Speeding up your computer without buying a cable modem.
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| Author | Topic: Speeding up your computer without buying a cable modem. |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 05:11
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Being cheap, I do not want to buy an internet cable connection. I have tried a few things to speed up my computer-- install an internet accelerator program, upgrade my ram from 128 mb, to 256 mb of ram. Have low cache settings. Time reqular disk cleanup and defragmenting. According to the industry standards, a cable modem runs about $40-50 a month plus the cost of the modem. This is expensive. I am looking at getting a good download accelerator like www.getright.com. Are there any good freeware download accelerators... My other question is about firefox. What is included with it? Does it have a built in download manager and internet accelerator? I have heard that it is very good. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3610
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 06:24
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Well, first off, look at all the things you are doing to you computer to avoid paying $50/month. Also, look at the net cost. How much does it cost for a cable internet, cable TV, and cable phone service, it may not end up being too expensive (always assuming, of course, you actually use the cable TV). Incidentally, if you have the memory, using higher cache setting will make your browsing faster. It really all depends on what you use your internet for. If you use it to browse all kinds of sites, for instance, doing research, or if you regularly download large files (not necessarily illicit ones, I completely legitly downloaded Edmondes's Observations vpon Caesar's Commentaries (sic) at a hefty 29Mb from Early English Books Online as USM), then there is really no substitute for a high speed connection. If, however, you are merely checking the same sites regularly, then caching the images on those pages should really be all you need. As long as you are mentioning upgrading your computer, unless you are looking at dynamic-graphics intesive pages, additional RAM, processing speed, or other computer upgrades. If you are looking at those types of pages, then you really need to be on a high speed connection, and cable honestly probably isn't enough. You could also explore setting up a decent range wireless network and with some people on your block, and then all split the cost of the connection among all of them. After the initial harware investment, it could end up being cheaper then your current internet connection. (If you find 8 people, that works out to about $5-$6.50/person, and you'll still probably be running at about 448Kbit/s.) Posts: 129 | Registered: Tuesday, October 28 2003 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5091
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 11:44
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Download accelerators work by raping the server. Don't use them if you want to be nice. Posts: 180 | Registered: Friday, October 15 2004 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2476
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 12:37
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I don't think that Firefox has an internet accelerator, but it does have a built in download manager that works just fine for me. What it comes with is more or less up to you: there's a multitude of downloadable extensions available for free. -------------------- Polaris Posts: 1828 | Registered: Saturday, January 11 2003 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4256
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 13:00
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quote:Yeah they really suck for the server. They open up multiple conneections with it and download parts of the file you are getting. Many sites are limiting IP addresses to one connection at a time due to this so they really aren't all that great for the user either. Posts: 564 | Registered: Wednesday, April 14 2004 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 1877
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 14:10
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I would really recomend Firefox, even without a download manager, its a great alternative to explorer. And by the way, you can still use explorer, even though you have firefox installed. -------------------- 33111-CRUSADER-4849 Posts: 662 | Registered: Friday, September 13 2002 07:00 |
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Post Navel Trauma ^_^
Member # 67
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 15:26
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If you're on dialup, a download accelerator won't help you much anyway. -------------------- Barcoorah: I even did it to a big dorset ram. desperance.net - Don't follow this link Posts: 1798 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3035
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 15:38
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internet will always be slow if you dont have cable/dsl. As for boosting computer speed you could try overcloacking (dangerous) but i recomend turning off that virus manger when your off the internet sweep every few days. And do an "Msconfig" and turn off all those crapppy boot up programs. Just do a google search if you dont understand above. Also cool your pc, the colder it is the faster it will go! Also 512 mb ram is the industry standered now so yeah... -------------------- Maker of the Geneforge 3 Trainer for windows. [NEWEST v.0.9 ~~ Trainer D/L [URL=http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=19;t=000423;p=2[/URL](.zip, 103kb) Posts: 73 | Registered: Monday, May 26 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3610
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 17:11
