The i-things - Apple devices and software thread

[Khundon1975]

Just changed Broadband from good broadband to fibre optic, both talk talk, so just changed speed not supplier.
Strange thing is, before, on the previous BB, my wife could watch YouTube on her iPhone, my son could watch YouTube, on his iPad and I could work on my pc with no loss of speed or that little spinning wheel in the middle of the screen as things load.

Now, when they are both online, the system is slower and it seems that some sort of buffering is going on! as that little spinning wheel seems to appear a lot of the time and the videos take longer to load and sometimes will not load at all, if both are watching online at the same time.

Getting around 38mbps so speed of Internet is ok, just this anomaly when 2 or more online?
Any ideas?

[J.J.B.]

The Tin Hat brigade might say that your ISP is throttling back some services (because Edward Snowdon says we're all being watched!), which could be the case if you're a really heavy user, although it's more likely a 'contention ratio' issue. Your connection will be shared among a number of households and when they are all online - probably the same time as you and your family - your own speed will naturally be downgraded.

The less likely issue could be your own WiFi network. Assuming that you changed routers with the switchover in service your settings could have been affected. Your WiFi is probably capable of around 300MBps (n-speed) or higher if it's a newer 'ac' flavour but one of your devices might only be 'g'-rated (54Mbps) and it's unlikely you have any of the ancient 'b'-rated gear at only 11Mbps. It used to be, and may still be, that the WiFi operates at the speed of the lowest common denominator, so an older g-rated iPhone or computer could be dragging everything else down with it.

If that's not the case then reposition the router in the house to get a better signal spread, move it away from solid or metal objects that could impede the signal. You can also change the channel of the WiFi and even see if your new router has a 5GHz network and if it is turned on. Common WiFi bands reside on the 2.4GHz frequency and this is used by baby monitors, local taxi firms, cordless phones and can even be impacted by microwaves apparently. The 5GHz frequency is supposedly more robust and not in competition with so many other forms of household interference.

Good luck!

[Khundon1975]

J.J.B.

Thanks for that.
Not sure about the "contention issue" as this started the same time as new router was connected.
As for older style equipment, iPhone and iPad are latest models, so cannot be that.

Have to get talk talk to look at router, as with the old one this never happened.

[PeteC]

This man, Graham Rogers, writes almost exclusively about Apple at the Bangkok Post. You can find his articles at the link. Pete

http://search.bangkokpost.com/search/re ... 0K.+Rogers

[Dannie Boy]

I've been having serious problems with my iPad 2 for a few months - sites closing and very slow to respond, such that I was seriously thinking of binning it and getting a new one (or something similar). Today I received a software update iOS 9.1 and low and behold after updating, it's now working like a star - thank you Apple.

[J.J.B.]

Don't forget to install some ad-blocking apps that should make web browsing even more zippy.

[Ratsima]

Apple fans are generally rather obsessive, it is more of a psychological disorder than a genuine need for new hardware.

As a Apple stockholder, I'm hoping the obsessive behavior continues. Personally, I'm quite happy with the iPhone 4 I inherited from my wife several years ago….

I take it back. I just got an iPhone 6s. It is, by far, the best computing device I've ever owned.

[Big Boy]

Apple fans are generally rather obsessive, it is more of a psychological disorder than a genuine need for new hardware.

As a Apple stockholder, I'm hoping the obsessive behavior continues. Personally, I'm quite happy with the iPhone 4 I inherited from my wife several years ago….

I take it back. I just got an iPhone 6s. It is, by far, the best computing device I've ever owned.

Personally, I would never want to own an Apple device, and would never buy one. However, each to their own - you probably feel the same about the Samsung/HP/Dell stuff I own.

I am intrigued by your statement though. I would never buy a phone for anything more than browsing, e-mails etc - you know what I mean, the simple stuff. Without going into detail, what type of computing are you doing on your new phone?

[Ratsima]

Why do you think that "browsing, e-mails etc" are not computing?

Or, do you understand that they are?

[Big Boy]

Yes, I understand that browsing is part of computing, but I was intrigued by the statement, "Best computing device I've ever owned." I had visions of you running something marvellous from your phone that the rest of us needed a huge mainframe for.

Thank you for your fast response.

[Ratsima]

Right now I'm concentrating on writing software for an old Raspberry Pi running Raspbian. I'm slowly porting the webcam software I wrote for my Mac to the Debian environment. Turns out to be easier than I thought. I guess that's the sort of computing you had in mind.

For me, the iPhone is simply a computer-based appliance that is a wonderful tool for getting things done. I think Apple has done a wonderful job here.

I spent most of my adult life writing software for the US government on DOS and Windoze machines. For home use, I've mostly stuck to Apple for the last 30+ years.

That said, I try not to confuse preference with prejudice.

[Big Boy]

LOL - I thought Apple had come up with a world changing product.

Seriously, I have several friends who swear by Apple, and always have to have the latest model. They boast about how powerful their new toy is. I ask them what they do with their latest phone that they couldn't do with their previous model, and there is a deadly silence.

I used to have a top of the range Samsung, but when I worked out what I need/use the phone for, I downgraded when it died because I could get everything I needed for a third of the price. I was apprehensive at first, but my new phone is brilliant.

IMHO all of these smart phones are brilliant - Apple or Android. I've never seen anybody that uses them to their full potential.

[hhfarang]

I use android and the missus uses apple (on two devices). She has a lot more trouble with her phone and tablet than I do with my phone and finds things difficult to do that are easy on my android... but she would never give up her Iphone! I think it's a status symbol.

Ratsima, please write some software to allow Netflix and Dish programming to stream to Ubuntu! Currently they only support Windows, Apple, and Android (which I understand is based on Linux).

Sorry,

[J.J.B.]

This is meant to be the i-things thread and has turned into another place for people who have an Apple phobia to come and take a pop; get back to your android thread!

If you've never owned an Apple device, you have no place here and nothing constructive to offer.

I'm with Ratisma.

I can enjoy my media through Plex, view my CCTV and administer my security systems on my houses in Thailand and the UK, buy my rail ticket, do all my banking and finances including checking the best rates before transferring or just paying the window cleaner; I've not been into my bank for over three years. I'm currently buying and selling cars and plenty more besides with eBay, Amazon and autotrader. I'm keeping up with friends and colleagues, posting to my network and updating three websites (not to mention pestering this one). I can track flights to see when I need to leave for the airport, see which airport lounge is closest to me, book taxis based on my location, see where my nearest and dearest are so I know when to stick the kettle on before they get home or know which direction to head to meet them when we're out and about. My lights come on when I approach the house and go off when I leave, I can set all of them to different brightness settings and any one of 16 million colours to match a photograph or flash like a disco when my teenage daughter is bopping with her friends. The iPhone 6 is a pretty slick device with an interface and ecosystem that works for me.

I'm not saying any of this couldn't be done with another OS device but I'm not knocking them either.

[Phyton]

I am a IT-guy. Apple for me is North Korea of the IT. Everytime Apple doing his own thing. Support Standards - not for Apple. USB is developed from Devil. I fight in the 90ths with Macs to bring them in the net with Novell-Servers. I hate Appletalk, this stupid protocoll.

From this time i swear " No iShit for me, never!!"

:-)