What's the difference between a modem and a router?
My ISP gave me a modem but then I bought a router and now I'm confused. Do I need both? Which one gives me internet — the modem or the router? When I have a problem should I restart the modem or the router? Can I get a device that does both? My mom keeps saying 'restart the internet' and pointing at different boxes.
Sign in to message the asker.
The best resource for this kind of thing is Tom's Hardware forums. Someone has almost certainly had your exact problem and posted a solution. The community there is really knowledgeable and helpful.
4 Answers
The best resource for this kind of thing is Tom's Hardware forums. Someone has almost certainly had your exact problem and posted a solution. The community there is really knowledgeable and helpful.
Check how much free space is on your hard drive. Windows needs at least 15% free to run well — it uses that space for virtual memory and the swap file. If your drive is 95% full, that alone will make everything crawl.
I'd post this on the Tom's Hardware or AnandTech forums with your full system specs — CPU, RAM, motherboard, the works. People can't really help without knowing what you've got. The more detail you give, the better the answers.
Definitely back up your important files before trying any fixes. I learned this the hard way when I lost 3 years of photos trying to fix a simple problem. Get an external hard drive or burn DVDs of your important stuff first.
This question is resolved and no longer accepting answers.