Call for HELP - Computer/RAM help that is…

Dec 12, 2006 07:56



When it comes to computers - some things I have a great grasp on - other things like upload/download speeds - what do they mean? - am I getting it for what I am paying for with Charter or not?

Also VONAGE is pissin me off - well that’s not a fair statement as it could be the cable services that is causing the issues. More on that later in another ( Read more... )

speed, computer, ram

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chiam_67 December 12 2006, 16:02:45 UTC
Re: the broadband speed question--first, "upload" speed is the speed that you send stuff "up" to the Internet, and "download" speed is the speed that you pull stuff "down" to your computer. When you generating content (ie posting to LJ), you are "uploading", when you are consuming content (ie pirating music or watching porn--er, educational material), you are "downloading". There are different speeds for uploading and downloading, and most people are usually downloading, so the download speed is probably what most people are concerned about--and download speed is what most companies are talking about when they advertise their Internet speed.

Also, the speed varies depending on network load and a lot of different factors, so companies advertise their highest "theorectical" speed, but the speed you ACTUALLY get is usually much, much lower.

In the chart you posted, the first line shows Charter's advertised speed (their highest theorectical speed--6Mbps), and the numbers below shows the speed that people are actually getting in various locations. Obviously the real speeds are WAY below what they advertise, but this will be true with any other ISP, too, so...

Are you getting ripped off? Technically, no--if you read the fine print, they don't promise 6Mbps, they promise UP TO 6Mbps. So technically, you are getting what you paid for.

But...could you get a better deal? Maybe...what you need to do is check for other ISPs in your area, find out what their actual speeds are, and what price they are charging for it. Then you can decide what's the best deal for you. You'll also want to consider reliability--a cheap ISP is not worth it if they can't keep their network up.

Just as a for example, though...I am using DSL from AT&T, and I am getting 1409Kbps...roughly on par with the actual speeds above, and I am only paying $14.99/month (which I think is a pretty good deal). I'm in Chicago; YMMV.

As far as memory...
I use pricewatch.com to find the best prices, but you do need to make sure you have all the right specs, so that you buy the right memory for your system.

Memory is mostly a commodity these days--it all comes from 3-4 companies, so brand name doesn't matter much (unless you think you'll need tech support or warranty, etc)--again, the key thing is to make sure the memory matches your system--which you can usually find by looking at the specs of your computer and/or the existing memory.

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carharttmo December 13 2006, 14:37:58 UTC
Thanks for the info. I think I am beginning to get it. Might have to see about moving down to the level I was at with Charter as it seems I am not getting the higher speeds - but am paying $10 more for the speed... hummmm...

Sadly- other than Charter HSI and dial-up options - that is all we have in Highland where we live. Verizon is our phone services but they have yet to include Highland in their DSL plans - I keep writing to ask thats for sure. So we are a little stuck at the current moment.

Regarding RAM
I did the memory finder on the computer website and the price seems to be inline wiht what others are - so I am going to get the 512 MB - to make it double the ram that i have - so hopefully things will run faster.

Again - thanks for the info.

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