If your high-speed connection crawls along like a snail or you're suffering wireless signal woes, don't panic! Here, we show you how to correct common broadband problems and share our top tips for taking your Wi-Fi to the next level.

PART THREE: SPEED PROBLEMS

How can I find out how fast my connection really is?

There are several great websites which can accurately measure your broadband speed. You can find free broadband speed checkers at Speedtest.net or Numion YourSpeed.

Alternatively, download and run Dan Ewell's Broadband Speed Test.
You will need to run tests several times to get a good average speed.

My ISP claims to offer speeds of 8Mbps but I can only get 2Mbps, why?

In the majority of cases, the connection speeds quoted by internet providers are maximum figures and unlikely to match what you'll actually receive. Indeed, just four per cent of people who have signed up to a 16Mpbs package actually have a connection speed that tallies with the promised speed, according to broadband analyst firm Point Topic. The actual speed you experience will be dependent on a number of factors, most importantly the distance your home is from your local BT exchange. To find out what broadband services are available to you, use Samknows Broadband Availability Checker. Other factors that can cause slower connection speeds are dealt with below.

When I'm uploading, why are my downloads slow?

When uploading or downloading, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) - used to send and receive data over a network and the internet - transmits special acknowledgment (ACK) packets to confirm successful receipt of each sent piece of data. It's like posting all the pages from an encyclopaedia to somebody using special delivery and waiting for confirmation that one page has arrived before sending the next. If you are uploading at maximum speed the ACK packets queue up, waiting for a gap. The remote download server will assume this delay is caused by a slow connection and so will adjust the speeds of your downloads accordingly.

Why is my connection slow in the evenings?

ADSL is a contended service, which basically means you share your line with other users. The ratio varies, but it's usually 50:1. In other words, you are competing with up to 49 other users/connections for the full line speed. During the day, there are fewer people using the internet so you can use more of the pipe. In the evening, there's likely to be congestion, with more people fighting for the available capacity.

What is traffic shaping and can I avoid it?

Your service provider can prioritise certain types of data over others to avoid network congestion. The biggest casualty of traffic-shaping is peer-to-peer applications such as BitTorrrent which are automatically slowed down by most ISPs during busy periods - or sometimes permanently. As the use of BitTorrent accounts for at least an estimated third of all internet traffic, you can understand why ISPs do this. Besides, if they didn't they probably couldn't cope with the demand. BitTorrent runs mostly in the background and users generally don't keep a keen eye on the download progress so the impact of the reduced connection speed is not largely felt.
BitTorrent programs such as BitComet and Azureus can encrypt their traffic to side-step this shaping, but ISPs are getting better at recognising BitTorrent use. The less you pay for your broadband, the more likely it is your traffic will be shaped. If this is a concern check with what your ISP's shaping policy is.

How can I work out how much I have downloaded from the internet this month?

Some ISPs provide a usage tool that will show you how much data transfer you've used and how much is remaining. You can also download the NetLimiter 2 Monitor for free. You can use it to monitor internet traffic of applications running on your computer.

Help solving CONNECTION PROBLEMS (part One)

Help solving WIRELESS PROBLEMS (part Two)

Help on finding the BEST BROADBAND DEAL (part Four)

BROADBAND CHECKLIST (part Five)