slow page loading

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:18 am

ok, UPS just delivered my new modem, same model.

i will check back before messing w/it

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:32 pm

If it's the same modem and it's a modern modem/router, there should not be any configuration (usually). Just swap them out.

However some ISPs force the router to authenticate the first time so you may get forced to a page (no matter what URL you try to go to) on your ISP's website that asks you to register or enter your account number from your bill or something.

There should be instructions. Worst case call them up and have them walk you through it.

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:46 pm

i am sorry, my error, FP; the modem looks identical, but i apparently scanned looking at the model # a bit too quickly.
the model # begins w/ D90; current one begins w/ A90. rest of the numbers are the same, so i guess there will be some configuring to be done.

the thought of calling ISP again makes my skin crawl : )

Executioner · Post by **Executioner** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:37 pm

Does it work???

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:07 pm

Executioner wrote:Does it work???

i am waiting for mr d to come home,, i cannot move the sofa to get to the phone jack to plug it in.

oddly enough, my speed has just now picked up a bit all on its own. maybe there was indeed a circuit problem as well. i do not know. i am just happy to have slightly better speed ~ @ least for the moment!

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:09 pm

oops. quoted instead of editing above post.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:08 pm

Sounds like a newer version of the same modem. I guess the A, B, and C models sucked

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:35 pm

right now, i feel everything verizon sucks!
here is why!:

new modem installed.
i saw no change in speed.
i called ISP, got the same crap.
after remotely connecting to me, they ran a verizon test; i was told it was showing @ what i was supposed to get.
this is not what the tech guy told me on monday.
pages still loading slower than they used to.
i finally hung up on the lady, and ran my own verizon speed test/s. unfortunately they were not connected to me to see these results,, :

here you go: ~

--------WT_?--------

i shut down for about 45 mins, powered back up and noticed right away, things were speeding up to where they used to be:

i have absolutely no confidence that this speed will stay where it is.

i have another problem, ~ i cannot access modem in browser.

i did ipconfig, default gateway shows as 192.168.1.1
this is the same address as the one i just replaced.
however, it is prompting me for a PW.
**i cannot access it to set one up, so do not know what to do now??

i could access it w/the prior modem installed.
can you pls tell me how i can possibly set up a username/PW if i cannot access it?

thank you!

NubyCanuby_OFC · Post by **NubyCanuby_OFC** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:22 pm

The last test is the speed you should be at.

Executioner · Post by **Executioner** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:46 pm

Do you have your old router (if you had one) with the new modem? My father-in-law did this and his internet connection was marginal at best since most modems now have a built in router.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:00 pm

Darcy, the new modem should be set to the default factory password. Just Google for the model number and you should find it. That is unless the guy changed it while he was there.

You definitely are having issues with their service. You need to keep after them. If it's not the modem then it's either the line or the switch you're on (which is some white box on the street somewhere).

Insist that they send a tech out to check things on your end.

Oh, and if they don't ask for it back (they usually don't) keep the old modem as a spare.

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:12 pm

Exec, no separate router. what i have now is a modem/router combo.

FP, i just now googled the model #, and the default PW is not being accepted.
no one was physically here to change anything.
now what? another call to ISP?
gosh, i am just going to shoot myself, i swear.

i just now ran another one of their speed tests, ~

DL 2.783 Mbps
UL 725 Kbps

so far it is holding.

oh, ~ yes, i have to return the other modem/router w/in 30days or i will be charged for it. i was told that by the IT guy on the phone, and a prepaid return label was included in the box w/the replacement.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:22 am

I would call them and ask them for the password. If it's not the default they must have changed it.

Worse comes to worse they could walk you through resetting the router to the factory default.

To give them credit, you do not want to keep the default password. You should always change it. There's viruses that have been spotted in the wild that will check to see if you have a default password and if so, setup port forwarding for nefarious reasons.

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:25 am

thank you, FP.

i was determined to avoid calling isp like the plague, so i googled around and found suggested new default PW, and it worked. { it was not very creative, bw }.
i have now changed the PW

another question, pls: i have been looking around in there, and under Firewall, it is currently set to "No Security". do i leave it like that? { i have Windows firewall enabled }.

the next Firewall level up is:

"Minimum Security"
"The low security setting will allow all traffic except for known attacks. With low, your modem is visible by other computers on the Internet."

since i have never played around in one of these things before, i do not know what to do. if there are any changes i should make, pls let me know. i am assuming everything is currently @ default?

thank you : )

p.s. i have just done another speed test:
DL: 2,771 Mbps
UL: 727 Kbps

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:34 pm

ANY router acts as an incoming firewall of a sort (all routers are incoming firewalls). Basically all unsolicited packets from the Internet are ignored (even with the "No Security" setting). Unsolicited packets is the reason why you can be instantly infected if you put a PC with a fresh install of XP with no security updates directly on the internet without a router or the Windows firewall turned on. This was a real problem back before routers (actually home gateways) were common and before WinXP SP2 (prior to SP2 the Windows firewall was disabled by default). The fact that almost every house and office now has a router has stopped all these sort of attacks (cable modem users need to be careful because many cable ISPs don't have a router in their modems and you're directly on the internet - Comcast for instance. Even if you have only 1 PC it's worth spending $50 for a router if you have a direct connection to the internet just to give you the benefit of a hardware firewall).

Anyway, there are different levels of hardware firewalling in a router. The lowest level leaves ports closed but visible which invites port attacks (they may not get through, but you constantly have someone banging on the door and if it's a flood attack it could saturate your bandwidth). At higher security levels all the ports are "Stealthed" which means they are not only closed, but they are also invisible to someone port scanning your IP. This is a GOOD THING.

Easy enough to find out. Go to http://www.grc.com/default.htm
Scroll down to "Shields Up!" and click on that. Scroll down to the "Proceed" button and click on it.

Click on the "Common Ports" button.

Wait a few seconds for the test to complete.

Ideally all the ports should be Stealthed not just Closed (and none should be Open). If they're not all stealthed, crank up the firewall until all or most of them are.