How to make YouTube load faster?

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 5 Aug 2010 11:37 am

For some reason, my "new" Windows XP computer loads YouTube really slow, so slow that most times I leave and let it load and come back to it. My old one was much faster, it's the same DSL line and all, so it's got to be some filter setting somewhere. YouTube doesn't know anything...

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 5 Aug 2010 1:16 pm

Maybe your new XP PC has the wrong MaxMTU settings for the TCP/IP stack. The MaxMTU should be set to 1492 for DSL and 1500 for cable Internet.

Or, could be your NIC not transferring data at the expected speed. Or, the phone wire feeding the modem could be crimped, or loose in a jack. Or, your security programs may be watching the TCP/IP layer for hostile activity, slowing down your throughput. Or, there may be a bad connection at the POS box, or on the pole.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 5 Aug 2010 2:37 pm

I'm running 64 bit Windows 7 and have consistent 30Mbit/sec downloads. From what I've read, Windows 7 auto-adjusts the MaxMTU, but still almost every YouTube video I try to watch stalls and stutters, unless I pause it and wait for the whole thing to load before watching it.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 5 Aug 2010 3:35 pm

Did you Google "dsl speed test" and see what you get?

Ron Holmes · Post by **Ron Holmes** » 7 Aug 2010 9:44 am

YouTube seems to be adding more graphics to the pages as my loading speed is also slowing down. I still use XP and most of the time I am sitting at about 11 meg/bit speed on my line but things still load and play slow.

I did a search in the support area on YouTube some time back and came across a suggestion if the play back freezes...

1. When your video starts loading just stop it.

2. Using your mouse, click the URL address bar to highlight the page address.

3. Press your "Right" arrow key to place the cursor at the right end of the URL address.

4. With the cursor blinking at the right end of the address, type the following:

&fmt=5

Do not put a space after the last charactor in the original page URL address, just run everything together.

I understand this to use an older display format and the videos (At least 99% of them) play very smooth with no jerks, stutters or stops on my computer and it is only an 850 Mhz.

Now you all have to realize only one thing....
this is to be used to smooth out only the pedal steel videos, not all of the other garbage. For that stuff you will just have to put up with the stopage and stutters.

Actually ...... this &fmt=5 will work on all the videos....go and try it and I am sure it will fix your problem....I have to use it most of the time myself.

Ron

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David Beckner · Post by **David Beckner** » 3 Sep 2010 7:38 pm

How do you find the MAX MTU setting??

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 3 Sep 2010 9:25 pm

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/tweaks/4._MTU#695

where it says:

MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) will vary with connection type. Cable and non-PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol Over Ethernet) can use up to 1500.

The best value for MTU is that value just before your packets get fragmented. How do you find that out? By using Ping at a command prompt.

You go to a command prompt and enter this command:

ping -f -l 1472 www.dslreports.com

(That is a dash lower case "L," not a dash "1". Also note the spaces in between the sections.)

Press Enter and let the ping command run. If you get an error "packet needs to be defragmented", reduce 1472 by 10 and repeat the command until you no longer get the "packet needs to be fragmented" error message. Then increase by 1 until you are 1 away from getting the "packet need to be fragmented" message again.

Add 28 more to this (since you specified ping packet size, not including IP/ICMP header of 28 bytes), and this is your MaxMTU.

If you can ping through with the number at 1472, you are done! Stop right there. Add 28 and your MaxMTU is 1500.

I passed with the command at 1472 without getting the fragmenting message.

The same link also gives instructions on changing MTU if needed.

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 4 Sep 2010 2:00 am

I tried the " &fmt=5 " trick with firefox 3.6.8, Win XP Home / SP3, on a fairly sluggish "MUNI" WIFI connection. Seems to work well. Is it my imagination? What exactly does " &fmt=5 " do? I am intrigued. And Thank You for the tip!

David Beckner · Post by **David Beckner** » 4 Sep 2010 9:45 am

sorry about the mix up guys - I was trying to speed up from dial- up

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 6 Sep 2010 12:32 am

QUOTE:
"Now you all have to realize only one thing....
this is to be used to smooth out only the pedal steel videos, not all of the other garbage."

I reflected on your comment above, and shortly afterwards experinced a profound epiphany.
If you pause a YOUTUBE video as soon as it starts, and highlight the page URL, then hit the space bar, it will remedy problems associated with most b@njo clips.