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If you want to wreck your computer, then there are a lot of ways to speed it up: · Overclocking · Ultra-cooling · Turning off virus protection · Screwing with Windows config files On the other hand, that can really mess up your files. There are tons of ways to get viruses into your computer, but a major part of what a virus scanner does is quash the virus when it unpacks itself. A simple self-decompressing archive can sneak by your virus scanner. Screwing with Windows config files will probably not do any irreperable harm, but unless you have every file you want backed up, when you find yourself haveing to format your hardrive, you'll loose lots of data. Of course, messing with cooling and overclocking can do irreperable damage to your computer unless you know exactly what you are doing. My cousin has spent his entire life as a computer engineer, technician and designer. He forgets in a few minutes more about messing with computers than I will probably ever learn. He still only does things like overclocking on computers he has decided are good only for playing around with. Besides, with modern computers, overclocking has little net effect. If you do it perfectly, you can get a maximum of about 250Mhz additional out of your CPU. Back in the day when tubes were shorter, and processors ran about 100Mhz, maximum, that meant a huge increase in speed. Since a mere 50-100Mhz was fairly easy to achieve, any old tech-savy guy who was willing to risk his 5 grand investment could double his processor speed. Today, that's nothing, and increasing the clockspeed of your computer does you much less than it once did. On a P4 running at 2Ghz, you'd be lucky to get a 2.5% increase in performance. That's half of the numerical percentage increase in clockspeed. (Incidentally, on Macs up to and including the G4, you would still have a massive increase in speed, but that's now changed.) Posts: 129 | Registered: Tuesday, October 28 2003 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3035
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written Tuesday, November 16 2004 18:10
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quote:Dude , i'm hurt. Yes i agree over-cloacking is probably he most dangerous thing to do to your pc (short of throwing it off a high building into a river). Cooling unless this guy has a spare tank of liquid nitrogen around and just decides to spray it on the internals. Ultra-cooling is very efficent way to get extra performance. I doubt he will be able to cool his pc below the maximum temp of the chips around - 120*c... Virus protection now this is your choice as nortan eatss a lot of memory i dont have a run-time protection av and for the past 10 yrs of my life and my 6 comps my tech nique worked really well. Msconfig- you need to run this thing or at least kill the memory eating prcess after windows loads. Except you need to know what each process is a quick google search will help you out. If it dosnet say anything about DONT TOUCH IT. you know that tiny quick time icon on your taskbar well that things eat about 1 mb alot of those things can be eliminated with out harm to the pc. On more thing its scandisk, defrag (delete all none repairable fragment - unless their window files.) scandisk , defrag. it take alot of time (i just set the scheduale) and may seem redundent but hey it works. -------------------- Maker of the Geneforge 3 Trainer for windows. [NEWEST v.0.9 ~~ Trainer D/L [URL=http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=19;t=000423;p=2[/URL](.zip, 103kb) Posts: 73 | Registered: Monday, May 26 2003 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 366
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 02:48
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I pay £25 a month for constant broadband access. Not sure how much that is in dollars, but it's got to be cheaper than the phone bill! -------------------- I say never be complete. I say stop being perfect. I say let's evolve. Let the chips fall where they may. Posts: 1277 | Registered: Sunday, December 9 2001 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 5181
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 04:06
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Pyro...he's talking mostly about speeding up his internet access, it seems. Anyway, you won't speed up your computer with "internet optimizers" or any of that other junk. Many, if not most, contain spyware. And download accelerators are hell on servers. Don't use them. (On my server, I've started IP blocking connections that use accelerators.) All-cable service is almost always cheaper than the alternative. My family pays about $100 a month for cable phone, TV, and internet access. This is with the full cable package, a number of calls from here to the West Coast each month, and a cable connection that averages about 512K. If you're sitting on 56K and asking how to make it faster, you're asking a question that won't exactly be answered. It's probably best to bite the bullet and get a broadband connection. As for turning off your virus protection: BAD idea. Norton, at least, screens websites that try to autodownload things and keeps them from screwing with your computer. I don't know about the others. Regarding Firefox: I can't really say I agree here. I use Mozilla, but have issues with Firefox--and I like Mozilla's mail client, composer, and that sort of thing. I suppose if you can stand a slightly wonky user interface, Firefox is fine, but Mozilla has a lot of features Firefox lacks. Posts: 262 | Registered: Thursday, November 11 2004 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 04:08
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I think I would rather have a computer in the future. Overcloaking and all those other things sound kind of dangerous. My computer is pretty strong right now. After looking at different download managers, the main advantage is the ability to restart an interrupted download at a later time. Restarting downloads is a pain. As far as increasing speed without buying cable, I think a faster chip, more ram, regular defrag and scandisk, a good cooling fan will all speed up your computer small amounts. As far as settings are concerned-- an internet accelerator helps a bit, but not much. I am not touching the config files-- I think I could really mess up the computer. I think I might try Firefox because it sounds more reliable plus it has a built in download manager. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 5181
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 04:12
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quote:That would be nice...if they worked correctly. Most don't restart downloads well; Mozilla/Firefox's built in one is an exception. quote:On the Internet? A negligible amount. It'd help in FPS games and the like, but your ping times will still suck. quote:An internet accelerator helps not at all. Look around for benchmarks; you'll see what I mean. They sap resources and provide no benefits. quote:First bright thing you've said... quote:Second bright thing you've said. Posts: 262 | Registered: Thursday, November 11 2004 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 05:13
