[Veltliner]

I wonder if this is my roadrunner connection.

I have the 5Mb/sec option, which costs close to 50$/month.

When I try to watch these New York Times streaming videos, I often can't watch them for a long time.

I get the rotating circle of madness and the word "buffering", which I translate as the connection telling me to eff off.

I wonder if this is my roadrunner connection (which is quite unreliable in the evening, breaking down several times a day), or if it is the New York Times server that is overcrowded. (It was shortly after midnight when I tried to watch Tom Cruise's interview).

[ghporter]

You can check your RR connection throughput at different times to see if it's the connection or NYT's servers. I'd use something like SpeedTest.net so you have good repeatability, and can choose a server to connect to that's close to NYC. Congestion between you and the servers could be causing a problem that's unrelated to either your RR connection or the NYT servers, and this should show that. However, I'm betting that your RR connection is not properly configured by TimeWarner because you note that it's slow and unreliable at specific times of the day that could equate to lots of neighbors being online... I'd check my connection through the "recommended" local server at a variety of times of day to see if this is what's happening.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I'm betting that your RR connection is not properly configured by TimeWarner because you note that it's slow and unreliable at specific times of the day that could equate to lots of neighbors being online... I'd check my connection through the "recommended" local server at a variety of times of day to see if this is what's happening.

What do I have to tell the "tech support" of Time Warner so they would increase the configuration. I put the " " around tech support, because I don't have the impression they are very good.

What exactly do you mean by checking the recommended local server? Do the speedtest.net test?

PS: Sometimes I really can't get even the google page to load. It never takes very long, 5- 10 minutes max, but it shouldn't happen or they should charge less.

[ghporter]

The configuration is at the enterprise level. They have to build their infrastructure so that your neighborhood's local net isn't all sharing the same tiny pipe. It is possible, but TW has to see a return on it.

You could contact network sales and tell them that you're not getting what you pay for when everyone else comes home and goes online. And maybe mention that AT&T's offers look pretty attractive... Then contact the BBB. Then your state's attorney general. You're paying for what they represent as "broadband" and when everyone hits the network in early evening, you're not getting even dialup service.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

The configuration is at the enterprise level. They have to build their infrastructure so that your neighborhood's local net isn't all sharing the same tiny pipe. It is possible, but TW has to see a return on it.

You could contact network sales and tell them that you're not getting what you pay for when everyone else comes home and goes online. And maybe mention that AT&T's offers look pretty attractive... Then contact the BBB. Then your state's attorney general. You're paying for what they represent as "broadband" and when everyone hits the network in early evening, you're not getting even dialup service.

Thanks. I'll take them for that bumpy sleigh ride.

By the way: what do you think is the best high speed internet provider? Or are they all kind of flawed?

[ghporter]

Nobody's perfect, but I've done well with AT&T (previously Southwestern Bell) for a long, long time.