My connection is so incredibly slow...

I must have 99% of blitzbasic.com cache'd with firefox but when I load a topic it takes 20-45 seconds just to load peoples replies on the forum here in large threads. I have NOTHING running in the background and I'm on a clean install of Ubuntu with an external dialup modem.

Is it normal for this, even on dialup? I swear that it used to be able to download text a lot faster than the current speed. What factors could cause this? Is it just horrible investment in telecommunications where I live or could my 30 or so metre cable downgrade the signal strength?

A 30m extension cable for a dialup modem is really pushing it. No wonder its slow.

20-45 seconds is quite fast for some of the long threads here on dialup. Some of Reds long threads used to take minites to download

...Why are you on dial up? Broadband is cheaper these days!

Yes and im somtimes use 3G and its faster than modem.

Ah, wait.

I stopped using Firefox for BB.com a few months back. I had problems with the two.

I now use IE exclusively for BB.com.

Is it any better with IE?

I can't use ie since I'm on Linux. But I'm sure that it didn't used to be this slow. Also the extension cable doesn't matter, if I got a rj-11 port in my room it would take just as far going through the wall.

And Cygnus, broadband may be cheap in England, but New Zealand is run by a left-wing biased government that doesn't know what its doing, we're 22/30 in the OECD for the percentage of the population using broadband as a result of a string of horrible mistakes. Also we have a monopoly controlling it which the government is too dumb to regulate. We have numerous claims of false advertising and the ceo of the monopoly even manipulated the government and got away with it. New Zealand lags at least 10 years behind the rest of the world when it comes to broadband, thats why I'm on dialup.

OECD statistics: http://www.oecd.org/document/9/0,2340,en_2649_37441_37529673_1_1_1_37441,00.html

Government manipulation story:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10359011

Broadband plans offered by the monopoly:
http://jetstream.xtra.co.nz/chm/0,,202853-1000,00.html


... yes they have now been regulated but nothing has happened; papers have just been passed around in parliament but no action has been taken even though regulation occurred on the 3rd of May last year.

If you want to know about NZ, the last thing you'd want to do is read the tourist brochures or listen to the people who say NZ is tech-savvy. It feels weird talking to everyone here who assumes everyone in the world can get decent broadband access, my step-dad is from England and he had a friend who asked if we have supermarkets here. Being someone who lives in New Zealand, I often find that people think we're way better than we actually are.

---------------------------
Since my step-dad is an electrician kind'da person, I guess hes right about the extension cable making no difference. I blame the lack of regulation from the government for my slow connection.

edit: and yes, quite honestly the page erratically jumps downwards as it loads :S

Uber-nerd, I'm in exactly the same boat as you. And like you, I've always found this site to be very slow compared to other sites.

I'm hanging out for one of the local ISPs to offer a "Naked DSL" service, because I use my landline only for dial-up internet - I always use my cellphone for voice calls.