This tip is designed for increased BROADBAND speed in Windows XP while using standard Network Interface cards (NIC) that are connected to ADSL modems, or when using any directly-connected USB ADSL modem.

To speed up the Internet connection speed we need to configure a special buffer in the computer's memory in order to enable it to better deal with interrupts made from the NIC or the USB modem.

This tip is only recommended if you have 256MB RAM or higher.

Step #1 - Identify the IRQ used by the NIC/USB modem

Follow these steps:

1. Open the System Information tool by running MSINFO32.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand System Summary > Hardware Resources > IRQs.

3. Look for the listing made for your NIC (in my case - a Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter). Note the IRQ next to the specified line (in my case - IRQ21).

In case of USB modems you will first need to find the right USB device used by your modem. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager tool by running DEVMGMT.MSC from the Run command (or by right-clicking My Computer > Hardware tab > Device Manager button).

2. Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it.

3. Right-click the USB Root Hub and select Properties. Note that you might need to do so for all listed USB Root hubs (if there are more than one) in order to find the right one.

4. In the Power tab, look for your USB ADSL modem.

5. In the Resources tab look for the assigned IRQ (in this case - IRQ21).

6. This is the IRQ we're looking for.

Lamer note: IRQs and modem names might vary...

Step #2 - Modify the system.ini file

Follow these steps:

1. Run SYSEDIT.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand the system.ini file window.

3. Scroll down almost to the end of the file till you find a line called [386enh].

4. Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type IrqX=4096

where X is the designated IRQ number we found in step #1, in my case it's IRQ21.

Note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE!!!

5. Click on the File menu, then choose Save.

6. Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer.

Done. Speed improvement will be noticed after the computer reboots.

Update: The most speed improvement is visible with USB A/DSL modems, however there are reports that this tweak also does good for regular NICs. In any case, it won't harm your system, so why not try it yourself and let me know what you find.

It was not that long ago when it took longer to dial-up your Internet connection than it did to read your email. With the growth in broadband high speed Internet, you do not have to wait for a connection because the Internet is always on.

At its onset, broadband high speed Internet was offered by very few companies and was out of the price range for the average user - only used only by large corporations and few gadget geeks who could afford it.

Soon, several companies were jumping onto the broadband high speed Internet bandwagon, increasing competition and driving prices down to be affordable for just about everyone. It proved to be the quickest way for companies to network their different locations. In addition, as new lines were installed, it increased availability and allowed people to be on line, just about, all the time.

Broadband High Speed Internet Keeps You Going

It was not that long ago when it took longer to dial-up your Internet connection than it did to read your email. With the growth in broadband high speed Internet, you do not have to wait for a connection because the Internet is always on.

At its onset, broadband high speed Internet was offered by very few companies and was out of the price range for the average user - only used only by large corporations and few gadget geeks who could afford it.

Soon, several companies were jumping onto the broadband high speed Internet bandwagon, increasing competition and driving prices down to be affordable for just about everyone. It proved to be the quickest way for companies to network their different locations. In addition, as new lines were installed, it increased availability and allowed people to be on line, just about, all the time.

Speed Difference is in the Bandwidth

To better understand how broadband high speed Internet works, think of it is as the flow of information through a funnel. Imagine a funnel with a four inch mouth and a quarter of an inch on the end. As information enters the funnel it flows freely but as it approaches the end, it gets compacted and slows down considerably. Imagine now, a funnel that is more like a cylinder. Four inches at the top and four inches at the end. Information comes out at the same speed in which it went in.

This is similar to information flowing through a broadband high speed Internet connection. There is little to slow it down except for the receiving capabilities of the computer. Broadband connections do not just allow for faster transfer of data, but also different data flowing to different points at the same time.

Direct Subscriber Lines (DSL) allow the line to be used for voice communications (telephone) and Internet access simultaneously, ending the need for a second phone line if you spend a lot of time on the Internet. With broadband high speed Internet you can also download movies and music about 100 times faster than was available through a dial-up service.

It has proven more reliable, as well, because telephone lines were subject to interference and "noise" if the line was older and cause the Internet connection to be lost. With broadband high speed Internet it is rare for the connection to be disrupted or fail to connect due to the fact the computer can always be on line.