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PCs that are not properly configured can stop you from getting the most out of your broadband connection. Not having sufficient memory to run the operating system and active applications, an underpowered processor or an outdated browser are just some possible reasons why users may experience below par broadband performance.
Internet performance is dependent on the number of applications being launched and the processing load on their machines. Users should monitor the number of concurrent applications that are consuming bandwidth, memory and processing resources, and terminate those that are not needed for their current needs to improve performance. You can access Task Manager to monitor the consumption of your resources by pressing CONTROL + ALT + DEL keys simultaneously on Windows XP and Vista.
Just as for PCs, modems/routers can also underperform if they are not properly configured. For example, if an outdated driver or firmware is used, the broadband performance may not be at the maximum possible. Some modems/routers also have enhanced capabilities such as Firewall protection, Web filtering/inspection, Dynamic DNS, Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and QoS Bandwidth Management. These applications impose a load on the router and may slow down your overall broadband connection.
If you are connecting your PC to your router via a wired Ethernet cable, the 100 Mbps and above data transfer rate of the cable will not affect the overall throughput of your broadband line since the highest plan currently is at 100 Mbps. However, if you are making of Wi-Fi or wireless LAN to connect, the raw data rate of 11 Mbps, which can even drop down to 6 Mbps in actual data rate, may end up as a bottleneck to your broadband connection.
PCs that have been infected by viruses or spyware can suffer from degradation in performance. It is important to keep your PC operating system updated so that known vulnerabilities have been patched and to have updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software running on your machine.
Due to the way the TCP protocol was designed, there is an upper limit to how much bandwidth a single TCP session can use. In the early Internet days, the upper limit was not of concern. Today however, there are many bandwidth-intensive applications which far exceed this TCP upper limit.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution to the problem, which is to launch multiple TCP connections within the pipe. There are several methods for end-users to make use of multiple TCP connections like
There is also a growing class of multimedia rich applications that do not depend on TCP but use alternative transport protocol called the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). These applications include Video/Multimedia teleconferencing, IPTV broadcasts, real-time video and audio streaming and they are not be affected by the TCP limitation.
Broadband subscribers may alternatively visit the technical support page of their respective service provider for more useful information on enhancing their broadband connections.
1. PacNet Broadband
http://www.pacific.net.sg/
2. SingNet Broadband
http://www.singnet.com.sg/technical/broadband/
3. StarHub MaxOnline
http://www.starhub.com/online/maxonline/custcare/index.html
Disclaimer: IDA will not be held responsible for any fault or any technical issue that may arise from or in relation to any downloads of the above drivers. Please also kindly refer to the respective hardware product/application websites for the most updated drivers.
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