Broadband in Worksop - speed query

[L00b 441]

I'm fed up of sub-1Meg speeds (on 0.3Meg for a week now ), and am fully expecting to be given the usual techno-babble runaround by Plusnet: "not their fault", "nothing they can do", "too far from the exchange" (we're 3kms/2 miles in a straight line according to SamKnows), yadda-yadda-yadda. I'm ruling out any hardware/software/network issue in my house, my setup hasn't changed one bit, in any way, since we moved here, and we've been with Plusnet since before we moved here.

 

We used to get a steady 1.5Megs when we first moved here, about a year and half or so ago. Had that for at least 9 months or more. Then we had 3 or 4 unexplained major 'dips' (down to dial-up speeds ) since late 2010, and never recovered the original speed, never mind reaching the dizzy heights of 2 Megs or more

 

In the past 2-3 months, it's been steady enough at about 1Meg. And now we're here again, since last Monday: down to 0.33 down, 0.38 up, pings of 42 to 57ms :rant:

 

So -rant temporarily over- a quick query for any fellow forummers nearby: is anyone in Gateford (Worksop North) getting a 'good' broadband speed (2Megs or more)? Which provider are you with, please?

Edited March 11, 2011 by L00b

[Gluggy 10]

Cant help with the location but personally if the connection speed has dropped off by such a large / is intermittent i'd be contacting Plusnet and BT to log a fault on the line. On the flip-side i'm pretty sure Plusnet have some pretty heavy traffic management in place, is it worth testing at different times of the day or late a night just in case this has some bearing on things?

[L00b 441]

Cant help with the location but personally if the connection speed has dropped off by such a large / is intermittent i'd be contacting Plusnet and BT to log a fault on the line.

Done that every time, sick and fed up of being told to move the router to the master socket and leave it for 2 days (I use an extension, the same since day one, never been an issue at all) before anything else gets done/progressed. As I posted, it's not the first time it's happened, it's not the first time I've had Plusnet look into it, and I don't ever change my setup (no need to), so I know the problem is not in the house/internal

is it worth testing at different times of the day or late a night just in case this has some bearing on things?

It's a permanent drop. My Mrs has been using it during the day, and I had her do speed tests AM and PM all week, and it's no better.

 

At this stage I'm pretty certain it's down to the BT/ISP hardware (LLU/not LLU?), and wondering whether some other provider has some 'better tech in the box' achieving better speeds locally, but there's no easy way to find out, short of conducting a estate-wide door-to-door survey.

Edited March 11, 2011 by L00b

[Gluggy 10]

My bad, was still on 1st cup of coffee when posting and must have misread some of your post lol.

 

Could be barking up the wrong tree and realise you've spoken to Plusnet but is it possible to get any detailed connection / line info from the router that could eliminate the line being at fault? If not and sorry if you've already done this but what about contacting your phone provider and getting them to test it? If there is some sort of fault or excessive noise that could easily explain the very low speeds, assuming Plusnet haven't changed anything at the exchange its probably one of the most likely scenarios.

[L00b 441]

I wasn't getting mad at you at all, Gluggy, sorry if I cam across that way

Could be barking up the wrong tree and realise you've spoken to Plusnet but is it possible to get any detailed connection / line info from the router that could eliminate the line being at fault?

Nothing more than what I can get from IPconfig and tracert output, I think.

 

The router is a Thomson affair provided by Plusnet, which I have never touched/updated/amended/setup/etc. ever. Not ever once gone into settings at all, either: I just plugged it in such as it arrived (replacement unit, about a year ago), and left it to do its thing ever since.

 

Lights up normal, green LEDS all around as usual, doesn't seem anything wrong with it at all. Plusnet may have to connect to it and find out what's what, but I highly doubt that's it, as we've had low speeds then back to normal with that router (again, never doing anything to it, and Plusnet have previously connected to it to check it).

If not and sorry if you've already done this but what about contacting your phone provider and getting them to test it?

