Hi guys. I started having this problem a few months ago, when I was on an older PC without internal WiFi. I assumed then that my USB adapter was going bad and didn't worry about it, because I was planning on getting a new PC soon, anyway.
Except now I'm ON the new PC... and I still have the problem.
What happens is that my internet speed slows down to a veritable crawl at times, with downloads saying they'll take DAYS to complete, websites not loading, images refusing to show, all that nonsense. EVERY time this happens, my speed immediately returns to normal upon loading an additional high-content webpage, running a speed test, or starting a new/additional download. It's as if there's a bottleneck somewhere in my connection, and it can only be flushed out by sending a surge of new/additional content through the line. Sometimes it's a brief problem, and a single speed test will clear it up and I can resume surfing. However, it sometimes is a constant problem - and I can ONLY use the internet if I have a minimum of 3-4 different pages/downloads going on all at the same time.
Other Key Factors:
Except now I'm ON the new PC... and I still have the problem.
What happens is that my internet speed slows down to a veritable crawl at times, with downloads saying they'll take DAYS to complete, websites not loading, images refusing to show, all that nonsense. EVERY time this happens, my speed immediately returns to normal upon loading an additional high-content webpage, running a speed test, or starting a new/additional download. It's as if there's a bottleneck somewhere in my connection, and it can only be flushed out by sending a surge of new/additional content through the line. Sometimes it's a brief problem, and a single speed test will clear it up and I can resume surfing. However, it sometimes is a constant problem - and I can ONLY use the internet if I have a minimum of 3-4 different pages/downloads going on all at the same time.
Other Key Factors:
- We're on Comcast Infinity. No other issues with cable, phone or internet service, and there's no correlation between our general usage habits and this issue. Speed tests are all fine. Great, in fact. Problem doesn't seem to be ISP related for once in my life
- Problem exists in ALL browsers I have installed - Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. As stated above, it has affected two separate computers, as well. One was an old HP running Win7 and connecting through a USB adapter, this one's a brand new Dell Inspiron 3470 running Win10 and connecting through internal WiFi.
- My computer(s) is the only one in the house running on the 2.4GHz channel of our router - which is a Linksys EA6350. Everything else is running on the 5GHz channel and seems to not have any issues. However, since there's different users on those devices, I can't guarantee they're not experiencing issues and just not noticing it due to less intensive internet usage and/or different sites being visited (see below).
- I'd like to jump on the 5GHz channel with my PC to see if the problem ceases on that channel, but I don't seem to have the option to do so anywhere. Our other devices can see both channels just fine, one labeled "NetworkName 2" and the other "NetworkName 5" - but this PC only sees "NetworkName" and connects to it at 2.4GHz.
- The problem is intermittent. I can go entire days without experiencing it, but often have multiple bouts of it throughout the day, at various times. It tends to act up a lot more and/or be more extreme when my computer is the only device "on" in the house. Seems odd to me, since all of those other devices are on a separate channel to begin with? Regardless, it definitely seems like the less "pull" there is on our bandwidth, the slower the connection goes. Also, since I use the internet far more than anyone else in the house, it is possible the problem DOES effect both channels and ALL devices, but since I'm always online when the others use their devices, there's enough overall "pull" to keep them from ever noticing the slowdown that occurs when only one person is using the bandwidth.
- To some extent, it seems to be site-specific. Certain websites always seem to slow down and "stick" while other ones seem to never have any problem. Likewise, certain sites work well for clearing the "clog" while others don't seem to have any effect on it. This might have to do with how the sites are coded or the volume of content they're transferring. Netflix seems utterly uneffected by any of this, while I can't listen to a single 30 second song clip on Amazon without running a speedtest in the background
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram