Getting some very varied speedtest results

[PuncH]

As subject really my good people of IDNetters...

Since switching to ADSL2+ I've been frantically doing speedtests on all sorts of sites!

BT's speedtest has given me results of 5000kbps (this evening) right up to 14500kbps but is normally around 11000kpbs

Thinkbroadbands is pretty much the same and I'm wondering if this is now a normal feature of of being on ADSL2+ or should I be seeing something more stable, bearing in mind I'm only 3 days into the 10 day training period (and my router has been off all day because of the threat of thunderstorms).

[Sebby]

It depends. If you're losing sync, and in consequence, your profile keeps changing, then you should expect fluctuating speeds (if this is the case, though, we'll need to help you get things stabilised).

If you're holding sync pretty well and your profile is okay, you shouldn't be seeing such wild fluctuation. Most probably, the cause is exchange congestion.

Do you have any of the results from the BT speed tester?

[PuncH]

It depends. If you're losing sync, and in consequence, your profile keeps changing, then you should expect fluctuating speeds (if this is the case, though, we'll need to help you get things stabilised).

If you're holding sync pretty well and your profile is okay, you shouldn't be seeing such wild fluctuation. Most probably, the cause is exchange congestion.

Do you have any of the results from the BT speed tester?

Hiya Sebby,

I seem to be syncing fin3 and I think I've only lost sync two or three times since the upgrade (two on Sat and once on Sun). I'm now syncing at 19438 with a noise margin of 9db (or thereabouts).

I haven't got any of the previous BT speedtests (apart from ones I've posted on these forums).

Perhaps I'm looking into things a bit too much...9 times out of ten I'd say I get between 11500kbps - 13000kbps and occasionally it'll drop as "low" as 5700kbps.

[Sebby]

Assuming the profile has always been correct, you certainly shouldn't be seeing results of, say, 5.7Mb. It sounds like exchange congestion (something we're no doubt going to see much more of as people start to sync higher with ADSL2+) but it's worth letting IDNet know.

[Steve]

Sebby. Can you explain please why you feel exchange congestion is going to be a more frequent occurrence with ADSL2+?

From my own perspective if you are correct and I am not doubting you at all, a higher sync with relatively low throughput doesn't seem a great leap forward,so why should people signup for a technology that doesn't deliver apart from more generous data allowances and upload speeds.

[Sebby]

My thought is that if people start sync'ing higher, it means they're going to be able to download faster, which is going to use up more of the bandwidth that they exchange can cope with. I'm sorry, but I just don't see BT investing adequately.

[Steve]

I suppose much will depend on whether peoples' pattern of internet usage changes .I suspect naturally if you've got the extra bandwidth you'll want to use and not perversely help BT by opting for the same usage pattern you had on ADSL and thus since your data travels quicker you actually free up bandwidth whilst your connection is inactive.

[Lance]

BTs problem is things like hi def film downloads and iplayer, both of which are going to place strain on the network and grow over the next year or so.

[Simon]

Yes, the words 'forward' and 'planning' don't seem to feature in BTs vocabulary. 

[Rik]

Plus, of course, the extra frequencies that ADSL2+ uses are going to be more prone to noise pickup, crosstalk and errors. The final part of the equation is that more people are going to be running more speed tests right now. My own view is keep it down to one a day, preferably a BT one, and just enjoy the extra speed without worrying about it too much. Everything is going to be in a state of flux for a while yet.