Windows required for DSL? BS

[DAharon]

So I have had this particular DSL account now for about 8 months and I'm supposed to get between 1.5 and 3.0 Mbps download speeds. When I first got the account activated I actually did recieve 3 Mbps download speeds, but about 6 weeks later I was down to 1.6 Mbps and it has stayed rock solid at that speed when downloading ever since then.

I had to call SBC (now ATT) for a billing question and while I was at it I asked them to take a look at my DSL speed. The first thing they told me to do was click the start button.
"I don't have Windows", I said.
"Well, we have to check stuff like cookies and web cache, frequently that's the problem", they said.
"Forget that, what else can we check?"
"Well, there are other OS settings that cause problems for people, but since we only have information about Windows, we can't tell you where to look," says ATT/SBC.

Their little webpage speedtest didn't even work because it only works with IE.

So the question is: Is there anything in my internet configuration that could cause a problem like this? I think the answer is NO, but I want to make sure because I'm no networking expert.

It's a three year old Gentoo install. The only internet apps that I run regularly are MLdonkey, DDclient, proftpd and ntp. I don't even have iptables running right now (my chains are empty). This doesn't make any sense to me, because my neighbors are getting the full 3.0 Mbps.

[uweklosa]

The speed of your connection shouldn't depend on the system you are using. What's about your dsl-router? Did you try another one?

[DAharon]

I am not currently using a router at the moment. I have been trying off and on to get my desktop to act as a wireless router for a while, but right now the DSL goes straight to the desktop and ends there.

If you mean DSL MODEM, thats a good suggestion. I do have a different model laying around here somewhere. I'll try it.

[GetCool]

I highly doubt the problem is anything on your end.

The low-level protocols don't give a rat's ass which operating system you're running. But ISPs do, so they can sell you "virus protection" packages and other crap.

You can try replacing the DSL modem, but I don't think that will help. ISPs like to give out crappy modems, but I've generally found that they either work or they don't; if a modem is a piece of junk, it is more likely to just die than suffer diminished performance.

It is most likely something on their end, or a problem with their service. Many ISPs advertise their bandwidth numbers as "up to" a certain value; I've learned to just stick with the middle-ground service (~1.5 Mbps), as the "faster" options generally are not much faster...

By the way, the things they have you do for troubleshooting are absolutely ridiculous. I worked in Windows I.T. for several years, and I've never deleted cookies or browser cache to improve performance. Spyware, maybe... unless something is eating CPU clock cycles or moving data over your network connection, it's not going to magically make your ISP connection slower.

[DAharon]

Yeah, as suspected the other modem didn't yield any results. It just pisses me off.
If I didn't hate the cable company only a little more than the phone company, I'd switch.

[Headrush]

I would recommend against people trying other "non-company" modems. (or at least be careful)

The ISP where I live, bans your account when they notice a different modem MAC address than the one they have registered.
Sucks too because I just bought a Cisco uBR924 cable modem/router off eBay and can't use it now.

[Monkeh]

Shouldn't the Cisco let you override the MAC? I know most cable modems do.

[Headrush]

[davidgurvich]

Call and confirm what service plan you are on. More likely to be a beaurocratic error than anything else.

[GetCool]

[Headrush]

[davidgurvich]

I've been using the

[Headrush]