Has anyone witnessed slow internet?

[DodgerGirl]

Yesterday night I began to notice that the internet is really slow and I would like to know what the cause of it is? I get on the internet at 11PM PT and for the next hour or so it's really slow and the bars go from up to down and sometimes it even freezes my mouse and when you load anything from websites to pictures it is very slow too. The last time I used it was Sunday and it was fine but Monday this problem began and it's very annoying. I seem to think that due to people working at home has made the internet slow and you might think that since people put their kids to bed early due to school the internet would not be so slow at night

 

[AgentMama]

How old is the computer you're surfing from and when is the last time you restarted it?

 

[DodgerGirl]

I don't recall how old the computer is but this slow internet is driving me crazy and I can't figure out what the cause is because it was working fine Sunday night and Monday is when it started. I have not done anything to the computer and our internet connection has no problem but like I mentioned only certain sites load with no problems but as I mentioned I think it's due to people working from home and with many parents that have kids that do homeschooling and homework on the internet I think this may play a factor

 

[StageTek]

Yesterday night I began to notice that the internet is really slow and I would like to know what the cause of it is?

I think the cause of it is so many people working from home and home schooling with kids using the internet for home work.

 

[SirDuff]

I think the cause of it is so many people working from home and home schooling with kids using the internet for home work.

Where in the US are kids still not back in school (in person)? Even many adults are back in office (at least part time). If this is recent, that doesn't seem to the explanation.

 

[sarah4770]

Try unplugging your router for a minute or two

 

[sam_gordon]

Have you done any troubleshooting steps? The problem could be:
* The browser you're using. Maybe you have too many add ons. Maybe you have too many tabs open. Maybe it's been too long since you restarted the program.
* The computer you're using. Maybe you have a virus. Maybe the hard drive is too full. Maybe it's been too long since you restarted the computer.
* The connection you're using to your router. Wireless or hardwired? If wireless, maybe you're getting interference from something.
* Your router. How long has it been since it's been restarted?
* The connection between your router and your ISP. You can call your ISP, but I just about guarantee they'll have you restart everything I listed above.
* Then it comes down to if I there's too many people using the bandwidth.

 

[DLgal]

Clear your browser cookies and cache. Slow loading pages is usually a browser issue if your internet speed is good.

You can check your internet speed. Google "speed test" and run it. It will tell you how fast your internet connection is (number of bars means nothing---that is just your signal strength).

If this happens at the same time every night, your internet provider may be throttling your speed. This is done often when demand is high in your area. 11pm sounds like a strange time for that to happen, though. It happens here every night around 7pm.

 

[Kennywood]

That reminds me of the days of dial-up internet.

 

[GreatLakes]

There are a lot of things that could be causing your issues but the freezing mouse points to your computer, not connection. Slow internet, with very few exceptions, isn't going to make your mouse freeze.

 

[tvguy]

I would suspect 11pm Pacific (2 am Eastern) would be a very low usage time for the internet. Sounds like an issue with your provider or your computer. I would expect 7 am Pacific to about Noon Pacific (10 am Eastern to 3 pm Eastern) to be the heaviest usage time. Most work at home folks and school kids are on the Internet then.

 

[BrianL]

That reminds me of the days of dial-up internet.

View attachment 692419

Are you still downloading that? Just another decade to go!

 

[lovesmurfs]

You can check your Internet speed. https://fast.com/

 

[disneyseniors]

Clear your browser cookies and cache. Slow loading pages is usually a browser issue if your internet speed is good.

You can check your internet speed. Google "speed test" and run it. It will tell you how fast your internet connection is (number of bars means nothing---that is just your signal strength).

If this happens at the same time every night, your internet provider may be throttling your speed. This is done often when demand is high in your area. 11pm sounds like a strange time for that to happen, though. It happens here every night around 7pm.

