Help with My Mother's DSL Internet Setup
Help with My Mother's DSL Internet Setup
The issue centers around frequent disruptions when anyone initiates an upload on your mother’s DSL connection from Comwave, a Canadian ISP. The network suddenly freezes or becomes extremely slow, causing delays and loading issues across all devices until the upload ends. This has become a recurring frustration for everyone in the house, especially since April 2016. The plan in question is Internet 15, which appears outdated on Comwave’s site, replaced by Cable Internet options. It seems the ISP may have labeled it as a legacy plan. I’ve checked online sources and found references to “bufferbloat” and “QoS” as potential causes—high latency during uploads and poor performance for real-time apps like gaming or voice calls. Despite searching, Comwave’s router interface doesn’t offer a Quality of Service setting, only Port Forwarding options. The SmartRG SR360N gateway redirects me to their support page instead of showing the actual router details. I’ve reached out to Comwave’s Twitter for help but received repeated requests for my contact info without any resolution. My mother refuses to contact them directly, possibly to avoid handling it herself. I’m unsure what to do next—should I share my phone number with them, or explore other solutions? Thanks for reading through all these challenges with Comwave.
If I were you, I’d need direct communication for detailed fixes or to arrange a technician. Honestly, I’ve dealt with online issues and proxy options via email and other methods—just isn’t effective without a clear understanding of your network situation.
The internet operates in both directions, but its speed changes over time. Overloading uploads blocks other users or programs from sending data back. Even with available bandwidth, you might not get the information you need because of this limitation. TCP traffic is especially affected since it needs confirmation for each packet, while UDP can vary depending on how it’s used. Streaming usually uses UDP, so a show may only be impacted when you pause or switch shows. Web browsing or gaming demands constant back-and-forth, which gets disrupted by heavy uploads. Quality of service settings can assist, but the most effective solution is increasing your bandwidth. DSL offers options like Annex M or bonding that might boost upload speeds if your provider supports them.
Streaming typically uses TCP for buffering and smooth bitrate transitions. UDP is chosen for real-time streams when occasional gaps are acceptable. Web browsers often don’t support UDP, though QoS can help if properly implemented.