This lesson is focussed on getting more out of broadband and solving connection common issues.

Can you still recall the days of 56k dialup connections? One would login, hear the awful screeching sound as the modem negotiated with the ISP's server, and surf the web at a snail's pace; it's a quaint technology that is quickly becoming extinct. With today's ISPs offering super fast broadband access to their customers, internet instant gratification is finally realized.

No more logging in with an access number and waiting while your modem connects. With broadband, as soon as your PC boots up and Windows is in a ready state, you're already connected to the internet. Whether you have DSL or cable, broadband is a quantum leap over dialup.

Sometimes, however, you may experience down time or sluggish browsing. This could be a result of a problem on your ISPs end, or it could be something on your end. So, before calling tech support and being put on hold, try a few things that could help remedy the situation, allowing you to quickly get back to browsing the web and checking your email.

Speed: How Fast is your Connection?

It's a good idea to know the speed of your connection when everything's working OK. Most users have a general "feel" for their broadband connection speed: web pages loading fast, pulling downloads at a nice clip etc. For situations like this, though, the bottleneck could be on the other end--the other server--and not your connection.

A fantastic way of detecting your optimal speed is by surfing over to BroadBandReports.com where you'll be able to get a good reading of your connection's speed. BroadBandReports.com sends data
packets to your computer.

Based on the elapsed download and upload it takes your PC to pull and push these data, you can determine your maximum download and upload speed. One caveat, though: you'll probably receive various results based on the location of the server doing the test. BroadBandReports.com maintains servers all around the globe, so make sure you choose a test server that's closest to your location for the best possible results.

Checking Local Hardware for Bottlenecks

Even with a T3 line pumping data into your computer at greased lightening speeds, if your PC is an ancient relic with fossils for hardware, you'll probably have a poor internet experience. Web pages have become increasingly complex and interactive these days.

A lot of web sites aren't even web pages any more, in the traditional sense, but are web applications that perform their duties just as well as a local desktop program that you download and install to your hard drive.

When your web browser downloads a web page, it must store this data into your computer's main memory. Think of "memory" as a temporary holding tank for data that your PC is currently mulling over or is needed for quick access when the time comes. If your computer is starved for memory, then chances are that your entire computing experience--not just your internet--is going to be slow and feeble, as your computer will need to resort to your much slower hard drive to emulate "memory" for its needs. If you've an extra slot, installing more system memory can really boost your computer's performance

Spring Cleaning the Cache

Slow web browsing may be the fault of your web browser. Behind the scenes, when surfing the web, your browser is busy reading and writing to your computer's hard drive. If you neglect to clean up your browser's cache, temporary internet files can pile up, hindering your PC's performance and internet speed. In Internet Explorer, simply navigate to the Tools menu; next, go to Internet Options and select the General Tab, clicking on Delete Files and Clear History. When browsing with Firefox, go to the Tools menu and select the Clear Private Data menu item.

Configuring your Settings

Taking full advantage of your broadband speed may mean tweaking out a few of your computer's settings. Taking the "Tweak Test" offered by BroadbandReports.com is an excellent way to optimize your broadband speed. To take the "Tweak Test" surf on over to BroadbandReports.com and click the "Test and Tools" link on the left side of the page.

At the conclusion of the test, BroadBandReports.com will ask you to enter in your service type--DSL or Cable--and other information that may prove useful in optimizing your connection. After BroadBandReports.com goes through the motions, it'll recommend useful tweaks that you can apply to make your broadband connection as efficient as possible.

If all else fails, DrTCP may be able to rectify your broadband blues. DrTCP is a desktop application offered by BroadBandReports.com that makes altering your computer's system registry a less daunting task. Of course, it's always a good idea to back up your current registry configuration before making any changes to it.

If the above tweaks fail to provide any relief, then you may need to call your ISP's tech support center, as the problem may reside on their side of the fence. Also, make sure that your modem and router are in good working order, for failing broadband hardware can cause significant lags and downtime.

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