Latency

Lately - like for a couple of months - I have been noticing that it takes web sites longer to load, though I haven't changed hardware or carrier. I was wondering if there is anything I can do to improve load times with the following setup:

1) Verizon FIOS broadband service, clocks on all testers at app 40 MB/s down/25 up

2) Belkin N+ Router

3) Sony Z11 notebook computer, 1st gen Core i5, 8GB, Intel 6200, 384GB RAID0 SSD

The router is the oldest in the group (mid-2010) but websites used to load almost instantaneously with this combo. The measured throughput on the FIOS is also a constant. The computer is in tip-top shape. Also, though Chrome is the fastest of browsers I use, each of the "big 3" are slower by what feels like the same proportion - can't give it to you in a metric, like maybe as much as 3 seconds longer to load notebookcheck.net, as an example.

Thanks for any insights.

Is it just that the Internet is getting bogged down?

 

Have you tested latency (ping test or just ping in Windows)
It also may be something else like AV software that delays the site being loaded or- the least likely- power management of Wi-Fi card.

 

thanks for the speedy response Ping test: 9ms. AV is MSE - known to slow page loading? Have wifi power setting on "maximum performance."

I use Adblock so pages don't load tons of ads and Flash; but does AB itself cause a delay? This is not a big deal, as nothing is what I would call annoyingly slow; I just try to be sensitive to changes and possibly hold of a problem in the making.

Could the ISP (Verizon FIOS) be throttling intemittently?

 

Ping of 9ms is too low for you to notice. It has to be something else- browser add-on or maybe MSE.
I'm not using MSE myself (well I am but on a backup notebook which is very slow itself) so I can't say anything about it but you can always uninstall it for testing.

Prime suspects would be: firewall, AV and browser add-ons.

Last but not least- reboot your router and modem to clear RAM and specifically NAT tables. Not that it's very likely to help but it's doesn't cost anything.

 

Thanks for giving me things to look at when I notice the slowdowns I referred to. Predictably, now that I've brought the issue to the foreground, I'm finding web pages are loading mostly smooth and fast, with or without browser add-ons, firewalls, AV, etc! Like when your car won't make "that noise" when you bring it to the mechanic, lol!

Thanks so much for your quick responses; I will monitor and report back if anything interesting develops. As an aside, do you think there is substantial variation in the performance of the Internet at the backbone level - or some place behind the purview of my ISP speed/ping checks that cause "slow days' or even "slow minutes/hours" for all users, either worldwide or regionally? If so, it would explain my perception of delays that come and go and do not seem to be explained by obvious causes, such as those you've suggested. It would be surprising if such fluctuations did NOT occur in such a vast, constantly growing, somewhat unevenly regulated beast as the Net has become.

Again, my thanks for your support! +1 for responding as if you are sitting by your computer waiting for my next question

 

It may be something related to your ISP- granted.
They don't sell their services by dividing max capacity of their node by the speed they're offering- it's definitely impossible for all users to achieve max speeds at the same time.
So it is possible that sometimes you're on the net at rush-hour and you can notice some slow-downs.

Another possibility is wireless noise- you may want to adjust your channels or more completely to 5GHz range if your router supports it.
It may be your neighbors and their transfers that increase latency for you- as for your card it's just noise.

 

There are also other factors that can influence 2.4GHz wireless signals like microwaves and cordless phones. I remember a particular phone that would instantly drop my wireless signal and throughput when someone was using it.

If you have the option for 5GHz, definitely switch to that, that band is almost deserted.