Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
I noticed that my mobile broadband speeds had dropped slowly starting this spring. I have been so busy that I just didn't have time to look into the problem. Then today I cut down a tree that was near the house and always making a mess all summer long. While cutting it down, I realized that it was directly in line with the broadband antenna in the attic. So after cleaning up the mess outside, I came in and ran a speed test. Yep, speeds are back in the 1.2Mb to 1.4Mb range.

I installed the mobile broadband system in the fall, when there were no leaves on the trees. Spring came, and with it the leaves that blocked the signal from my antenna to the cell tower. So now that the tree is only 8 feet tall instead of 30, it is no longer blocking the antenna. Speeds are back to normal.

See? 30% increase in speed for free. Just cut down the offending tree. :D

BTW, the tree is a weeping birch. Neat tree, so rather than cut it off at the ground, I cut it back to about 7-8 ft and now it looks like a mushroom with a really thick trunk. :D:D:D
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

So I just ran out and cut down all my trees and it didn't seem to make a difference. Since I have cable, should I also pull out the roots?
 

ne7800

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
Messages
1,195
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Lmao I thought for sure this was spam :D
 

45Auto

Commander
Joined
May 31, 2002
Messages
2,842
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

QC, pulling up the roots won't do you any good with that underground cable. Your problem is, as everyone knows, that electricity doesn't run uphill near as fast as it will downhill. You either need to dig up your cable and string it from the trees so its higher than the computer or dig you a basement and move the computer lower than the cable.

That's why Mark's antenna is on the roof, so the signal can run downhill and be fast!
 

Mark42

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Messages
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Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

QC, pulling up the roots won't do you any good with that underground cable. Your problem is, as everyone knows, that electricity doesn't run uphill near as fast as it will downhill. You either need to dig up your cable and string it from the trees so its higher than the computer or dig you a basement and move the computer lower than the cable.

That's why Mark's antenna is on the roof, so the signal can run downhill and be fast!

Well that explains why when I was testing out the system on my workbench in the basement I didn't get very good speeds. :D
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Ahhh, gravity . . . got it. I guess I'll wait for the trees to grow back.
 

CATransplant

Admiral
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
6,319
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Well, if your cable system's internet speed isn't what it used to be, it's probably because the cable's all carboned up and clogged with varnish. Seafoam? will fix all that for you.

Now, this isn't official from the Seafoam? folks, but what I do is to solder a male cable connector to the lid of a Seafoam? can, after making a small hole in the lid. Then, I connect the incoming cable line to the can and hang the can upside down for three days.

Once that Seafoam? does it's job, your internet connection will be smoking like a house on fire, but just ignore that, as it will soon go away.

Check your data compression, once you've given it the Seafoam? treatment. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Still, if you continue to experience slow internet speeds, you may have to get a rebuild kit for your cable modem. It's best to buy the OEM kit, since it contains a new data float...not available in the Sierra? kit. Just be sure to take out all the welch plugs in the modem and blow out all data passages or you'll have to do it all again.

Thanks for listening. :D
 

Reel Poor

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jan 29, 2005
Messages
5,522
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

image002.gif
 

Uraijit

Banned
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
884
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Ahhh, gravity . . . got it. I guess I'll wait for the trees to grow back.

Careful, that's a give and take solution. You'll have faster DOWNLOAD speeds, but your UPLOAD speeds will greatly suffer. :D
 

Navy Jr.

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 14, 2007
Messages
738
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Okay, now this isn't joshin'.

We have Internet via Comcast cable. They came out with an upgrade to their system a while back touting faster speeds, but I couldn't tell any difference. It turns out they didn't tell us that we had to reboot our cable modems to get the higher speed.

