Recommended Tests

If you're using cable broadband internet try this before anything else. It's really simply to do and it works great.

Download this simple program to edit your settings > http://www.dslreports.com/front/drtcp.html
1. Set Tcp Receive Window (RWIN) to 128480
2. Set Windows Scaling, Time Stamping, Selective Acks, Path MTU Discovery, Black Hole Detection to Default.
3. Leave Max Duplicate Acks and TTL Blank [Delete anything in those fields]
4. Save to Registry. Reboot.

I and others have learned this solved 99%+ of peoples problems with slow connections and lag.

Good Luck and make sure you ask questions.

p.s. This setting is only intended for broadband users. If you need some settings for satellite or other types of connections please ask and I will do my best to find you the proper information.

GOD Bless you and good luck in trying to improve your speeds

Indeed I failed to mention this is probably only going to work with XP

Thanks for reminding me.

I have RWIN @ 128480
Windows Scaling to ONE
Path MTU Discovery=YES
Black Hole Detection=NO
Time Stamping=NO
Selective ACKS=YES
MAX Duplicate ACKS=EMPTY [Black Value]
TTL=Empty[Blank Value]
MTU=1500

Make sure you save the values in the registry [You need to download a program called "Dr. TCP" to enter these values easier], then REBOOT your comp and see if things improve.

This advice [my settings] should be used by anyone with a broadband cable connection in a Windows Machine.

Good luck and Let Me Know how it turns out for you [and the rest of you too   ]

No, I never meant for my 'suggested settings' as being perfect for everyone, rather I meant them as guidance for basic tweak settings . I have been tweaking my tail off with XP for about 5 years now and those settings seemed optimal to me... I also belong to www.dslreports.com and everyone 'seems' to agree those settings I suggested are optimal for XP users of broadband cable.

With Vista you kind of have to leave most things alone as you mentioned.

I also have noticed a give and take with most of the settings.. The more you want to focus on speed it tends to have an impact on higher latency as opposed to the more you focus on lower latency you get a hit from getting higher speeds. It's kind of like analyzing a woman...thinking you have it figured out

Good luck to you all and may God Bless The United States of America. 

The Time to Live value is added to each packet as you send one, and decremented as it goes past internet routers. Once the value reaches 0, the packet is discarded. This mechanism is used to prevent packets from circling the internet forever, without it the pipes that form the internet would eventually clog up. I know that it may be used by ISPs to check if you're running a router, if they insist on it. This is one of many TCP/IP settings you never have to mess with. (though you can abuse it for a prank, by setting it real low )

That's an odd effect indeed. It can probably be abused by setting it low (<10), so that packets never reach their destination, leaving the victim with 0 kB/s effective upload, killing his internet. My default TTL is 64, but when it hits the cable modem, it appears it gets reset to 255. Odd stuff.