Download vs upload

[John R]

With MS XP Home Edition and Cox cable my download speed is 20 times the
upload speed. Are there settings that will bring these two speeds into
closer balance? Various speed test indicate the upload speed is very
constant in the 550 kbs range with the download speed in a wide range of 8
to 12 Mbs.

 

[philo]

With MS XP Home Edition and Cox cable my download speed is 20 times the
upload speed. Are there settings that will bring these two speeds into
closer balance? Various speed test indicate the upload speed is very
constant in the 550 kbs range with the download speed in a wide range of 8
to 12 Mbs.

It is typically the case that upload speeds are a lot slower

 

[Wally]

With MS XP Home Edition and Cox cable my download speed is 20 times the
upload speed. Are there settings that will bring these two speeds into
closer balance? Various speed test indicate the upload speed is very
constant in the 550 kbs range with the download speed in a wide range of 8
to 12 Mbs.

In a word.... nope.

 

[Bob Harris]

That is a "feature" of all home-user high-speed internet services.

If you want high upload speeds, you will probably need to buy some sort of
service intended for businesses that run web servers. It will be more
expensive than your home-user service. Check with your ISP for pricing.

 

[MelvinC]

Mine is about the same , if this is some help to you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

With MS XP Home Edition and Cox cable my download speed is 20 times the
upload speed. Are there settings that will bring these two speeds into
closer balance? Various speed test indicate the upload speed is very
constant in the 550 kbs range with the download speed in a wide range of 8
to 12 Mbs.

It's not a settings issue, but something is clearly wrong. The service
that Cox and similar companies provides always has faster download
speed than upload speed, but a factor of 20 times is much too great.
Much more typical is that downloads are at something like 2-4 times
the upload speed.

I get my service from Comcast. I just ran a test at
http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
I got 6271kbps download and 1824kbps upload.

Your 8-10mbps speed is somewhat faster than mine, but you should
contact Cox, and get them to investigate what's wrong with your
uploads.

What is the nominal promised speed of the connection you are paying
for?

 

[VanguardLH]

With MS XP Home Edition and Cox cable my download speed is 20 times
the upload speed. Are there settings that will bring these two
speeds into closer balance? Various speed test indicate the upload
speed is very constant in the 550 kbs range with the download speed
in a wide range of 8 to 12 Mbs.

Not unless you pay Cox for *synchronous* broadband access. You are
paying for asynchronous service which means download speed far exceeds
upload speed. You are paying for a *personal* service which does not
permit the operation of servers on your hosts (and why you aren't
allow a continuous high-speed upload service level). I'm sure if you
call Cox that they will be more than happy to direct you to their
business sales department to setup a business account for you at much
higher expense.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

In addition to cable, you probably have the option of paying for DSL. With
cable, the technology does not guaranty a specific speed. With DSL, you are
guranteed to get the speed you pay for.

So you need to conatct the cable company and ask them if the speed you are
encountering is normal. Most likely it is not normal and it is in their best
interests to fix it since they know people will convert to DSL if they are
disatisfied. I don't know how much DSL is and it depends on speed but expect
it to be more than $100 a month.

 

[Wally]

In addition to cable, you probably have the option of paying for DSL. With
cable, the technology does not guaranty a specific speed. With DSL, you are
guranteed to get the speed you pay for.

So you need to conatct the cable company and ask them if the speed you are
encountering is normal. Most likely it is not normal and it is in their best
interests to fix it since they know people will convert to DSL if they are
disatisfied. I don't know how much DSL is and it depends on speed but expect
it to be more than $100 a month.

I have 1500 DSL for about $30.00 a month. Rock solid.

The upload speed is indeed, slower.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

I have 1500 DSL for about $30.00 a month. Rock solid.

The upload speed is indeed, slower.

I assume that the upload speed is stated explicitly as a feature of the
service.

DSL is constrained by physical distance. The lowest-cost service such as
what you have usually requires that the phone company be within a couple of
miles or a few miles. Hopefully that has changed but I am not aware of such
a change.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In addition to cable, you probably have the option of paying for DSL. With
cable, the technology does not guaranty a specific speed. With DSL, you are
guranteed to get the speed you pay for.

What guarantees you get, if any, depend on the particular company you
deal with, not the technology.

So you need to conatct the cable company and ask them if the speed you are
encountering is normal. Most likely it is not normal and it is in their best
interests to fix it since they know people will convert to DSL if they are
disatisfied. I don't know how much DSL is and it depends on speed but expect
it to be more than $100 a month.