One day while I was on the computer one of our golden retrievers (Winnie-the-Pooch) decided to keep me company by crawling under the desk and laying down next to my feet. In the process, she laid on the power strip that the cable modem was plugged into and turned off the switch. It took me a while to figure out why suddenly everything was coming up with the standard I.E. error of Invalid URL address or Bad Connection to Internet. I gently moved Winnie out of the way a little and flipped the switch back on. WA-LA! Our Internet service is now up to the advertised speed. Maybe not 33% faster, but faster nevertheless.
 

Phantom_II

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
157
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I have DSL internet access which is carried over the phone lines. The line is running from a pole behind my house to an attach point on the eaves.
In the middle of this run, there is a low spot as the wire droops and in this low spot, loose bits of data keep collecting and clogging up the lines which slows down my internet speeds enormously.
I go out occasionally and knock the wires around a bit with a broom stick which clears things up for a while but then after a few days, the blockage returns.

How can I keep the lines clear from this blockage?

:confused:
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
27,468
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Well, if your cable system's internet speed isn't what it used to be, it's probably because the cable's all carboned up and clogged with varnish. Seafoam? will fix all that for you.

Now, this isn't official from the Seafoam? folks, but what I do is to solder a male cable connector to the lid of a Seafoam? can, after making a small hole in the lid. Then, I connect the incoming cable line to the can and hang the can upside down for three days.

Once that Seafoam? does it's job, your internet connection will be smoking like a house on fire, but just ignore that, as it will soon go away.

Check your data compression, once you've given it the Seafoam? treatment. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Still, if you continue to experience slow internet speeds, you may have to get a rebuild kit for your cable modem. It's best to buy the OEM kit, since it contains a new data float...not available in the Sierra? kit. Just be sure to take out all the welch plugs in the modem and blow out all data passages or you'll have to do it all again.

Thanks for listening. :D

ROFLMAO!!!!
 

ne7800

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
Messages
1,195
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

OMG you guys have me rolling on the floor over here
 

thurps

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
538
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I'm going fo have to give this advice to the neighbors I steal wy-fi from. The downloads have been a little slow lately.
 

mthieme

Captain
Joined
Oct 6, 2007
Messages
3,270
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

Great thread. These are so few and far between.
I needed this!
Too busy enjoying to jump in.
 

WizeOne

Commander
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Messages
2,097
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I have DSL internet access which is carried over the phone lines. The line is running from a pole behind my house to an attach point on the eaves.
In the middle of this run, there is a low spot as the wire droops and in this low spot, loose bits of data keep collecting and clogging up the lines which slows down my internet speeds enormously.
I go out occasionally and knock the wires around a bit with a broom stick which clears things up for a while but then after a few days, the blockage returns.

How can I keep the lines clear from this blockage?

:confused:

I would try to inject some Plavix into your line. You might try the method posted above for getting seafoam into a broadband cable.:p
 

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I would try to inject some Plavix into your line. You might try the method posted above for getting seafoam into a broadband cable.:p

I hear prune juice works well to get things moving.
 

Uraijit

Banned
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
884
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I have DSL internet access which is carried over the phone lines. The line is running from a pole behind my house to an attach point on the eaves.
In the middle of this run, there is a low spot as the wire droops and in this low spot, loose bits of data keep collecting and clogging up the lines which slows down my internet speeds enormously.
I go out occasionally and knock the wires around a bit with a broom stick which clears things up for a while but then after a few days, the blockage returns.

How can I keep the lines clear from this blockage?

:confused:

This actually functions similarly to a 'Pee Trap' in plumbing for a sink or a tub.

There's a lot of crap on the internet, and you don't want it working its way into your computer uninvited.

Sometimes they DO get clogged. But if you keep it well maintained, and don't go pouring too much garbage into the internet from your computer, you shouldn't have too many problems. ;)
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I try to avoid downloading too many things. They make my laptop real heavy.
 

aspeck

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
19,100
Re: Increase your Internet speed by 33% for Free!!!

I have underground cable, so I'm glad my router is in the basement ... that way I get the fast downloads, and since I don't upload things too often, I am good to go.
 
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