M:
Where do you find "I do know that the status window in Windows says Speed: 72mbps."?
A screen shot may be useful.
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A screen shot is a term used to describe the capture of that which is on your computer screen. Often, there is a need to provide a remote computer technician with information about your computer.
Events may be such that on occasion, you want / need [ or are requested ] to send a screen shot.
Creating a screen shot requires:
1. a keyboard with a key labeled "Print Screen". This may be abbreviated "PrtScn", "PrntScn", or some other variation.
2. a destination program. Microsoft WordPad, and Paint, which are built into Windows 95 and beyond, as well as Microsoft Word, not a part of Windows will suffice. My favorite is Paint, because it provides the greatest versatility. Paint saves images, by default, as bitmap files [ .bmp ], which are very large files, but Paint can also save files as
jpg / jpeg files which are much smaller. Paint also provides editing features.
2.a. To open Paint
left click "start"
left click "accessories"
left click "Paint".
3. Press the "PrtScn" [ or similar button ] on your keyboard. Mine is about 2" to the right of the F12 key.
4. Open the destination program [ see # 2 above ].
5. Maximize the screen of the destination program.
6. Left "edit" across the top.
7. Left click "paste".
8. Save the file.
a. left click "file"
b. left click "save as"
c. near the bottom, save as type, left click the down pointing arrow.
d. left click on "jpg" or "jpeg"
e. in the area of the file name, enter something descriptive
f. near the top, note the location to the right of "save in".
g. left click the "save" button, lower right.
3.
To send a screen shot, click on "go advanced".
Near the bottom, left click the "manage attachments" button.
A new screen will open.
Left click the "browse" button.
Go / Browse to the location of the file.
Left click on the file.
Left click the "upload" button.
When finished, left click "close window" upper right.
Left click the "submit reply" button.
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You noted: "My roommates Vaio takes 150mbps from the same router so I figure my laptop's the problem."
Does your roommate the same type of connection [ wifi or ethernet '?
Are you using wi fi or ethernet?
If wi fi, try ethernet.
Which encryption are you using?
None - very dangerous - No security
WPA
WPA2 - the best we have, as of 04 June 2011
wc00