Verizon DSL feels like dialup

[Skyye]

Hello fellow forum members,

I am having a problem with my Verizon DSL. I am looking for any advice that might get the old broadband working again. Here is some back story....

I have had Verizon DSL since it came to my area about 2 years ago, and have never had any problems with it. Over the past few months things have been a bit off, and it is about driving me nuts. First off I thought my modem may have been bad because it was continusly being kicked off the net for no reason what so ever. It works one moment, then the next dead as a door nail. I called Verizon about this several times, and always made it out as my fault...I am not a guru or anything, but I'm not an idiot either. I tried different routers, different brands, different speeds, it always just would drop out from time to time.

Fianlly I called them, and they said that it might just be a bad modem, I decided that it would be to my best interest to go ahead and get some newer equipment and get the modem that has the router built into it. I have the Westell VersaLink 327W. At first it seemed to be ok. The wireless on it does not have the range of my netgear router, but thats ok thats not the issue....

For about a week now it has been soooooooo slow! I mean I feel like I'm using dialup again... Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it that with every computer connected the bandwidth should be less, right?? Well before we used to be able to have me playing my 360 online while streaming music on my computer, with my brother in the next room streaming music and browsing the net, then have someone else upstairs who is usually surfing the web, NEVER had any problems. All of a sudden you can't have more than on person streaming, and I can hardly ever connect to peoples games on LIVE at all anymore.... I was just wondering what I can do, if anything to get my speed running quickly again. I can't take the streaming/buffering that I am getting, I'm about going crazy.

I would call Verizon again, but they are less then helpful when it comes to helping me, they always assume that I am a jack@ss...

Is there anytihng that I can do to tweak the setting in the modem?? Aside from lubbing it up with some KY Jelly, I am out of ideas... I still have the old modem, and to my surprise it still works fine, but it is also very slow, just like the new one. Does anyone know if they put a limit on bandwidth?? I dont think that I could have used it all up if so because this really has never been an issue.....

Any takers??? Some has to know something that I probably dont...

Thanks for your time, and you will be my hero if you can help!

Skyye

 

[beemercer]

I had some trouble where my connection completely dropped out, it was at around 1.0kpbs (idk what it was exactly, but it was unuasablely slow). The problem was casued by a shorted out phone jack in my basement, as soon as I removed the phone jack my connection went back to normal.

EDIT. You may want someone to check the wiring in your house.

 

[Skyye]

That is a very good point, the jack I am using is like 50s style, it has an adapter that has 4 prongs on it with the end that has a phone plug. I might also try a different outlet, I did try that earlier, but did not have a long enough cord to try it out.

 

[Skyye]

Well I went to work today thinking that when I got home I would be moving my modem around....However, once I got there I remembered that a few co-workers also had Verizon DSL, Since we all live fairly close I figured that I would ask around and see if anyone else was having problems. Turns out the one guy was haivng the exact same problems that I was having, and it has been about the same amount of time. That at least let me know that I was not to blame, so I thought anyway.

My new plan was to come home and allow Verizon do their typical less then helpful phone tech support.....To my surprise, when I came home and jumped onto my laptop the speed seems to be back. Perhaps they finally fixed it.

I have not really had time to stress the network just yet so I am going to go and do that. Its time stream and game likes its 1999! I will update later so everyone know whats up.

 

[GG705]

I used to have tons of problems with my Verzion DSL. It always ran slow when I had more than one computer online. Plus the online 'storage' never worked.

Try checking the length of the phone cord. The modem will have problems if you have a long phone line going in. Better to have a short phone line and long ethernet cable.
I got cable internet a couple years ago and have never looked back. It is much faster and more reliable IMHO.