DLgal: I am not internet savvy, and my computer was slowing down too. I was told to try clearing the cookies too. I don't even know what the heck cookies are,, except to eat, LOL. Honestly, I didn't. So I went to the browser and did all the instructions to clear the cookies.
Well, now since I cleared the cookies, I have to sign into every site I go to, grrrrrr. I have to sign into the dis, my email, facebook,, everything! I don't understand how clearing the cookies according to instructions caused this to happen? Oh well, I guess it's another trip to my computer store

 

[sam_gordon]

DLgal: I am not internet savvy, and my computer was slowing down too. I was told to try clearing the cookies too. I don't even know what the heck cookies are,, except to eat, LOL. Honestly, I didn't. So I went to the browser and did all the instructions to clear the cookies.
Well, now since I cleared the cookies, I have to sign into every site I go to, grrrrrr. I have to sign into the dis, my email, facebook,, everything! I don't understand how clearing the cookies according to instructions caused this to happen? Oh well, I guess it's another trip to my computer store

"Cookies" are 'crumbs' that websites leave on your computer. They can hold login information (hence why you need to log back in to everything), to viewing preferences (I use 'Dark' mode on the Dis), to other information about your visits.

Have you tried anything else? Rebooting the computer? Checking how much space is left on your hard drive? Rebooting your router? Doing a "speed test"?

 

[Imzadi]

If this happens at the same time every night, your internet provider may be throttling your speed. This is done often when demand is high in your area.

This happens with my Internet all the time. (Yes, my browser cookies and cache are cleared regularly, and I reboot my system when it happens.) It's the number one reason why I haven't cut the cord yet. And I suspect it is precisely why our Internet gets throttled, so that people will keep their cable as the Internet is iffy too many times a day to use it reliably for streaming. We'd have both our Internet and ability to watch anything screwed up. Right now, when the Internet gets screwy, I can still watch TV.

Spectrum Cable already had to payout for a class action lawsuit here, as they were found guilty of throttling our speeds for no real reason, when they advertised we were getting high speeds. But, all they had to pay out was 3 months of HBO. It's a no brainer why they'd risk paying out again, when HBO is only $15/month, yet cable is $170 /month. They'd still make out ahead with another class action lawsuit.

 

[disneyseniors]

"Cookies" are 'crumbs' that websites leave on your computer. They can hold login information (hence why you need to log back in to everything), to viewing preferences (I use 'Dark' mode on the Dis), to other information about your visits.

Have you tried anything else? Rebooting the computer? Checking how much space is left on your hard drive? Rebooting your router? Doing a "speed test"?

Hi Sam: Thanks for responding. I have tried rebooting and no go. I don't know how to do the space checking on the hard drive or a speed test. If you can't guess, I am not from that generation who is tech savy. LOL. I will check into your suggestions, though. Thanks so much.

Oh I did try going back to the cookie section and tried to correct this on the sites I use by allowing cookies, but that hasn't helped either!

 

[DLgal]

Hi Sam: Thanks for responding. I have tried rebooting and no go. I don't know how to do the space checking on the hard drive or a speed test. If you can't guess, I am not from that generation who is tech savy. LOL. I will check into your suggestions, though. Thanks so much.

Oh I did try going back to the cookie section and tried to correct this on the sites I use by allowing cookies, but that hasn't helped either!

There is nothing you can do, the cookies have been cleared. In layman's terms, it means your browser has "forgotten" all your website logins. It's a temporary inconvenience. Clearing cookies and cache allows your browser to purge outdated files and run smoother. You can use a password manager (Google chrome has this) which will remember all your usernames and passwords.

If your computer is more than about 5 years old and running slowly, you likely just need a new one. They don't last forever and processing speeds and memory get better every few months, so a 5 year old computer is going to act like a dinosaur with the heavy memory using things like web browsers.

 

[Imzadi]

If your computer is more than about 5 years old and running slowly, you likely just need a new one. They don't last forever and processing speeds and memory get better every few months, so a 5 year old computer is going to act like a dinosaur with the heavy memory using things like web browsers.

My laptop is exactly a year old. (My bundled free antivirus subscription ran out last week.) I got this with the help of many DISers who recommended or reminded me of features I wanted to get for the way I use my PC. I love it. So, yes, the throttling & freezes are definitely on Spectrum Cable.


OP, another way to check to see if it's your Internet and not your computer is to turn on your smartphone and use the WiFi. If it is slow to load pages or downloading a file, then it is definitely your Internet. In fact, that's one of the troubleshooting questions when I have to call Spectrum Cable. They ask how many devices are having the same problem.

 

[focusondisney]

So, yes, the throttling & freezes are definitely on Spectrum Cable.

I don’t know about the OP. But that explains my issues.