Slow speeds, can I have some advice...

Question

Firstly, I have the Westell 9100EM15 router from verizon and I live in the tampa area.   Please let me know if getting a different one could make a difference.  It's like 2+ years old. 
Anyway, I'm getting slow speeds considering I have the 35/35 plan.  Youtube videos buffer slowly, and I only get around 3mps for torrents.  Can someone explain why Youtube videos won't basically load instantly?  Why don't I at least get 20mps on torrents?  Note, that I'm using a wireless adapter for my main computer, not wired, which obviously probably makes a difference, but when I used wired, I NEVER got past 3mps when I had 25/10.  I cannot used wired anymore anyway since lightning killed my ethernet port.  I will buy a pci port if have to, however.
I did buy and hook up a linksys e12000, but the speeds were slower than the stock router.  I had to return it.  Common, I just don't understand.  It's wireless N.  My 6+ year old linksys wireless G router that I used to bypass the verizon router was faster.  At the moment, I'm using the verizon router, which for some reason just started to be faster than the linksys G.
I'm thinking of buying a Medialink Wireless N Router.  It's the number 1 on amazon, but I'm not sure if it'll help.  Maybe  dual band?  I don't know what to do.  Does anyone have any advice?

Answer 1

Like many others like you, I don't believe there is a fix at your end. At one time Verizon use to say your speed never changed because you have a dedicated line and not sharing a line like Comcast so when your neighbors got on your speed won't change but that isn't part of their ad anymore because we are all attached to a hub and the more people that are on it, the slower our speed will be. Also, there are millions who stream Netflix and Blockbuster over the Verizon lines and the hubs are unable to take that so we in return get slow speed. There is nnot a lot anyone can do about it. I was told it was at my end but with 5 computers(only one on at a time) I did a test and got another router and hooked it up to one of my other computers and tried the speed test thing but it was just as slow. So, when you are tols it is at your end, forget it, it is not. I am suppose to get 10Mbps but between 6pm and 1:00am I am lucky to get 1Mbps. Verizon just needs to add more hubs and the problem is solved. We can't get FIOS in our area but as I can see, it too slows down during certain hours. The only other explaination is at certain times we get capped so the hub does not burn out. I have learned to live around it but most people depend on that speed and should not have to go so slow when the speed is very much needed. There is no solution yet but I am sure Verizon gets enough complaints and will soon fix the problem. Hang in there, they will have to upgrade and I am sure they are doing that now before they lose their customer. But don't let some out source tell you it is at your end, because it isn't.