I recently switched from a DSL provider (Embarq) to a cable provider (Time Warner RoadRunner). My DSL connection would generally download at approximately 3.5 Mbps, with a max of 5 Mbps. The RoadRunner connection I have now is supposed to provide up to 7 or 8 (not sure) Mbps, but I am only downloading at a max of 3.3 Mbps, and this is only achieved by checking multiple speedtest sites until I find one with a good ping (under 100 ms) A few years ago, I had RoadRunner, and I maintained a steady 4.5 or 5 Mbps, and I was located in a podunk town.

My question is: Why would my data transfer speed suffer so greatly when switching from a lower speed provider to a higher speed provider?

And secondly, is there anything I can do to increase my speeds, short of moving to another location or switching ISPs?

I personally find speedtest sites inaccurate at best
When I was on an 18mb connection, speedtest.net and others said i could only download at 7.5mb or 8
Yet, when downloading from newsgroups, I was pushing the max possible (1.7mb per second/17mbps)
Do you know what speed your cable modem has connected at?
Try downloading something large from Microsoft.com, like.... - Download details: Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3)

Try opendns, it can be amazing. OpenDNS | Providing A Safer And Faster Internet

Also DSL works like this... Up to 200m from the station you get maximum speed.. i think it is 200m.. or less even.. then it will slowly go down the further away it is. The station should be the same as before though... but doesnt need to be the case - Then its also the route it takes for each ISP...

Thank god i got optical fiber here in sweden...

Yea but he's not on DSL, he's on cable, so distance shouldn't be an issue.
Changing his DNS with Opendns, also won't effect his connection speed, only how fast DNS lookups are performed.

One of the biggest problems is that the ISPs advertise 'up to' such a speed but in reality you get much less.

If you're not happy with your new provider though, I think you have 30 days to cancel.

Good luck.

A guy working on the cable around here told me that it depends on your location vs the main cable box. If you are in an apartment, let's say, and everyone else is on the same main cable box, then it is like sharing a modem or something with everyone else. Kind of like if you are on a water main, you get super high water pressure, but if you are at the end of the pipe, you just get a trickle. Make sense?

Yup, it's called a J box.

Cable bandwidth is almost always (there are a few exceptions) shared in your neighborhood. DSL bandwidth is almost always dedicated.

Call your cableco and ask them if they can throttle up your bandwidth (depends on their network's capabilities and hardware). If yes, cool... if not, you might want to consider a switch back to DSL or another solution.

If it is available to you, FiOS is the fastest residential solution going... but it isn't widely available yet.

Hope that helps.

ops i read the first post wrong.. thought both were dsl companies..

Then it is as Nok said.. Cable is mostly shared with neighbors - even tho i think the ISP should have as rule as they boost the cable evenly so they reach the amount they did ad for. But this is of course up to each company.. I'd try talk to them and see, in most cases they will boost it for you.

Okay, a follow up, along with another question...

Speaking with the ISP, they informed me they would check into the line speed, and possibly install a booster in our area to rectify the situation. All well and good, right?

Well, over the past two days, my internet speed has been riding a drastic roller coaster, jumping to 6.8 Mbps, then suddenly dropping to .19 Mbps. The only thing I have found to rectify this is to cycle the modem, by unplugging it from the computer and it's power supply, waiting about a minute, then plugging it all in again. Voila, good connection again. This happens about every hour to 90 minutes. I am sick of it. So, I called tech support to request a new modem. Here is what they told me: my 15 foot ethernet cable is longer than the standard 5-6 foot cord, and thus is causing my problems. WHATTT?T???!?@!?@?!?!?@

The tech in question (I will not name names, since I couldn't pronounce his name if I tried) would not shut up long enough to listen to anything after I told him the length of the e-net cable, so after much yelling to try to get his attention, I simply hung up and decided to cycle the modem one more time and send the question to the real experts (HERE).

My question is: What is wrong with my connection now? Is my ethernet cable too long (It is 15 foot). Is the modem not dumping memory properly? Am I just too picky about my connection? Should I simply resign myself to cycling the modem every hour and live with it? Should I get my passport and purchase an airline ticket, so I can hunt the little scrawny freak down and SHOW him the modem? Sorry, I am a bit perturbed. Or am I the idiot, and need to eat a healthy dose of crow?

Your advice is greatly appreciated...

*off to close my eyes and imagine the ISP-tech-guy's violent demise*