Confusing Network Issue

Hi Folks... we're have a confusing network issue at our home and would appreciate your input.

Our service is Verizon FIOS 75Mbps Up and 30Mbps down. I've run Speedtest multiple times and confirmed the speed.

Our setup is the following:
- Airport Extreme hard-wired to the FIOS router
- Airport Express in another room wirelessly connected via the Airport Extreme
- Mac Pro w/ Mountain Lion hard-wired connected to the FIOS router
- MBAir w. Mountain Lion
- iPad 3 w. iOS6
- Windows XP laptop
- all softwares incl. Airports have been updated to the latest versions

Regardless of which of these computers we use, the problem seems to be the same. That whenever we load an internet page, nothing happens for a period of 10- to 30-seconds, and then the website loads very quickly. It's like it's trying to get thru a doorway, and once it does it's fine. I have MenuMeters loaded up and can see that there is nothing being transmitted nor received for quite a long period and then the data rate shoots to 1Mbps/sec or higher.

Can anyone help diagnosis this? I'm spent on my knowledge of network administration over this.

Thanks,
Paras.

I think you have your FIOS speeds backwards - reversed. The fastest speeds are always the download speeds. Anyway, it sounds like your Verizon router (maybe an ActionTec) is locked on to the Verizon DNS servers. Depending on which model it is, you may or may not be able to change the DNS settings from the router itself.

Open System Preferences, Network. Highlight WiFi, and then click on the "Advanced" button at the bottom right. Now click on the "DNS" tab. Tell us what you see in the DNS box under servers.

Thanks... yes, 75-down/30-up. Here's what we have in the DNS tab:

192.168.1.1

Yeah, that means you're locked to the Verizon servers. Those numbers are that of your router. OK do this:

Go back to where the DNS settings are. Highlight 192.168.1.1. and delete it from the DNS box by pressing the small minus button at the bottom. After it's gone, press the small plus button at the bottom and type these numbers in:

8.8.4.4.

Press the plus button again and enter these numbers:

8.8.8.8.

Click OK at the bottom and then exit System Preferences, Network. Reboot your machine, and reboot the ActionTek by powering off and on. Wait until the ActionTek locks on to the incoming LAN signal. (all lights are green)

Then try your net connection again to see if there's been any improvement in the loading speed of web pages.

By the way, those server numbers are the Google public DNS servers which should be much faster than the Verizon default.

Thanks... that definitely helped on the iPad and others. But the Mac Pro is still doing it.. it looks like perhaps there is another issue with it. The internet progress bar goes for a certain point and then waits for quite a long time; sometimes it doesn't load the page at all. After a delay, I also hear a relay on the hard drive click-in and then it loads up very quickly.

Thanks,
Paras.