My parents switched to Uverse internet today, and I need some help, Speedtest help.

[Phusius]

I used to have 20 down and 3 up with our old provider, and speed test showed it as that. However, with Uverse I was forced to buy an internet dongle since there is no where left on the back to plug in myreg Cat6 cable (there are two empty slots named broadband but i could get neither to work, and the first 4 are all called home network and being used by the tv's).

Uverse we have 24 down and 3 up. But SpeedTest is showing 6 down and 1 up ever since I went wireless. Even though I bought a $45 dongle that is rated for up to 600mbs. So I am not sure... Do I need to go back to a wired connection somehow to get that speed back? Is wireless holding me back really that much?

 

[newtekie1]

Depending on the wireless signal strength, it could be holding you back. However, it is more likely that UVerse is just not giving you the speeds they are supposed to be.

Unplug one of the TVs and plug in a wire to your computer and do a speed test. If you get significantly higher speeds doing this, then it is the wireless causing your slow speeds, if you still get the same 6 and 1Mb/s speeds then uverse isn't giving you the speed you are paying for.

Also, remember that with Uverse, when you are watching TV, it eats your internet bandwidth. So that 24Mb number will be shared with the TVs when you are watching TV, so you should do your tests with your TVs turned off and the boxes on the TVs off as well.

 

[Phusius]

Depending on the wireless signal strength, it could be holding you back. However, it is more likely that UVerse is just not giving you the speeds they are supposed to be.

Unplug one of the TVs and plug in a wire to your computer and do a speed test. If you get significantly higher speeds doing this, then it is the wireless causing your slow speeds, if you still get the same 6 and 1Mb/s speeds then uverse isn't giving you the speed you are paying for.

Also, remember that with Uverse, when you are watching TV, it eats your internet bandwidth. So that 24Mb number will be shared with the TVs when you are watching TV, so you should do your tests with your TVs turned off and the boxes on the TVs off as well.

Thanks, I got it now. It was the wireless holding me back, wired and I am at 22/and almost 3.

 

[baggpipes]

I find it hard to believe that wireless would hold you back that much.... Maybe you missed a setting with your dongle...

 

[newtekie1]

It is possible if the wireless signal is really bad, and the boxes that uVerse gives are terrible when it comes to wireless. Basically if you aren't in the same room with it, the wireless is pretty much useless.

I'd just get a small network switch for $10-15 off newegg and plug it into one of the 4 LAN ports on the back of the uVerse box, then plug a few of the TVs into that switch and your computer directly into a LAN port on the box.

 

[xBruce88x]

i wish i could get uverse here... were stuck with either expensive bundles with comcast and their outdated set top boxes, or forced to get "merge" or w/e the hell windstream is pushing now... its just as expensive but the tv uses the internet like uverse... and you get a fraction of the bandwidth for the same price of comcast... also im limited to 3mb dsl speed here since they havent upgraded their stuff here yet

 

[Aquinus]

You know, my friend was getting about the same, 3/1 until I moved the wireless adapter to the front of his case. The problem was that the wireless signal was traveling through the steel case and was causing packet loss and a poor signal. Move it and it cleared right up and started giving him his 15/3 that he was supposed to be getting.

 

[newtekie1]

i wish i could get uverse here... were stuck with either expensive bundles with comcast and their outdated set top boxes

Things might be different in your area but if they are anything like where I'm at, no you don't. UVerse just flat out sucks compared to Comcast in my area. Yes, Comcast is more expensive, but uVerse speed is crap and the TV lineups suck.

For example, in my area a Comcast 20/4 connection is $63 a month, uVerse doesn't even go that high, the fastest connection they offer is a 18/1 for $53. And at my office, because we can't get Comcast run to the building even though it is in the area, I have to use the uVerse 18Mb/s connection, and if I get anything over 13Mb/s I'm lucky. And when I call to complain about the speed all they tell me is that since it is over 12Mb/s(the next lowest package) there is nothing they can do, they say "up to" 18Mb/s so they only have to guarantee that it is faster than the next lowest package. If I drop down to the 12/0.75 package I would really get close to 6Mb/s speeds. The way AT&T does business relating to internet speeds is a joke. Comcast advertises "up to" speeds as well, but my comcast connection at home has always been at or above the "up to" speed, I've never had a problem with the speed being way below what was advertised like I have with uVerse.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the fact that when I turn on the TV in the office, my internet speed tanks because their HDTV feeds use your internet bandwidth...

 

[Mussels]

why not get a switched hub or router, and connect that to one of the ethernet ports?

 

[Phusius]

Turns out the 4 ports that are directly on the Uverse box, 3 were being used for HDTV's and one was being used for my Dad's PC which is a HP ALL-In-ONE, which has wireless built in. So I basically took over his port and made him wireless since all he does is browse the web. Now I have insane fast internet, Steam games been downloading at 3.2 mb/s now... xD

I am very happy with Uverse, TV and Internet has been flawless since we got it.

 

[xBruce88x]

Things might be different in your area but if they are anything like where I'm at, no you don't. UVerse just flat out sucks compared to Comcast in my area. Yes, Comcast is more expensive, but uVerse speed is crap and the TV lineups suck.

For example, in my area a Comcast 20/4 connection is $63 a month, uVerse doesn't even go that high, the fastest connection they offer is a 18/1 for $53. And at my office, because we can't get Comcast run to the building even though it is in the area, I have to use the uVerse 18Mb/s connection, and if I get anything over 13Mb/s I'm lucky. And when I call to complain about the speed all they tell me is that since it is over 12Mb/s(the next lowest package) there is nothing they can do, they say "up to" 18Mb/s so they only have to guarantee that it is faster than the next lowest package. If I drop down to the 12/0.75 package I would really get close to 6Mb/s speeds. The way AT&T does business relating to internet speeds is a joke. Comcast advertises "up to" speeds as well, but my comcast connection at home has always been at or above the "up to" speed, I've never had a problem with the speed being way below what was advertised like I have with uVerse.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the fact that when I turn on the TV in the office, my internet speed tanks because their HDTV feeds use your internet bandwidth...

yea that's true... when i had comcast the speed was pretty close to what they advertised. i'll probably still go with comcast... i just wish they had newer set top boxes for tv

 

[Aquinus]

yea that's true... when i had comcast the speed was pretty close to what they advertised. i'll probably still go with comcast... i just wish they had newer set top boxes for tv

The DVR and HD boxes are newer, a regular box tends to be a bit on the older side. Comcast says I should have 18/3 and I get 24/3.5. Can't complain about Comcast here.

 

[brandonwh64]

Windstream is HORRIBLE! my wifes mother has the medium speed package and average downloads are 300KB at best. Ping tests to citys about 30 miles away are well over 100MS.