Computer boots up ok, but internet connection is slow?

Question

I don't have any trouble starting up my computer, but connecting to internet explorer is very slow, getting worse every day.  What could cause this?  I have broadband cable, Windows Vista, and IE8.  It was better before IE8, but had already started getting worse before I upgraded.  I do file cleanup regularly, I tried defragmentation but Norton says I don't need it.  I don't have a lot of things stored on my computer, and my thinking is that whatever I have there would more likely cause problems with booting up than accessing the internet.

What can I try?  I can think of a couple of possibilities; would it help if I had a computer with more memory and bigger hard drive?  Could the problem be with my home page?  I use the cable company's email access for home page, that is most convenient for my family because we all use their email service for our main email accounts, but that page seems to be what I am waiting for most of the time.  The cable company says there is no problem with their service.

Any help would be appreciated.  I am not a computer wizard, so please keep any explanations simple;  anything I need to try, I need to be able to understand it in simple language.

gabrundage3 · Accepted Answer

You may just be experiencing a typical slowdown that all PC's go through.  As your computer gets older and websites begin to use newer more advanced platforms to host their websites, your RAM or (random access memory) may become a bit insufficient to run the new platforms in the speedy manner you are used to.  Try adding more RAM to your system.  Before you do that, try clearing out your temporary internet file, cookies and history.  Then shut down your computer and internet router.  Then restart your router and PC in that order.  Sometimes information becomes "stuck" in the cables that connect these two pieces of equipment.  A simple reboot of both of those things seems to help.  P.S. I'm not a computer techinician!  Just a guy who has experienced alot of headaches with PC's over the years.  Just a note, I've been much happier since switching to a Macintosh :)

Greyolddave · Answer

Several things slow you down
1. Vista needs about 4-5gig of memory. Less causes it to be slow. Also you bought the computer with junk loaded no extra charge that hogs all that memory anyway. You have to actually pay people to get rid of it but basically you need to uninstall anything that you don't use in Start, Control Panel, Install/Uninstall.
2. The slowdown could be viruses, spyware and adware. If you have an antivirus program that is up to date, you also need the free antispy as part of the Yahoo Toolbar and the free version of Adaware from www.lavasoft.com.
3. Ccleaner does a good job of cleaning up junk too from www.ccleaner.com
4. In IE click Tools then Internet Options. On the General tab click Delete under History and delete all the temporary files and history. Maybe do this first.

slyolefox · Answer

I honestly believe you answered your own question "I installed IE8". I hear this a lot that people have trouble with IE 8 . I took it off my PC for the exact reasons you describe. CP.add/remove program get it out. I would also go to safe mode with networking if necessary & download .update & run   www.malwarebytes.org. good luck

Anonymous · Answer

Hi,
In my opinion Ccleaner is the number one tool for cleaning your pc. I've been using it for more then a year now and it works very well. You can grab your free copy here http://bitly.com/UrANjd
It's surely the leader program of its type
Bye

lala haha gaga mama · Answer

*
      Power Cycling
      - If you are using a router unplug the power from it for about 15 seconds then plug it back in.
      - After all of the lights come back on and are same color try your connection again to see if it works.
      - If there is no connection locate the power supply that is linked to the modem that is installed on your roof. This unit should say Motorola on it and should have a green light on. Unplug the adapter and wait for the light to go out. Plug the adapter back in and wait for about 20 seconds then try your connection again.

      *Note: If the power supply does 'not' have a green light on it - try it in another outlet. If the light is still out the power supply  could be bad and will need to be replaced.


    *
      Everything Plugged In?
      - There will be a cable coming from outside into your house which is plugged into a small black splitter (this is called a 'power injector'). If you have a router this will plugged into the back of your router in your Internet port. If you do not use a router then it should be plugged directly into your computer in your Ethernet adapter port.
      - From the power injector there will be another cable going to a power supply which should say Motorola on it and it should also have a green light.
      - If you are using a router another cable will be plugged into Port 1 through 4 on the back of your router and then to the nearest computer. (Note: In some network setups all of the computers will be wireless without any cable going from the router to he PC)
      - The Ethernet adaptor port should also have a connectivity light on where the cable is plugged in.
      - Make sure everything is plugged in securely.

      *Note: If the power supply does 'not' have a green light on it - try it in another outlet. If the light is still out the power supply  could be bad and will need to be replaced.


    *
      Logging Into Your Modem
      (Note: You do not need an Internet connection to do the following step.)

      - Bring up your web browser and clear out the address then type in: 10.0.0.1 and hit 'Enter'
      - A Canopy page should come up - you are now logged into your modem.
      - Look for the 'Power Level': The lower the number is - the better the signal is. If you are seeing -80+ DB then you may require a service call to help improve your signal.


    *
      Basic Command Prompt Testing
      (Note: bypass the router for the following steps to help determine where the problem is.)

      (Windows XP)
      - Click on Start / Run / Type in 'cmd' then click 'Ok' or hit 'Enter'
      (Windows Vista)
      - Click on Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command Prompt

      - Type in 'ipconfig' and hit 'Enter'
      - The IP (Vista: IPV4) address should show: 10.0.0.X address
      - If it shows a: 169.X.X.X IP then its not pulling the correct IP - this could be a problem with the Ethernet adapter or possibly an issue with our equipment. (Try power cycling - see above / restart computer and repeat these steps again)



    *
      Network Card  Problems
      (Windows XP)
      - Click on Start / Control Panel
      - Make sure Control Panel is set to Classic View (the option is in the upper left hand side of window)
      - Double click on Network Connections
      - If the Local Area Connection you are using shows:

      Disabled: Then right click on the connection and click on Enable in the menu.
      Network Cable Unplugged: Make sure the cable that is coming from outside is plugged into the 'little black splitter' (Injector) then plugged into your computer securely. Its possible there is a short in the cable - move the cable around in the back of the computer and see if the status changes on the screen. Also a quick way to test is with another computer such as a laptop. If it shows the same thing on the laptop it could be a problem with our equipment. If it works on the laptop then it is a problem with your Network Card in your computer.

      - Right click on the Local Area Connection and click on Properties. Double click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Do you have any numbers typed in on the screen? In most cases it should be set to Obtain Automatically for both IP and DNS. Note: If you have DNS filled out only with numbers its possible your computer may be infected.
      - Also check the following: In Control Panel double click on the System icon.
      - Click on Hardware / Device Manager
      - Look for any red 'X's / exclamation marks / question marks. If you see any next to anything related to where it says Ethernet or Network Adapters you either need to reinstall the drivers for your Network Card or there could be a problem with it.

      (Windows Vista)
      - Click on Start / Control Panel
      - Make sure Control Panel is set to Classic View (the option is in the upper left hand side of window)
      - Double click on Network and Sharing

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Computer boots up ok, but internet connection is slow?

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