Telewest Broadband

[Stuart]

Two things which may or may not be connected.

I've got Telewest broadband (512K) and the standard Motorola modem they give you. Whenever I turn the PC on the activity light comes on even when I don't have a browser open.

Does anyone know if this is normal..??

Second, even with this size of connection it has taken an age to download the IE 6 browser update. All other downloads are working fine but the Windows update is running really slow.

Again, is this normal or might it be an issue..??

Any help would be gratefully received.

Cheers, Stu

[NHH]

Yes, the activity light flashing is normal.

Try the speed test here---> www.nethomehelp.co.uk/speedtest

[Zipper]

Hi

I too signed up to Telewest broadband 750kbps connection at a wapping £27.99 but for some reason I only get connection speeds of beetween 460 and 520kbps.
Any ideas why this is??? They say I've been given 750kbps but MCAfee speedometer at:

us.mcafee.com/root/speedometer/default.asp

and your own at nethomehelp say otherwise.


My modem is a Motorola SB5100 Surfboard Cable modem.

Any ideas apreciated.

Zipper

[NHH]

Hi Zipper,

A few key considerations to take into account....

• Are you running a firewall on your PC? If not install one, there is a selection of free firewalls on Nethomehelp's downloads page.
  
• Have you scanned your PC for viruses? If not, on Nethomehelp's front page over on the right, click on the 'Housecall' logo to start the online virus scanner. Do this even if you have a virus scanner installed already.
  
• How is the cable modem connected to your PC... Ethernet or USB?
  If it's connected via USB is it plugged directly into the PC or is it connected to a USB hub?
  If it's connected to a USB hub, disconnect it and plug it directly into your PC's USB port.

Hope that helps

[Zipper]

Thanks for the info. Vin

I have plugged straight into one of my two USB ports
I have 2 anti virus Nortons 2001 (That never finds anything and I can't unload from my PC) and AVG that is brilliant and always finds something (Updates for free every two weeks)
The firewall is something I would like, I have tried Zone Alarm but found it quite complicated to manage. It only gave me limited access to the net and didn't let me play any games online , so I took it of.......I better find an idiots guide for it and try again

Zipper

RE: Ethernet

I'm not sure if my PC is Ethernet enabled, I better read the manual, but if it is, will it improve my connection over the USB?

[NHH]

Hi,

Good that you've plugged the USB cable directly into your PC.

You NEED a firewall, the best free firewall you can install is Kerio (on the downloads page).
If you are running Windows XP, you could opt to install 'XP Service Pack 2' (from the 'Quick Links' menu on Nethomehelp's front page) which will upgrade Windows XP's built-in firewall to be pretty decent.

Having more than one anti-virus program installed will cause problems. Only have one AV program installed...
Tip - Norton is one of the worst AV/Firewall programs... Try Avast! anti-virus from Nethomehelp's downloads page which is free and far more effective than Norton or AVG...
Note : Be sure to uninstall any AV programs before installing a new one.

Your speed problems may be fixed now, but concerning your query about Ethernet vs USB.....

An Ethernet adapter is a native network connection, using a network connection through USB uses more CPU resources.... (i.e. your PC has to run software that pretends that the USB connection is a network adapter.... thus your PC has to do more work)...
Using an Ethernet connection means that the network traffic coming through your broadband has no direct effect on the performance of your PC.
Although if working properly there should be no noticable broadband speed difference between Ethernet or USB.