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Ugg, lets think a moment. I know eventually, I will have to buy a cable modem. What is the best service balancing between cheap and reliability? I have no desire to have cable tv. I do not want cable tv, even if I have a cable modem. Understanding enough about DSL to realize that I want a phone on my phone line not two lines, or one line with DSL. DSL is overrated garbage. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 06:13
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Whatever cable service you can get is entirely dependent on the provider(s) in your area. In Arlington, VA, the only option for me was Comcast. You may have more than one option though. I do believe, though, that most cable providers are bundling a cable modem in with their service these days. I rent one from Comcast for $3 a month, which is quite manageable. As for getting the service with or without TV cable, in my market Comcast provides a price break on the highspeed if you purchase a TV cable plan as well. The discount is comparable to the price of their "ghetto" cable plan - that is, all the stations you'd find broadcasted, some home shopping, and CSPAN - but it isn't too bad, considering the reception is perfect. The whole package for my roommate and me is $60 a month. I think it's worth it. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 15:08
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For the price of significantly upgrading an old computer, you can buy a whole new computer with those same new features. -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 5181
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 15:18
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quote:I can't understand this one, but hey, if you don't want it, don't get it. quote:I offer a complete "wrong!" to this one. DSL is as fast as or faster than cable (a friend of mine has a 512K line for less than I would pay for cable modem service if I didn't have phone/TV) and is far more reliable. I'd get it if it was in my area. When you've learned what you're talking about, do please return. :D Posts: 262 | Registered: Thursday, November 11 2004 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 15:40
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Comparing DSL to cable depends on where you live. Over here DSL costs about $100 a month compared to $70 a month for cable, and DSL's slower. However, in some places it's the only option. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 5181
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 15:46
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quote:$50 a month in the towns surrounding mine, and I live in the backwoods. Cable modem service costs around $60, and that's with discounts for TV/phone. That doesn't change the fact that DSL is still as viable an option and that it most definitely is not "overrated garbage." Posts: 262 | Registered: Thursday, November 11 2004 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 1993
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 16:48
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Here you can rent the modem from your cable-provider. I pay 38 $ every month and have ADSL broadband 500 kb, all included. o_o Cable seems to be rather expensive in Australia, Thuryl. :) Neat to see you again, Princess Ruth. -------------------- ^ö^ I was a cannibal for twenty-five years. For the rest I have been a vegetarian. George Bernard Shaw Posts: 1420 | Registered: Wednesday, October 2 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4256
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 17:03
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40$ a month for cable(Averaging about 1.5Mb/s at home) 2000$ a month for T3(At work averaging umm some large #), and even larger #'s for faster connections looming- hmmm, how long will it take for 1Gb/s to be in the hands of the average consumer? Edit: Switching from T1 to T3 was a switch from about 600$ to the 2000$. And not much difference in average surfing. But then I never get to download anything there anyways so that is where the difference should be. What is next? [ Wednesday, November 17, 2004 17:06: Message edited by: m's avatar ] Posts: 564 | Registered: Wednesday, April 14 2004 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 17:16
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quote:Those are Australian dollars in my post. To convert to American dollars, multiply by about 70%. You can get an absolute bare-bones broadband deal for about $30 Australian per month, but that only allows 200 MB data transfer per month, which is manifestly inadequate. Oh, and in general, over here, you buy the cable modem from your ISP at the time you sign up for the plan, rather than renting it. It's about $250 Australian, so not a trivial expense. [ Wednesday, November 17, 2004 17:18: Message edited by: Thuryl ] -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3035
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 19:03
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All the tips I suggested where to sppeed up and increase pc performance. For intertnet you have to switch to cable/adsl/ etc In canada i'm paying about 63$ monthly for cable and cable internet (last i check it was 2716.45 kb/s or something along that) As for downloads acceraltors are bad for servers but they do somewhat increase download speed. I recomend Opera for internet browser needs and it has a d/l manager that lets you pause/resume d/l -------------------- Maker of the Geneforge 3 Trainer for windows. [NEWEST v.0.9 ~~ Trainer D/L [URL=http://www.ironycentral.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=19;t=000423;p=2[/URL](.zip, 103kb) Posts: 73 | Registered: Monday, May 26 2003 07:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 4
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written Wednesday, November 17 2004 19:32
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Cable for me costs 50$ per month. It's not a lot, considering how much I abuse it- the amount of anime I pirate (200mb per episode, roughly) is totally obscene, which reduces my browsing speed to that of middle-range dialup. But hell, I ain't complaining. -------------------- 私のバラドですそしてころしたいいらればころす Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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