Internet issues

[Oogly50]

I have this small little problem with my internet...

I have a linksys router with very high speed internet. However, ever since I can remember, I keep getting lag spikes every minute or so whenever I play an internet related game... For example, I was playing battlefield 2 earlier today and I had the lowest ping of anybody in the game! But every minute, it would say I had a connection issue, freeze up for a a couple of seconds, and then go back to normal like nothing ever happened.
This... bugs me.

It's like that with every online game I own. However, on youtube/every other internet website with videos... the videos dont freeze up. They were perfectly. When I play flash games I dont get that problem either.



My mom bought a new router a few months back.  Don't know why... I never asked. But now it just sits there, so I was thinking that maybe I should install the new one and see if I have this same problem?

[The Fugitive]

sounds more like your computer is pinging the internet. Some other software may be stealing your connection. If you use a program like Napster it will take hours for your connection to settle down even after you shut it down. Thats the first place I'd look.

[Edgar]

Sounds to me like you have a process running in the background that is stealing all of the system resources and "freezing" the system. See some of the posts on the site about shutting down unneccesary processes running in the background. Black Viper has a good site explaining everything too...

www.blackviper.com

<S>
Edgar

[Denholm]

It's going to be something running on your end. Either security software or background processes are slowing down your connection for their advantage.

[Hamltnblue]

Before gaming. Shut down the antivirus software, and auto updates including windows.
Also to the things listed above.
If your router is wireless make sure it has security enabled to prevent neighbors from jumping on it.

[Denholm]

If you're on a wireless connection, that could be your problem.

[Oogly50]

I have 3 laptops and an xbox 360 that are in my house that my family uses my router for...

Could it be that they are just using up all my internet? (I dont know the technical term for it)

As for all the processes... I will check them out and see if that works. 

[Denholm]

Yes, it could be that other users are also hogging your Internet bandwidth. See if you can find a time period where you can test an online game while nobody else is using their computer systems. If it runs faster with a lot less lag there's quite the possibility other users in your house are hogging the bandwidth.

[Oogly50]

I disconnected my families laptops from the internet and deleted every process I could.  (which still left me with around 60?)

It worked slightly better it seemed... but again, I still have a fantastic connection aside from those lag spikes. 

[Denholm]

60 Processes?! My goodness, what was installed onto that computer? Is this Vista or XP?

[Max]

Hiyas Oogly,

First off, a wireless connection is not good for gaming. Can you hard wire a connection to the internet modem or wireless router?

Check out the link for a freeware utility program that will keep your system at peak performance, and has a module that maximizes gaming by turning off unnecessary background programs. If you're familiar with FSautostart, it works a bit along the same lines, only much simpler. DON'T install anything onto someone else's computer without their permission. 

http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html?Str=download

Good luck!

[Oogly50]

I'm not on a wireless connection... I think.  I have a router hooked up to my computer and then the laptops in my house hook up OFF of my router.  How can I check if I just have a regular internet connection, and where would I hook it up.