Download/Upload speeds

[TacoTaru]

So I near the end of last month I called up my local cable company to pick up broadband as my apartment's free wireless was as bad as dial up if not worse. The current package I have is 15mbps DL/ 1mbps upload. Since I've gotten it I've been monitoring and have yet to see anything near 15mbps. On average I'm getting around 8-10 (8mpbs is the next tier down from me), but sometimes (maybe once a day for a few hours) I'm peaking at 3mpbs; upload is always at 1mbps if not higher. I've ran malwarebytes quick and full scan a few different times as well as avast's virus scan and I haven't come up with shit on the reports so I"m fairly certain it's not a virus. Someone told me I won't usually hit 15mbps exactly, but 8-10 seems extraordinarily low. Is this normal or am I definitely getting dicked here?

[Franzer]

sounds like comcast to me

[TacoTaru]

Service provider is WoW (Wide Open West). Is there any sort of recourse to it, or will they basically just tell me to go fuck myself?

[Yabby]

A lot of companys tend to give their "Top" speeds. Like the above said comcast calls it "powerboost" where for short amount of times you can reach speeds of XXX(In your case 15mbps). Also routers tend to split up connections (I'm not sure about defualts) so check there and see if your bottle necking your speed if using one (One of my roommate torrents all the time so we have it set so he can't use more than 1mbps or he will eat up all our bandwidth). I'm pretty sure tho that speed will only happen during certain times of the day when they are boosting you for short amount of times.

[shidobu]

Service provider is WoW (Wide Open West). Is there any sort of recourse to it, or will they basically just tell me to go fuck myself?

Was having problem with my dl/up speeds a few months ago. Turned out my modem was fucked, Called my company they came out replaced my modem. (yay 60 bucks) and evidently my cable feed was over volted or something? he had to "pad" it from the outside? idk i was like sure "what ever". had a 9/10 mbs connection pretty regularly after that.
Suddenlink Communications in Tx btw

[Franzer]

Modem is a definite possibility. How have you been checking your speeds, with http://www.speedtest.net ?

[TacoTaru]

Speedtest.net and dslreports.com both have been fairly consistent with each other. Also this modem looks like it's out of 1999, but I can't tell if it's because it's really that old or if it's covered in nicotine from a previous owner which makes it look a billion times older than it really is.

[xerodok]

If your modem is that disgusting, literally just unplug it and pull the battery backup out of it (if it has one), call a hour later, say it hasn't been working for hours, they'll try to ping it -- it'll read unsuccessful, then bring it in/request a replacement modem.

Also, are you running speed tests over a wired or wireless connection? That will affect your upload/download by a large amount. Are you using a router? If so, what kind?

[TacoTaru]

Wired connection, through a router, linksys E1000, getting similar results directly in the modem as I am through the router

[xerodok]

Open your router's configuration GUI for me.

(Browser > 192.168.x.x (whatever you have it set as) > Log in > Setup > Basic Setup)

It will read: MTU (Manuel/Automatic) and underneath it is the size, what is your's configured as?

[TacoTaru]

Auto, Size: 1500

[xerodok]

1492 is standard for a connection over PPPoE, if you want to standardize it do Manuel>1492.

That shouldn't be the problem though. I would be particular and ask for a newer modem.