I don't know where you live, but $100 a month for DSL service is
*extraordinarily* high. Qwest prices, for example, range from $19.99 a
month for the slowest service to 36.99 for the fastest. I've never
heard of residential DSL service being as high as $100 a month
anywhere.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

DSL is constrained by physical distance. The lowest-cost service such as
what you have usually requires that the phone company be within a couple of
miles or a few miles. Hopefully that has changed but I am not aware of such
a change.

When DSL first came out, the requirement was that your location be
within a certain distance (3 miles or 5 miles, I can't remember) of
the CO. Technology to overcome that restriction has been available for
several years now. They install a device called a "stinger" in your
neighborhood, which makes DSL available where it wasn't before.

My location exceeded that maximum distance, and I originally couldn't
get DSL until the stinger was installed here. I have cable service
now, but I had DSL for many years.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

When DSL first came out, the requirement was that your location be
within a certain distance (3 miles or 5 miles, I can't remember) of
the CO. Technology to overcome that restriction has been available for
several years now. They install a device called a "stinger" in your
neighborhood, which makes DSL available where it wasn't before.

My location exceeded that maximum distance, and I originally couldn't
get DSL until the stinger was installed here. I have cable service
now, but I had DSL for many years.

However I live in a highly populated area of Los Angeles and last time we
checked we can't get the economical DSL. We live about three miles from the
phone service, determined by their equipment.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

What guarantees you get, if any, depend on the particular company you
deal with, not the technology.

No, it is a difference in technology.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

<SNIPPED>

What guarantees you get, if any, depend on the particular company
you deal with, not the technology.

No, it is a difference in technology.

No - a 'guarantee' is not a 'difference in technology'.

The technology may ensure that the company is able to make the guarantee -
but the company chooses arbitrarily what that guarantee will be.

It may very well be that their equipment/configuration of said
equipment/your location allows for a much higher speed when you call to
check what you can get - but they tell you a lower package - knowing they
can guarantee that lower speed given their specifications allow for some
extra.

I like to think of it like a local chicken strip fast-food place I have been
to. If you order a 4 piece chicken strip meal - you always get 5 strips.
Order the 6, you get 7... So on. That is so you never feel cheated and
their 'guarantee' of giving you 4 chicken strips doesn't fall through in
your eyes - even if one of the 5 pieces in your 4 piece meal is a bit on the
'small' side.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

No, it is a difference in technology.

See Shenan Stanley's response. I won't repeat what he said well.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

<SNIPPED>





No - a 'guarantee' is not a 'difference in technology'.

The technology may ensure that the company is able to make the guarantee -
but the company chooses arbitrarily what that guarantee will be.

It may very well be that their equipment/configuration of said
equipment/your location allows for a much higher speed when you call to
check what you can get - but they tell you a lower package - knowing they
can guarantee that lower speed given their specifications allow for some
extra.

I like to think of it like a local chicken strip fast-food place I have
been to. If you order a 4 piece chicken strip meal - you always get 5
strips. Order the 6, you get 7... So on. That is so you never feel
cheated and their 'guarantee' of giving you 4 chicken strips doesn't fall
through in your eyes - even if one of the 5 pieces in your 4 piece meal is
a bit on the 'small' side.

I know I have read that there is a difference in technology between DSL and
cable that allows DSL to guarantee a minimum speed whereas cable cannot. I
know that there has in the past been advertisements on television saying
that DSL guarantees a minimum speed whereas cable cannot. I don't have time
to hunt down a lot of answers but the following is an authoritative
statement consistent with what I am saying.

Why is a 1.5mbs DSL line $100 when 2mbs cable is only $40
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/510

 

[Jeff Teel]

My voice provider must still be in the dark ages since they don't offer DSL
to my area! My distance from fiber is right at 6 miles so I imagine they
would need maybe two stingers to get a good DSL connection out to my area!
My understanding is that just over two miles is the limit for a stable DSL
connection. I guess that part of living in rural areas!

Jeff

 

[Wally]

Why is a 1.5mbs DSL line $100 when 2mbs cable is only $40
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/510

My DSL is about $30.00 from CenturyTel and is rock solid.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

Two miles is typically the limit for the most economical (slowest) service.
Faster service can work farther but I don't know the details.

My voice provider must still be in the dark ages since they don't offer
DSL to my area! My distance from fiber is right at 6 miles so I imagine
they would need maybe two stingers to get a good DSL connection out to my
area! My understanding is that just over two miles is the limit for a
stable DSL connection. I guess that part of living in rural areas!

Jeff