Internet service Provider

[Aubinstein]

I live in a rural area and am looking for a good internet provider. We currently have XFinity, however it is very laggy for me and my needs. I play competitive online games and need a constant internet speed. I cannot connect via Ethernet as it is too far away. Anything else you need just let me know! Thanks!

[Snapperx]

12 minutes ago, Aubinstein said:

Anything else you need just let me know!

Since you are not connected via ethernet, are you sure it is you ISPs fault?

[Aubinstein]

3 minutes ago, Snapperx said:

Since you are not connected via ethernet, are you sure it is you ISPs fault?

It is also not consistent to the other devices even the Mac that is as it is next to the modem.

[Spotty]

22 minutes ago, Aubinstein said:

I cannot connect via Ethernet as it is too far away

Cat6 is rated up for 1gbps up to 100 metres (330ft).

It's also worthwhile checking what plan you have with your XFinity account. Looking at their website they appear to offer plans from between 10mbps up to 350mbps. If you're on a slower speed plan you may see improvement by switching to a higher speed plan.

There's also all the other factors to consider when it comes to internet speeds such as other people using the network in your home, network congestion, line faults, etc.
 

1 minute ago, Aubinstein said:

It is also not consistent to the other devices even the Mac that is as it is next to the modem.

Is the mac connected via ethernet when you test this?

[kirashi]

23 minutes ago, Aubinstein said:

I live in a rural area and am looking for a good internet provider. We currently have XFinity, however it is very laggy for me and my needs. I play competitive online games and need a constant internet speed. I cannot connect via Ethernet as it is too far away. Anything else you need just let me know! Thanks!

Please connect your computer directly to the modem, bypassing any 3rd party networking equipment you may have, and run the following tests:

http://fast.com

http://speedtest.net

http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

Don't run them all at the same time, of course, and ensure that NO OTHER DEVICES are using your internet at the time of the tests.

 

Reply back with the results and we'll let you know where to go from there. Basically, this will allow us to see if your ISP is indeed the problem, or if it's being connected wirelessly that is causing it, which you might be able to solve by upgrading your router / adding your own router, using powerline AV adapters / running ethernet, or just moving closer to the wireless AP you currently have.

[Donut417]

47 minutes ago, Aubinstein said:

I live in a rural area and am looking for a good internet provider. We currently have XFinity, however it is very laggy for me and my needs. I play competitive online games and need a constant internet speed. I cannot connect via Ethernet as it is too far away. Anything else you need just let me know! Thanks!

WiFi and competitive gaming done match. Also you live in a rural area you should feel fortunate Comcast is in the area, because Millions of Americans in your situation have to use 3 Mbps DSL or a wireless internet provider like a WISP or LTE. Also I should add that Comcast (Xfinity) is one of the largest cable providers in the US, and has probably one of the best networks of the cable providers in the US. The fact is your likely to have DSL in your area though unless its Uverse or something like Uverse is probably going to be much slower than Comcast. You will also have LTE, possible a WISP and Satellite in your area. All of which especially the Satellite connection would kinda suck for competitive gaming. 

 

That being said, stability outside the issues WiFi can face could be a signal problem, this could be caused by a loose connection, bad wiring, or bad equipment on the pole. You can check the signal going to your mdoem by going to 192.168.100.1 in your web browser. 

 

Other info that would be helpful:

Model number of modem/Router ?

Model number of WiFi card being used or at least if its PCI express or USB?

How many walls between the computer and router?
How far between the computer and router? 

 

[Razor Blade]

Agreed with above if you can possibly connect your computer directly to the router that is the best way to ensure you get the fastest, most reliable connection. 100 meter CAT6 is a very long cable... if there is a way to snake it around your house to get to your computer that would be a great option to solve your problem. I'm not saying to buy the 100 meter one...If you don't need the 100 meter cable by all means buy a shorter one...

 

If that is completely impossible you could look at upgrading your wireless router and purchasing a better wireless card for your computer (if it is a desktop).

 

The only other thing I can think of to suggest is using a wireless router in bridge mode. This allows you to connect your computer Ethernet port to the bridge router then the bridge router uses it's wireless radio to communicate with your main router. It isn't perfect by any means but it is usually a better option as you can position the router up and closer to the main router to get a better signal. It isn't perfect and you are adding another potential point of failure. Also you want to run some tests like checking for latency and speed.

[Bladehawk]

Hate to say it, but to you have any other ISP in the area?  The issue is probably your wifi, but xfinity is terrible too. Id plug into the modem and test the speed and compare that to your wifi and see where the issue is.  My GF has Xfinity and it took me arguing with the tech (and proving that Xfinity was the issue) before he discovered they had a bad connector outside he place and that's why she was getting about 1/3 of the speed she paid for.