diagnosing slow web browsing...

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
If you do a tracert on any website and the first hop times out every time, is that a bad thing?
 

Fardringle

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2000
9,200
765
126
What happens if you try to ping 127.0.0.1?

If that also fails, then you have a problem with your network card (possibly the physical card, the drivers, or the TCP/IP stack).

If it works normally (time should be <1ms) then try to ping your router. You can get the IP address of your router if you don't know it by typing ipconfig /all in a Command Prompt and look for Default Gateway.

Is your connection wired or wireless? If it is wired and the attempt to ping the router fails, then you either have a bad network cable or a bad router (could just be a bad port on the router, so try a different network cable and plug it into a different port on the router. If you are wireless and the ping fails then you may have a hardware problem (NIC or router) or you might be getting a lot of wireless interference or are just too far away from the router to get a good signal.
 

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
A friend of mine is having the problem, said websites seem to randomly hang when loading. I had him ping his router 20 times in a row and it was always <1ms with no packet loss. So I had him ping his ISP and it averaged 10ms with no packet loss. So I had him do a tracert on a few sites and they all timed out at the first hop. I had him test is bandwidth at broadbandreports.com and it seems to be within spec... about 375 KB/s down and 35 KB/s up. He doesn't seem to be able to maintain that anywhere else though... I tried Microsoft's WMVHD sample section and can max my 6 Mbit connection at off peak hours... his starts in the mid 200's and drops down into the low 100's. He also mentioned he already has a booster/amplifier on his cable line.

I was helping him clean a bunch of spyware, and I am building him a new computer next week, so I'm not going to worry about it too much unless he has the same problem with his new computer right away.
 

Nocturnal

Lifer
Jan 8, 2002
18,927
0
76
Couldn't the first one timing out just be a firewall?

I didn't read your second post, sorry.

If it had spyware than that is more than likely the underlying issue. How did you help your friend clean the spyware? A complete format? Are you familiar with removing spyware? I understand many people know how to use Spybot and Ad-Aware but for some particular spyware infections you need to use other programs or manually go into the registry and delete items.

Depending on what he was infected with it still may be infecting him and affecting his connection.

Otherwise, try using different DNS servers.
 

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
Originally posted by: Nocturnal
Couldn't the first one timing out just be a firewall?

I didn't read your second post, sorry.

If it had spyware than that is more than likely the underlying issue. How did you help your friend clean the spyware? A complete format? Are you familiar with removing spyware? I understand many people know how to use Spybot and Ad-Aware but for some particular spyware infections you need to use other programs or manually go into the registry and delete items.

Depending on what he was infected with it still may be infecting him and affecting his connection.

Otherwise, try using different DNS servers.

I had him download and install Microsoft Anti-Spyware, Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, and AVG. I had him update all of them and then disconnect from the internet (physically unplug the computer from the router) and reboot into safe mode. Had him run one anti-virus program first, then run each of the malware utilities one by one, then run the anti-virus program. Then run the malware utilities again, and anything they found a 2nd time, had him google the name of the stuff and follow the manual removal instructions. Then had him run them a 3rd time to make sure none were still there, then reboot normally and connect to the internet again.

There are other computers on his network though... so he could be getting reinfected from those right away too.
 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
29,513
407
126
When you clean a computer, it is possible that some of the ?Junk? left hooks in the registry that are pointing to its bad code. You eliminate the codes but the hook might stay, and thus trying to find the missing software and slow down the system.

After massive cleaning, I would recommend a refresh of the Winsock, the Network components, and than re optimization of the TCP/IP stack.

http://www.ezlan.net/clean#refreshnet

:sun: