Internet Speed issue/problem....

cheezit · #1 March 2nd, 2005, 11:30 AM

My daughter and son-in-law just got Cable internet yesterday. They didn't think it was as fast as it should be so I went to "investigate". The advertised speeds from the cable co. are 3 mbps down and 256 up. But a couple of speed tests say that their download speed is 1.5 mbps -- about half. I also have the same cable internet and my speeds are always in the area of 3.3 up to 4 mbps. The only difference I could see was that they have it hooked up by USB rather than by Ethernet card (because they don't have an ethernet card. I think it was taken out.

)

Anyway, would it benefit them to get an ethernet card and install it or is the USB just as fast? If USB is just as fast, what else should I look for?

**Snurfen** · #2 March 2nd, 2005, 03:29 PM

It sounds like a poor cable service to the house.

Generally speaking, USB is faster than Ethernet in most setups, but either USB1.1 or Ethernet running at it's lower normal rate will outstrip the theoretical fastest download on this service.

If the pc is less than 5 years old it will have AT LEAST the following;
USB 1.1, which maxes out at 12mbps and Ethernet's lower setting is 10mbps, so both well up on the services claimed 3mbps.