DSL slow downloads

[Amber2331]

I have DSL through a local ISP in anchorage AK - ACS.

For several months now I have been unable to download ANYTHING. I could connect to the internet and surf - at a pretty good speed. But suddenly downloads would not complete. The error message was always the same - computer could not authenticate the publisher or the file was corrupt.

I have a Dell, with windows xp, service pack 2. I worked with a Dell support tech over the phone and by the time he was done I couldn't even get on the internet.

A second Dell support person stepped me through a complete wipe of my whole system and reinstalling windows xp. This fixed my problem of connecting to the internet, but did not fix the download problem. Now the download is so slow that it times out and never completes.

Then I went to the ISP. They said the dsl modem I had had hardware problems. I switched it out. But the new installation instruction had me set it up so that I have to connect everytime I turn on my computer. Isn't DSL supposed to be on all the time?

This still did not fix the problem. I can't download anything above 1MB and even at that it takes a really long time. The download window says my speed is 30 kb/s.

I contacted the ISP again. They claimed to do a test on my line while I was on the phone. They had me do a speed test on http://speedtest.nwc.acsalaska.net/. The results were 305/240.

If my system has been wiped clean. It doesn't have any programs on it. And my ISP is claiming my line and download speed should by fine. Why can't I download large files?

It doesn't matter the web site or time of day I am on my computer - the same thing happens. The downloads start out at 120 kb/s then slow to 30 kb/s before it stops completely.

[johnwill]

I think I'd try to find a friend with a laptop to test your ISP connection and see if it's the connection or the machine.