Why would my computer suddenly stick when I try to play You tube videos and watch BBC iplayer

[VanillaPumpkin]

and say it will take 7 hrs to download a 30 min BBC programme?? And the new free AVG software is taking over an hour to download. This seems v slow.
Is my computer dying (has been making whirring noises)? or has my internet speed been halved but the BT Outreach van that has been doing lots of work on our road??
It claims the speed is 18.mbps. What does that mean? I am sure it was higher than that before. Oh I wish I knew wtf it all meant. Please help. Thanks.

It's those at BT/ISP who are restricting access to iPlayer. My theory anyway. They are complaining about the amount of bandwidth it uses - we often try to play programmes for them to stick irretrievably. At least you can TRY downloading - not possible with a Mac

I used to watch programmes fine two weeks ago .
I have now lost the AVG update as the server has reconnected. What?

ooh Lapin I think you killed MN lst night. Not long after you told me you'd been cast aside like an old shoe now BigBadTech had arrived, then you said you were going, then WHAM - MN went daaaahhhhn

I won't tell anybody though

It is fark all isn't it? It used to be 56 I am sure but this seemed such a drop I thought I must be imagining it???? I will try a big reboot now while I get dd lunch. Thanks. Hope it works and glad for the confirmation that 18 is slow.

Mine sbeen doing this. Whirring away and slloooww. Also cut off the end of Love Soup which I was watching on iplayer. Have given up on youtube too.

You also need to bear in mind that when you install iplayer and download something you are also uploading it to other people. Unless you delete the downloaded files it will continue to upload without mentioning it night and day. This slows your uploads and slows your downloads because it causes a traffic jam of sorts in the router.

surely iplayer doesnt install on your pc..

You can download from iplayer, I just watched though ddidn't save it or nuffink.

Could it be the fact I have Sky plugged in to the phone line???

If you just watch it on the site without downloading the program that's ok. They are two seperate things really.

VanillaPumpkin if you click on this link it will begin to download a huge file. It's a copy of linux, but it doesn't matter because you don't have to let it finish. Just wait half a minute to observe how fast it is.
Coming from there it won't be blocked by ISPs or suffer from other delays so it's the best test and it makes it easier to compare.

If you have sky plugged in it must be going through a filter like your telephones. If not it will cause serious problems.

Oh bugger. Everything is through a filter apart from the Sky. I have unplugged it.
I have rung the Post Office who I am with and they have asked me to do some monitoring. I did the first test and I am running at 120kbps . The man told me I can expect between 2848kbps and 2278kbps. So we have established there is a problem I think. Now I just have to try and solve it. The thing that bugs me is that it was all fine a month ago and nothing has changed here in that time .

Will try that other test now. Thank you.

Lol. That would take 13hrs+. The speed was 15.2. Shocking.

We had dreadful problems with our broadband after BT did some work on the lines outside. They wouldn't ever admit that it was them, but I'm sure it was. The broadband was awful for about a month, and then was okay again . . .

OK. The man says because we use an extension lead that might make a difference so I have unplugged the modem/router thing and moved it to the other side of the room so that it is now plugged into a filter and then directly into the wall BT socket....
I think the difference is F all tbh but I have to wait for three hours before running another test. I will have to move my phone if this is the problem and it means I can't plug Sky in (which I think I have to as part of my T&C). FGS am I really asking too much?
The man says I have to run the tests over three days before he will log a fault with BT. I am convinced the BT Response van that has been fiddling with wires for three days has messed it up .

If plugging it into the main socket is not helping then it's nothing at your end and they will eventually sort it out. It can be a bit heavy going pushing them to make the effort, but you will get there and maybe it is them working outside and it will suddenly be ok.

Once you're demonstrated that the fault is outside you cab put everything back where it was. Get a filter for the sky cable and that will be ok too.

Extensions can be bad news if poorly fitted, but I have one that winds through two rooms to get to my PC and mine works ok.

Btw another thing to try later. Unplug everything but one standard telephone plugged into the main socket. Dial 17070 and you get an automated test thing. Press the number for 'quiet line test' and it goes silent and lets you listen for crackles and pops. If you hear anything then the outside line is faulty.

Ooh Grey, you are good! The speed on my little computer monitor thing in the corner just dropped to 6Mbps fgs. It is worse now I have moved it.....

Oh I am .
So muggins here spent Friday and the weekend doing speed tests with various combinations content in the knowledge that the IP throughput of a paltry 110kbps (rather than the 2848kbps I should be getting) would inspire some sort of investigation to fix the problem.
Oh nooo! When I ring this morning with my results I am told that there has been engineering work in my area (I bloody told them that as I could see the van from my house ) and I have to wait another 10 days for them to raise a fault with BT .
I could explode. How in this day and age can companies be so bloody inefficient. Grrrrr. I told them it has already been crap for over ten days but apparently this doesn't count. And if I am still unhappy I can cancel my account. wtf! Fix the problem. It was working two weeks ago ffs!!!!!!!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!