Slow internet problems

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Hi,

I have a brand new 24" iMac intel-based (Leopard) computer which is more than twice as slow playing a streaming YouTube video compared to my old six year old PC (using Windows 98). Here is the video I played (2:36):

YouTube - Eddie Murray

My old PC: 7 minutes 30 seconds to play
New iMac: 18 minutes 30 seconds!

Using the same modem and ADSL line (in British Columbia, it's TELUS high speed lite), I realize I'm on the slowest of the high speed connections (speeds of up to 256 Kbps), but shouldn't my new computer be quicker than my old one?

If this topic has already been discussed, then could someone link me to that discussion. Thanks

iMac 24" Intel based Leopard, 2.66 GHz processor OS X 10.5.7
 
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How are you hooking up the Mac to the Internet? Is it connected directly to the modem or is it connecting via a router? If through a router, then is it physically connected or is it a wireless connection? If it's wireless, then do you have any form of security on the wireless network, and if you do then what kind is it?
 
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How are you hooking up the Mac to the Internet? Is it connected directly to the modem or is it connecting via a router? If through a router, then is it physically connected or is it a wireless connection? If it's wireless, then do you have any form of security on the wireless network, and if you do then what kind is it?

It's wired, to a D-Link DSL-300G ADSL modem. Modem and internet connections tested fine.
 

dtravis7


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That video is 2:36. Here on my 4 year old iMac G5 it takes 2:36 to play as there is no delay from my internet connection. It makes no sense that your new Mac would take that much longer to get the whole video down so you can watch it.

I was thinking maybe it was cached on your older Windows system but if so it would play instantly and take 2:36 to play.

With a 256mbps internet connection no computer is going to be able to play it with it pausing while the internet catches up, but I see no reason the Mac should take longer. Are you using Safari?
 
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That video is 2:36. Here on my 4 year old iMac G5 it takes 2:36 to play as there is no delay from my internet connection. It makes no sense that your new Mac would take that much longer to get the whole video down so you can watch it.

I was thinking maybe it was cached on your older Windows system but if so it would play instantly and take 2:36 to play.

With a 256mbps internet connection no computer is going to be able to play it with it pausing while the internet catches up, but I see no reason the Mac should take longer. Are you using Safari?

I concede that it will take longer using my current internet connection, no problem there. But to take that much longer than my old PC seems very strange.

I have run the video through both Safari and Firefox on this iMac with the same results.
 

dtravis7


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How about if you try downloading a few files. Try the same file download on both the PC and the Mac.

Also run a DSL speed test on both systems. Do you get the same basic numbers? speedtest.net is one many use.
 

pigoo3

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Unless someone has a completely obsolete computer...this thread has nothing to do with the age of the computer...or whether it's a PC or a Mac...and has EVERYTHING to do with your internet connection!

A 2:36 video from You-Tube should take just that 2 minutes & 36 seconds to play (assuming a decent internet connection speed)!

If you have a slow internet connection...then of course it will take longer to play, because the download speed may be very slow.

I just did it on my 3 year old 2.33ghz MBP. The video took 2:36...just like it should to play.

Now playback quality is a different matter. An older PC or Mac with a slower processor & slower graphics hardware will have poorer playback quality, where the video & sound will be "choppy".

But even an older computer will still take 2:36 to play a 2:36 as long as you have a decent speed internet connection!

- Nick
 
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Unless someone has a completely obsolete computer...this thread has nothing to do with the age of the computer...or whether it's a PC or a Mac...and has EVERYTHING to do with your internet connection!
Exactly.

If one of your computer's connection is poor and the other is fine, try power-cycling your network setup.

Computer age/speed has very little to do with internet speed.
 

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I concede that it will take longer using my current internet connection, no problem there. But to take that much longer than my old PC seems very strange.

What your not figuring in is internet connection speeds can vary from minute to minute depending on demand...and even if YOUR connection speed is great...you also have to figure in the connection speed of the You-Tube website.

