computer only using 0.5% of network

[louddifference]

so im off sick from school today so i decided id catch up on some shows. the videos take a long time to buffer and are really choppy, so i open task manager and chrome is only using up to 0.5% of the network.

 

im not to good with the networking part of computers just the hardware side. im using a small usb wireless adapter, could the problem be from this?

 

if so, what are some cheap wireless cards that work well.

 

if not, how can i combat this problem and get better buffering times?

 

[T.Vengeance]

No 0.5% just means how much of the maximum throughput you're using. So if your connection speed to your router was 100mbit, it would be 0.5mbit/s speed that you're at. So it's most likely your ISP throttling your speed.

[louddifference]

No 0.5% just means how much of the maximum throughput you're using. So if your connection speed to your router was 100mbit, it would be 0.5mbit/s speed that you're at. So it's most likely your ISP throttling your speed.

so it isnt a problem with my wireless adapter? or could a new one help at all?

[T.Vengeance]

so it isnt a problem with my wireless adapter? or could a new one help at all?

Try transffering a file to another PC over your wifi. Chances are that the speed will be faster than the speed you're getting from your ISP. If it isn't then yes it's your wifi adapter.

[louddifference]

Try transffering a file to another PC over your wifi. Chances are that the speed will be faster than the speed you're getting from your ISP. If it isn't then yes it's your wifi adapter.

ok ill try that now

[louddifference]

Try transffering a file to another PC over your wifi. Chances are that the speed will be faster than the speed you're getting from your ISP. If it isn't then yes it's your wifi adapter.

the problem has seemed to clear up now. my buffering times are fast again. my task manager says its still at 0.5% so i guess you were right about the throttling.

[elkenrod]

the problem has seemed to clear up now. my buffering times are fast again. my task manager says its still at 0.5% so i guess you were right about the throttling.

 

The 0.05% usage has virtually nothing to do with your ISP throttling anything.  The network utilization tab in Task Manager just does a horrible job by default of displaying what type of bandwidth you are using.  If you were to go watch a youtube video right now with Task Manager open, it doesn't refresh fast enough to give you an accurate picture of what you are actually using.

 

I see this a ton on my windows system as well and it's nothing to worry about.  By the time the utility refreshes, your video may be done pushing data at that moment, which is why you aren't really seeing any throughput even though the data is downloading properly.  

 

I suggest just using a different program to monitor your network stats. 

[skywake]

That measure is pretty meaningless and it doesn't tell you much of anything. Especially with wireless where the link rate and actual available bandwidth aren't exactly the same thing. Even moreso if you're streaming a video over the internet. The more important measure is how much bandwidth you're using. I'd suggest grabbing something like Networx and putting it in the taskbar. Then you'll be able to say "hey, I'm only getting 1Mbps MAX on this video. That's not good. I should be getting xMbps on this connection". Then you'll be able to test a few other sites and see whether it's just youtube or everything. At which point you can decide whether to ring your ISP and tell them about a fault or whatever.