Windows XP & Limits on Internet Speed
Use of the Internet has greatly expanded since the Windows XP operating system came out in 2001. With fast Internet connections now widely available, and performance expectations much higher than they were years ago, it has become clear that the default configuration of Windows XP puts some limits on Internet speed.
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Importance
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With the use of the Internet shifting from sending emails and text documents to surfing multimedia websites, voice communication, and transferring of video files, any limitations on Internet speed caused by Windows XP are important. Reducing or eliminating these limitations can greatly improve the Internet speed of the affected computer.
Potential vs. Actual Internet Speed
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The limitations on Internet speed imposed by Windows XP become more important as the speed of the Internet connection increases. If you know the speed an Internet connection is rated for, you can get a rough idea of the impact of Windows XP's limitations by testing the actual speed of the connection. You can do this using any one of the Internet speed test websites online. By retesting the connection speed after changing Windows XP settings, you can check for speed improvements.
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Factors that Limit Internet Speed
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Leaving aside the speed of the Internet connection and modem, there are two factors that limit the Internet speed of any computer. One is the computer hardware. If a computer is very slow, it can slow down everything else.
The second factor is the operating system the computer is running, in this case Windows XP. Every operating system has to make compromises to meet competing performance goals. Compromises that made sense when the operating system was designed can become problems when circumstances change. The Windows XP Reserved Bandwidth Limit is this kind of limitation. All operating systems also have problems (bugs). Windows XP DNS cache problems fit into this category.
Reserved Bandwidth Limit
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To ensure adequate performance with multiple computers over limited Internet connections, Microsoft limited the amount of the Internet connection (the bandwidth) that any one computer could use at a time. Today, with much faster connections, this limit is not needed in most cases. Adjusting the Reserved Bandwidth Limit to allow the computer to reserve most or all of the available bandwidth can increase Internet performance.
DNS Cache Problems
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DNS is the Internet Domain Name Service. It translates human-readable Internet addresses into computer-readable ones and vice versa. To speed up access, Windows XP stores DNS information on your computer. Unfortunately, this information can sometimes become garbled or otherwise difficult to work with. This can result in slower Internet access instead of faster access. Clearing the DNS cache can sometimes increase Internet speed.
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