As the You-Tube website demand goes up & down...the transfer rate from the website can be slow or fast as well.

I highly highly doubt that the play back speed of this video has anything to do with the hardware...especially a newer iMac like you have!

- Nick
 
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How about if you try downloading a few files. Try the same file download on both the PC and the Mac.

Also run a DSL speed test on both systems. Do you get the same basic numbers? speedtest.net is one many use.

Here's the speed test results:

Download: 0.11 Mb/s
Upload: 0.05 Mb/s
Video Clip (35 MB): 43 minutes
MP3 File (5 MB): 6 minutes
Movie (800 MB): 975 minutes
Ping: 139 ms

By the way, thanks to everyone for all the comments, help, and feedback. I'm not computer person, as you can tell.;)
 

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Is the above data on just the Mac or on both the Mac and Windows machine?
 
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Is the above data on just the Mac or on both the Mac and Windows machine?

That's off the iMac. The old PC had these readings off of two back to back tests from the same server location:

Download: 0.11 Mb/s 0.11
Upload: 0.04 Mb/s 0.05
Video Clip (35 MB): 41 minutes 42
MP3 File (5 MB): 6 minutes 6
Movie (800 MB): 941 minutes 961
Ping: 127 ms 149

I did another video download streaming/play test on this video:

YouTube - Eddie Murray Home Run, Baltimore Orioles 1985

a 57 second video, it took my old PC three minutes to download and play it through the first time, whereas my new iMac took seven minutes and twenty seconds to do the same.
 

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Have you tried more than one browser?
 
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Have you tried more than one browser?

Same with both Safari and Firefox. The tech guys at the store where I purchased the machine installed Firefox to see if that solved the problem, but they can't find an answer for me, either. They've done what they can under warranty: other stuff to be done will require a fee, which sucks, as far as I'm concerned.

The general answer from my service provider is to get the higher speed connection (between 1.5 - 6.0 Mbps) and that "may" solve problem. I still don't understand how this computer is an absolute slug loading and playing the same videos, on the same internet connection, using the same modem and having similar speed tests to my old PC that doesn't even have enough memory to load the latest Flash Player.

I'm quite frustrated, as you can tell. But once again, thanks to you and all others for your help.:)
 

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If you want to be convinced that the problem with downloading & playing this video is NOT related to the new iMac computer you purchased...go to your local Apple Store, get on an iMac similar to yours, and then download & play the video.

I can almost guarantee you that the video will download & play in exactly 2 minutes and 36 seconds...just like it's supposed to...thus eliminating the Apple computer as the source of the problem.

Good luck,

- Nick
 
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Try resetting your router to factory settings and see if there are any firmware updates.

You could also try borrowing a different one off a friend to eliminate the DLink as the problem.

Can you also post screenshots of your setting in Network in Preferences.
 
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If you want to be convinced that the problem with downloading & playing this video is NOT related to the new iMac computer you purchased...go to your local Apple Store, get on an iMac similar to yours, and then download & play the video.

I can almost guarantee you that the video will download & play in exactly 2 minutes and 36 seconds...just like it's supposed to...thus eliminating the Apple computer as the source of the problem.

Good luck,

- Nick

In fact, I took the iMac back to the store and the techs ran it through their internet (a higher speed than mine) and got similar results. They then loaded Firefox and ran through it yet got the same results. The rub for me is that to look more deeply into solving the problem they were going to charge me time, which I find bizarre considering I just purchased the computer from the store at the end of July (isn't this under warranty?). Rather than argue I took the computer home and tried to find a solution, with help from others in the Mac/cyber world.

The main issue for me is that my old PC can't run the latest Flash Player (not enough memory) so uses an older version but loads and plays a variety of videos in more than half the time that this iMac does: same connection, same time of day, same modem. My service provider tested my modem and said it was fine. Maybe I need to run an older version of Flash Player on the iMac to equal the PC's performance, I don't know.

I'll try my best with following the suggestions given to me here and I'll keep you posted.
 

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