My Internet connection routinely becomes slow. It still works, but it feels "clogged", and even the maximum speed it intermittently reaches is only 1/10th of the normal maximum speed. speedtest.net actually reports lower download speeds than upload speeds, when it should be the opposite. Verizon tells me to unplug the DSL modem for 30 seconds and plug it back in, and my connection is restored to normal. Chat support said "There is some connection issue from the central office" and couldn't give me any more details.
So what does unplugging the modem actually do? Why does it fix the problem? Is there some other way to trigger the same effect? It seems to me that something must be poorly designed if it requires this, either the modem itself or something at the central office. What kind of network problems might cause issues like this?
(My modem, specifically, is a Westell Wirespeed 2100 (B90-210015-04), which the Internet says is "simply a bridge modem. It does not have a web interface, routing functions, or built in PPPoE. That means you will have to use a PPPoE client from somewhere else.")
Best Answer
What is happening here, is that your modem is slowly desynchronizing from the ISP. This desynchronization causes packets you are sending and receiving to become corrupt, requiring them to be resent, and thus, lowering your speed.
To fix this issue easier, I suggest a simple solution. Get one of those outlet timers that people use for when they go on vacation and want to have lights turned on. Then set it to power the router from, say, 4:16am to 4:15am, so that it is powercycled during a time you're not going to be using it in the first place.