Slow download only on Youtube
jmcr215
Enthusiast - Level 1

For the past several days, Youtube videos have downloaded extremely slow.  I have a 25/15 Fios connection and speed test shows both downloading and uploading nearly maxed out.  All other websites, including videos, work fine.  Problems occur on my wireless laptop/desktop and wired blu-ray player (with Youtube app).  I am in southwest PA.  Anyone else in the area having these issues?  I never had problems with Youtube until this week. 

Re: Slow download only on Youtube
Robachel
Enthusiast - Level 1

Yeah this has been happening to me as well.  If you do a search online you'll find it's happening to other people.  So, I'm not sure if it has to do with Verizon or not.  

Re: Slow download only on Youtube
baitandswitch99
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have FIOS Internet (10/2) and I've been seeing serious issues with video streaming slowness since yesterday  (2Feb2011) too

I've been playing youtube videos fine for about 2 years.. and then suddenly starting yesterday (2Feb2011) Youtube videos started stuttering.. Obviously, when I called Verizon they say it's a youtube problem, since their speed test shows up OK, but the thing is I have another provider from the same location, and youtube still plays up fine.. And I also noticed slowness/stuttering/high frequency buffering with online NBC TV streaming videos too..

I also tested my speed at http://www.youtube.com/my_speed and I can clearly see that my streaming speed is being throttled every 5 secs or so.. see this video for instructions on how to test your speed on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_5XNt_8O_o

So, obviously Verizon is doing something really fishy here to throttle video streaming speeds, similar to how they admitted/announced that they'll be throttling data speeds for high usage customers on their wireless plans - http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/03/technology/verizon_data_cap/index.htm

Poor FIOS customers are left to getting bounced between Verizon customer service with hour long waits and youtube customer service who are able easily and demonstrate that there's nothing wrong on their end.. 

I'll perhaps wait for a week at most to see if this behavior continues, and will jump over to Comcast Xfinity, if this youtube slowness does continue..

Re: Slow download only on Youtube
Hubrisnxs
Legend

Looks like Verizon is not alone.  Cox users also are having trouble.

a VZ user at that forum rolled back his firmware and fixed the problem immediately, so maybe it's a bad firmware release?   IDK  but it's worth a shot.  

go in the router GUI under advanced and 'Firmware Restore'

Re: Slow download only on Youtube
Hubrisnxs
Legend

Also, try streaming from other sites too, if the other sites stream fine, and it's only youtube that is buffering, then that would point to a problem at the youtube end, no?

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Re: Slow download only on Youtube
baitandswitch99
Enthusiast - Level 2

@Hubrisnxs wrote:

Also, try streaming from other sites too, if the other sites stream fine, and it's only youtube that is buffering, then that would point to a problem at the youtube end, no?


This happens to me so far on nbc.com, pbs.org and youtube.com... so, it's beyond youtube.. certainly something that greedy verizon is doing.. after they charge me through the nose for a supposedly fast 10/2 connection

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Re: Slow download only on Youtube
Hubrisnxs
Legend

hm...  I wonder why I am not being throttled ?   

maybe you just have a legitimate technical issue?  

do you have a report in with Verizon?  

Re: Slow download only on Youtube
Victorwol
Enthusiast - Level 2
I have the same problem, as many peole, just do a google search about, butnis only with YouTube and FIOS, at my office, with the same laptop, same videos, they work fine, and at home they just don't even play, other streaming sites work perfectly.
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Re: Slow download only on Youtube
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

YouTube has been bad on and off ever since they turned on HD Streaming. While I can't fault them for occasional overloads at night, it would be nice to see them boost capacity to push out data at night rather than to put up with two week long night time slowdowns such as the one that ended two weeks ago. YouTube's been fine for me now, though I still get the occasional bad video server. Nothing a reload of the page doesn't fix though.

Re: Slow download only on Youtube
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

Unfortunatly (fortunatly?) its not really a Verizon issue. Many other ISP's are having the same issue. If you are not having problems with other sites and speedtests are showing that you are getting the speeds you are supposed to, thats the limit to what Verizon can do. They just provide the "onramp" to the internet freeway. What happens out there is beyond their control.