strange laptop issue

[JSS64]

I am a novice so please bear with me. This has been ongoing since last saturday. it seems for some strange reason that I can only watch youtube/video/sounds streaming without any problems during the morning. As soon as I try to do this in the afternoon/evening as I am trying to do now the picture/sound just freezes. There have been no warning messages of any kind. The connection is ok and I can browse without hindrance. If I try this tomorrow morning as I have done the last 3 mornings it will be working fine.

[KenB]

Hi,

 

I have not come across this before.

 

Try this:

During the afternoon when the problem exists right click on the time ( bottom right of screen )

and adjust the time to show 8-00 am or a time that you know has worked in the past.

 

If it works now you probably have malware on your system and we will need to take a look at that.

[Starbuck]

It certainly sounds like a connection problem.

Although it's a laptop, have you tried connecting the laptop to the router by way of an 'Ethernet Cable'.

Just in case it's something in the house or surrounding area that is effecting the WiFi signal.

[JSS64]

What sort of ethernet cable would I need? Would it be one that connects to the usb port in the laptop and connects to the router? What would that be called exactly should I need to buy one? Where would I buy one? Maplins? Richer Sounds?

[KenB]

Would it be one that connects to the usb port in the laptop and connects to the router?

Yes that's the one. It is an ethernet (or RJ45) cable.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/ethernet.jpg

 

Available at Currys / PCWorld / Amazon ...........any computer shop.

 

You sometimes get one with the router.

 

What about post 2?

We need to discount this too.

Edited May 30, 2012 by Starbuck

[JSS64]

You're really going to have to be patient with me here, and I mean really patient............ I have in front of me a blue cable with a usb connection at one end and, this is where you really have to be patient with me, something that looks like a square with two slightly tapered top ends, that fits into the back of the router. If this is correct do I have to take any of the other cables that are already in the router out? BTW post 2 had no effect.

[Starbuck]

If you look at the previous post by Ken.

See the pic? ..... this is the cable you need.

The fittings at each end will be the same. ( they are not actually USB)

Your router should have some spare sockets at the back ( normally number 1 - 4 or 1 - 5 depending on the router)

Plug one end into one of these spare sockets and the other end ( which will be the same) into an empty socket on your laptop.

With ethernet you won't need to add a password for the internet connection as it will be direct.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, Sorry to barge in like this guys, but indeed this also may be an overall connection problem regarding the service you are using. I am on a fairly slow service and do see slowness on Youtube or other large downloads at certain times of day.

 

Can you explain a little more about the Youtube problem you are seeing please, for example does the picture and sound stop for a short time, then continue? do you see any small swirling circle on the frozen or stopped picture?

 

If yes to any of the above, which company is your Internet service provider, and if not cable based, but one on the existing telephone line, roughly how far from the exchange are you? Also what connection speed are you promised or paying for?

 

Have you ever done a connection speed test?

If not try this and let us know the result you get in the mornings and also the result in the afternoon.

Click on this link=

 

http://www.speedtest.net/

 

Once it has opened, do not click anything other than the green, "Begin Test". Anything else is an advert hoping you may buy some product or other.

 

Let us know the results of the test, Ping, download, and Upload, both once you have the cable as mentioned above, but also with the existing connection which I assume is wireless.

 

Nev.

[Starbuck]

Sorry to barge in like this guys

No problem Nev.

It's a strange sort of problem..... so the more the merrier.

[JSS64]

Plastic Nev. Thanks for coming in on this. Yes to paragraph 2. It does stop and start.It has only been happening since last saturday afternoon. It works fine in the morning. I have just done the speed test at 16.50GMT. Ping 116ms, Download (it took several seconds to start) 0.09Mbps (it took about 30 seconds to complete). Upload 0.31Mbps. I'll do another test tomorrow morning. I suspect the results will be different. The provider for this laptop is 3G and I haven't had any problems like this before.

[KenB]

Download (it took several seconds to start) 0.09Mbps

 

This is virtually none existent.

I am getting approx 10 Mbps ................ 0.09 Mbps is 1000 times less.

 

Let us have the test results from tomorrow morning for comparison.

 

You DO have a broadband connection and not using dial-up ?

[JSS64]

This is on my laptop, a wireless connection

[KenB]

If you use the cable ( if you can get one ) it would be interesting to see if the the results are the same.

 

The speeds you are getting are obviously not right.

 

That blue cable is probably the cable you need - unless it is a USB extension cable.

[Plastic Nev]

I agree with Ken here, please obtain the correct cable and connect to the router with that, and do the speed tests again, both morning and evening as that will tell us if there is a wireless problem or not.

 

 

Nev.