What are you referring to? Content downloads, game servers/matchmaking related stuff?
Steam has seen quite a number of large releases over the platform over the last few months, and the content servers have held up pretty well.
On the achievements front - interesting to note they are not...
Ahhh . . . there is an on-going issue with Comcast users not being able to connect to Steam which is currently being investigated.
You should try disconnecting your modem, and reconnecting it 3 minutes later.
I pretty much left home at 13! Went to boarding school . . . then on to third level and well, never really lived at home permanently since I was 13 now that I think of it!
It aint that bad, I love independence.:)
Ok, just thinking about this now (hindsight is great) - are we looking into this too much? . . . are we making a big deal over something which may be . . . well, nothing?