk Speed!

Internet speed that is.



As users of the internet, most of us, when we are having internet speed issues are led to believe that it must be something we are doing on our end to make our
connection slow. In all reality, the ISP's (at least the one I deal with) want you to believe that so they can keep charging you a crazy amount of money for ho-hum high-speed internet. The last thing they want to admit to is that they need to upgrade their own hardware, because, well, that would cost them money.

The reason I bring this up is because I am having internet speed issues. I know I am having problems because I cannot for the life of me get YouTube or any other streaming video for that matter to download in an acceptable amount of time. I do not like hearing videos one syllable at a time. Now, if I had just come off of dial-up I bet I would not even notice or even really care. I would just be SO HAPPY to be able to check my email and download one small image I would not bother complaining about not getting my YouYube fix. Oh, and speaking of emailing images....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE when you email an image, to ANYBODY, please resize it. Nobody wants to download a 6 MB image only to see an ear or an eyeball and then having to scroll up and down. Just an FYI ok?

Why is it that when you call (or chat) with technical support at Metrocast, all they ever want you to do is to unplug and plug back in your modem? Because it must be your fault....it could not possibly have to do with anything on their end.

Then, if that does not work, they will pull the "Well, you must be using a router then...and I bet it is wireless, that will really slow you down, try plugging it in directly".

Or...Maybe it is the website, browser, computer, you are using....well AmandaB...actually, I have both a PC and a Mac, a desktop and a laptop, I have tried it wireless and wired, and no, AmandaB it is NOT the website...it is multiple websites, on multiple servers on multiple computers.

If you think you are having internet speed issues you can always check your upload and download speed by going here. The only problem with Speedtest is that it is just sending a teeny tiny piece of data through the vortex of space. So, sure, it LOOKS like everything is fine, but really all you are doing is PINGING
You are not actually transferring large amounts of data. So, Metrocast, my ISP is trying to convince me that my speed is fine, that it is all in my head....that they could not POSSIBLY have to upgrade any of their hardware...because that would cost them money...

So...what is a girl to do? Well, I suppose I will keep prodding and poking them until I talk to someone other than a drone. Because, really, having yet another technician come out here and tell me he has seen this before and I will be dead before it gets fixed frankly is not a good enough answer. I want my internet to work, like I pay it too.

So, for all you home users, don't let them push you around because if you are having internet speed issues they will always try and make it seem like your the issue.

They folks at Metrocast tell me I should be running between 5.5 Mbps and 6.1 Mbps download speed....and here is what I have....



And folks...that number? it is 0.052 Mbps....really flipping slow.