Need some intelligent help please with file downloads

[PZR]

Can I get some advise please people?
If I try to download video clips to my PC it seems to get stuck and stop all the time. So I go to a site and find a video and hit PLAY. It takes a while and then starts to play the video then stops then starts stop/start stop/start sometimes with a long wait then after awhile it just stops completely and nothing happens but it still says it is downloading (little timer clock is still spinning round).
We sometimes have trouble downloading large emails (like pictures).
My son installed a second hand wireless modem a while back (this PC is still running through the wires not wireless )and the problem seems to have started around about then. I contacted Orcon (my ISP) and they did not think it was from their end. I ran that NZ Consumer Internet speed test and the speed seemed ok (sorry cannot remember the figure) We got the same speed result with my PC and my sons laptop. Personally I suspect the modem but I am loathe to spend a couple of hundred to find out it is not the problem. Can anyone help me out on this please ? Is there some test I can run or setting I can check/change. Before you ask my old modem seems to have had it and my son wants wireless now.
Thanks in advance
PZR
Going to bed now so I will check back Thursday at a civilized time of day.

[Gremlin]

What is the second hand wireless modem? Do you know how old it is approximately? They do have a lifetime.

Can you remember the speedtest results? www.speedtest.net is a handy one.

Re videos, depending on the speed of your internet connection, it will take a while to download (and often downloads at a speed slower than you watch it at, hence all the stop starting). Best in that situation to start watching, then pause the video. Most sites will continue to download the video to your computer, and you can come back to it later, and watch it at the usual speed. If you're handy with computers (sounds like you're not too familiar) there are tools to download the videos completely to your PC.

It sounds like your internet connection could be slow. Depends where you are in Papakura, but I know at least some of the area is LLU (faster). Put your home phone number into this page: http://www.orcon.net.nz/home/ and see if it recommends you xxx + plans, or just xxx plans (purple, silver, gold etc)

[Donor]

Son downloading dodgy stuf maxing out the bandwidth?

Insecure router, so the neighbours are having a free for all at your expense?

So many possibilities...

Talk to a Papakura person, they might be willing enough to pop over and have a look for the price of a cup of tea... (and cake)

[marty]

it sounds completely like a processor speed issue at your end. i have just upgraded my lap top from a 1 gig ram to 3 gig ram, along with a whole lot of other big boring number upgrades. on the same wireless/provider/internet connection my download rate has gone from around 1 meg/4-5 seconds to 1 meg/second.

[TerminalAddict]

MTU black hole using wireless.

[PZR]

Thanks Guys
Router is a ThomsonTG585V7 broad band not sure how old
I did that test at 8 45am today and got 0.19 download 0.13 upload and 210ms ping (oh crap)
Currently running Orcon Silver
I ran a full Virus scan and did a defrag and disc cleanup. I know the memory is close to capacity as its not very big
Wireless is password protected
Donor if you are willing I have tea but no cake sorry. But I do have a nice selection of bikkies at present. I am still on holiday till Monday so give me a call please. I will be in and out today.
Evan 027 627 9860 or 298 2293

[Gremlin]

Right... with 0.19 download and 0.13 upload... thats umm... slow. Like... observe a drunken snail. If the plan isn't Silver+ it means you're either on an old plan in a good area, or the only plan available, but it could be you're not in Orcon's new network area (I know Papakura varies). Quite possible that if Orcon didn't see any issues with the connection (assuming you walked through that with them) then its more likely your computer.

I'll see how my weekend works out, I could be able to help...

I don't like tea, but bikkies sounds promising