You Tube etc

Hi Not sure if this is the right place for this topic! For the past few days I have had terrible issues playing You Tube videos - buffering every few seconds or so. This has come out of the blue; one day fine the next horrible. Other (off line) stuff is OK (inc Realplayer). Could this be a drivers issue? I use a Radeon 4350. Any advice appreciated. Thank you

Probably not a driver issue. This is usually going to be an internet issue. There could be several items that could cause a problem, but typically it would be because you either have an overburdened, slow, or problematic internet connection. The best thing you could do is go to speedtest.net and run a speed test on your internet connection. Do so when you are not having any problems, and do so when you are having serious problems. Post the numbers, and lets take a look at the difference. If you are wireless, you could be experiencing wireless interference or poor connection quality. If you have other computers in the house, its possible one of those is overloading the internet connection. Peer to peer programs can cause signficant internet slowdowns. Online data backup programs can cause significant slowdowns.

Thanks for your reply: Speedtest.net results DOWNLOAD: 0.28 Mbps UPLOAD 0.77Mps. There are no 'good times' to compare. Bad times seem to be the norm. This problem appeared overnight. I am not wireless, nor are there any other PCs linked. Thanks.

Wow. That's horrible. That would explain why you are having trouble doing anything on the internet.

Have you tried changing your ethernet cable, or plugging it into a different port in the router? Or, have you tried power cycling the router?

It could be a program running on your computer, so I would suggest trying to boot into safe mode with networking, or using msconfig to narrow down which program might be causing a problem if there is one. Here's some information you can use: http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?showtopic=118329

Wow. That's horrible

agreed, don't think i've seen dl speed slower than the upload speed ever.

Hi Nelclaret, I see for the time zone you give in your profile that your local time is the same as my local time. This means that your longitude is the same as mine…( roughly…) so there is a good likelihood that you are also in the UK. If this is the case then as well as following appleoddity's instructions it would also be wise to do the following: 1 turn off your router so all the lights go out…then wait for 30 seconds, then turn it on again….. if your router does not have an off/on switch then its Ok to remove the power cable from the back of the router keep it out for 30 seconds and then put it back in. 2 Close down and then restart your computer……..Now wait for 5 minutes (by the clock …not a second earlier!) 3 Now Connect to the Internet and go here: www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk and report back the speeds you obtain….. 4 If speed is still slow then make sure that your router/modem is connected directly into your BT master socket….. if its a newish BT master socket it should have a horizontal line across it ( about half way up it) if you see the line then unscrew the 2 screws that hold the face plate onto the plastic socket and very gently pull the face plate back an inch or so ( don't remove any wires and be gentle!….behind the face plate you will see the BT test socket so put in the filter directly into this test socket and then plug your phone cable into the filter and the other end into your router……. Note make sure that ALL the lights that should be lit on your router are actually lit…….. 5 Now try the speedchecker again and report back the readings…… 6 If they are still low then its worth phoning the help desk of your ISP and asking them to check the line…… they may well ask you to check your Internet settings and if you follow their directions…it does not normally cause any harm! If still having problems after this please post back with your router make and model number and computer make and model number and the name of your ISP…….( I'd make a guess that its Orange!) Regards paws PS I'm away on holiday at the moment (in my caravan) so have to pick up a WiFi connection wherever and whenever I can, so please follow one of the other technicians advice if I should fail to get back to you in a timely way

Gentlemen Thank you for your replies. Sorry for the delay in replying but a serious family illness put download times etc into perspective and this is the first opportunity I have had to get back. The problem has apparently now been resolved by my ISP (Orange) who informed me that " …my profile had stuck…" (whatever that means!). They did something their end and voila, back to normal. All I have to do is keep the router switched on for 7-10 working days for the reset to 'take' (just repeating what I'm told here guys!). I would particularly like to thank Paws for his reply. I was astonished that you took the trouble to help a stranger whilst you were holidaying. I am very much obliged. Regards Nelclaret

Hi Nelclaret. It's good to hear that your broadband is now working satisfactorily (and well done to Orange for sorting out the issues at their end) The next 10 days will be used by your ISP to maximise the speed……. they will gradually increase the speed of your broadband until it reaches the maximum that is sustainable…..then they will back it off a tad, so you receive a consistent service with the highest speed that your local exchange and the copper wire twixt exchange and your router can accommodate. (that's why you need to keep your router switched on without a break for this period of time) I'm back now from my hols in the west country..( it rained everyday…. all day) but it still made a jolly good break! Regards paws