We get BB and phone from Plusnet

If there is some sort of fault or excessive noise that could easily explain the very low speeds, assuming Plusnet haven't changed anything at the exchange its probably one of the most likely scenarios.

Well, one thing I haven't thought about, is the ADSL filters. Do these ever break down? (no change to them, none's been knocked or unplugged/replugged).

[rich951 10]

Well, one thing I haven't thought about, is the ADSL filters. Do these ever break down? (no change to them, none's been knocked or unplugged/replugged).

 

I was surprised when I first heard about it, but yes they can degrade over time, especially if they aren't great quality to start with.

[L00b 441]

I'm using D-Link filters (2), they're about 3 years old (tops).

 

EDIT -

 

It's just hit me: there has been a change to my setup. I've plugged in our new TV to the web (router), via powerline adapters.

 

But that was a good 2 months ago, and it's not changed the connection speed (1MB) earlier on. And the 0.3MB pull-down seems permanent, as the connection speed is the same even when the TV and the Powerline adapters are switched off (completely, at the mains). So, can't be that either

Edited March 11, 2011 by L00b

[orbrey 10]

Hi L00b,

 

Happy to take a look and give the fault a nudge if you like (and are happy to drop me a PM with your username or a ticket number)?

[L00b 441]

Thanks for being pro-active about it, orbrey. PM'd you.

 

No change this morning: 41ms ping, 0.31MB down, 0.33MB up.

[L00b 441]

So, having jumped through the usual hoops yet again, the problem -I am told- is my extension line (socket > ext > router). Apparently it increases the "line error ratio" or somesuch. Obviously, to the extent of dropping my QoS by 3/4 (1,5MB > 0.3MB). Yeah.

 

100% as I expected to be told, as soon as I would mention the word 'extension line' to the Plusnet techies (it's like a magic get-out-of-jail card for Plusnet: it's not as if I hadn't heard that one before, everytime I have been onto them for connection speed problems).

 

Even though (i) I installed the extension, brand new, when we moved in about 2 years ago, (ii) there has been positively-absolutely-definitely NO instance where it could have been kinked, bent or otherwise damaged in any way since (it runs along ceiling coving, not in any traffic/impact area, with bags of clearance all the way round) and (iii) I was enjoying max speeds (1.5MB and slightly above at times) when connected through it without any problems, for months on end between "speed-dropping" episodes, lastly until 2 weeks ago when the speed unexpectedly fell off a cliff yet again.

 

God forbid it could have anything to do with Plusnet or BT instead

 

I've just about had it, I'll be canvassing the estate/neighbours this weekend and find out which ISP provides the best QoS here. Plusnet, prepare to be given the boot.

Edited March 16, 2011 by L00b

[Ivor&Mel 10]

I'm 2.5KM from my exchange and was getting between 2 and 2.5Mbps while I was with Plusnet - who kept telling me that that was the max speed I could expect. But I moved to Andrews & Arnold a year ago, and I've been consistently getting 4-4.5Mbps...

 

A&A are not cheap, but they know what they are doing, know how to get on BT's back about any problems, and will take the trouble to make sure you get the best possible speed. The main reason I moved to A&A was because their off-peak hours are 6pm-9am (plus all day Sat and Sun), and that's when I have most online activity; the speed increase was certainly an unexpected bonus after what Plusnet kept telling me!

[orbrey 10]

Really sorry I've been so long coming back to you, I can see the comments about the extension cord though it does seem to have improved things - I can see your sync is up to 1600 and now above the fault threshold rate.

 

I realise this may not prevent you from moving away but it might be worth resetting the SNR on the line and allowing it to retrain and reset its default values. Based on the current sync rate it'd bump the default profile up from 1000 to 1250 - not much of an increase, but it is one at least.

 

Just a thought, and it only takes an hour or so to kick in so is still worth trying even if you are set on moving away.

 

Hope that helps.