Sudden drop in speeds overnight

[Halfmad]

Hi folks,

Just curious, we upgraded to ADSL2+ back in may, all was working great with amazing speeds (see sig!) until last night, when we lost the internet overnight and this morning our speed has taken a bit of a nose dive.

Any ideas? Router is into the master socket etc. BT speedtest shows this:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
   Your DSL connection rate: 6652 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  944 kbps(UP-STREAM)
   IP profile for your line is - 5500 kbps
   Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 5132 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP.

Also getting this on the speedtest.net:



I wouldn't mind it dropping a bit after a week of setting the limit, but it's a hell of a drop after over two months of use.

[Rik]

Have you looked at your line stats, what speed are you syncing at? Can you run a BT test to establish your profile please?

[rireed3]

He's put the BT test in, Rik.

[Halfmad]

Hi Rik:

BT speedtest:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 6652 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  944 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 5500 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 5132 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP.

Not sure what you mean by syncing but off my router:

                             downstream/upstream
Data Rate(Kbps)      6654/945
Noise margin (dB)     16.8/5.5
Output power (dBm) 12.4/20.7         
Attenuation (dB)      37.5/19.5

It's hardly the end of the world if there's nothing that can be done - we mainly went to ADSL2+ as I kept going over quota   

[Rik]

I knew I needed an eye test, Richard, thanks.

Your speeds are spot on for the current sync, Halfmad. It looks like your target noise margin has been pushed up to 15db by BT, dropping your speed in the process. Even so, it shouldn't account for such a big drop. Is there anything in the router's log to give a clue as to what happened? If not, I'd suggest you contact support and get your line tested.

[Halfmad]

Cheers Rik - nothing in the router logs but I've got a feeling the logs got wiped when the other half turned the damn thing off this morning in her attempt to fix it  Will chase up BT at some point see what they say - it's still a lot faster than the previous ISPs we've had so keep up the good work 

[Rik]

It's IDNet you need to talk to, BT don't know you exist.

[axys]

Since the shutdown last night my download speed has dropped from 7-8Mbps to 800kbps, although my upload has remained fairly constant at 900kbps. I've rebooted the Netgear dg834 (V5.01.09) and the computer (Mac) but its made no difference. The router say its synced at 9032 kbps/1116 kbps with line attenuation (up) 39.0 db and noise margin (up) of 8.1db. Can anyone offer help on how to improve things? Generally my speed is consistent and rock solid, slightly less so since moving to adsl2, when only my upload speed improved by any margin.

[Simon]

Given this was a BT exchange issue, my guess is that anyone still affected will need to contact IDNet in the morning. 

[Rik]

Since the shutdown last night my download speed has dropped from 7-8Mbps to 800kbps, although my upload has remained fairly constant at 900kbps. I've rebooted the Netgear dg834 (V5.01.09) and the computer (Mac) but its made no difference. The router say its synced at 9032 kbps/1116 kbps with line attenuation (up) 39.0 db and noise margin (up) of 8.1db. Can anyone offer help on how to improve things? Generally my speed is consistent and rock solid, slightly less so since moving to adsl2, when only my upload speed improved by any margin.

What's your sync speed like? What does a BT speed test give for your profile?

[axys]

Its improved overnight but still lagging -

Your DSL connection rate: 9032 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  1116 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 7150 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 4588 kbps

[Rik]

If it doesn't improve in the next 24 hours, let support know. The BT test is the critical one for them. Currently, your profile is too low for your sync speed, so the line has been unstable.

[axys]

Thanks Rik, even though I don't understand the techy bits - I'll give them a call tomorrow.

[Rik]

0800 701 2000 until 6pm.

[bridgej]

I've noticed a slowness over the last couple of days. A week or so ago, James at Idnet did something to my account and my speed jumped from 2.4MB to over 3MB, (the connection rate went up to 4200kbps) but now I am back where I started. I just did a BT line test with the following results:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 3403 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  882 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 2500 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 957 kbps

My router is plugged directly into the test socket (via a micro filter) on the master socket with only a normal dect phone connected via the other socket on the micro filter.

Are these figures what I should expect? The IP profile seems to have gone down too, it was 3500kbps I seem to recall

[Rik]

You're 20k short of achieving the next profile band, but that wouldn't help much given that throughput figure. Xan you post the downstream and upstream noise margins and attenuation from the router please?

[bridgej]

ADSL Link                      Downstream     Upstream
Connection Speed    3403 kbps             883 kbps
Line Attenuation            49.5 db            29.4 db
Noise Margin             15.5 db             5.4 db

[Rik]

Your noise margin has been pushed up to 15db. Assuming you started at the normal target of 6db, you've lost about 2M of speed because of that. It suggests your line is noisy, in ADSL terms. Try a quiet line test, dial 17070 and select option 2. If you hear anything other than a faint hiss or hum, report a voice fault to your phone provider but don't mention ADSL.

[bridgej]

Tried the 17070 and line is absolutely dead quiet, no hiss or hum.

All these increased noise values etc started as soon as I switched to ADSL2+.

All the hype of ADSL2+ bringing better broadband speeds, not as far as I have experienced so far.

Wish I hadn't bothered switching over to ADSL2+ now, a complete waste of £12.50 or whatever it was and worse connection speeds.

IMO,  WBC = WHAT BL***Y C**P

[Rik]

To be honest, I think anyone with a sync of under about 4.5M will get nothing from WBC except extra bandwidth and, in the worst cases, grief. It's certainly nowhere near as stable as Max for me.

[axys]

0800 701 2000 until 6pm.

Its gone from irritating to full blown throw Mac out of the window rage ... last few days flat out at 2-300k! I'm assured by Simon that the "specialist team with BT are investigating these cases for us". My upload speed is presently 3x my download! What's even more irritating is the BT speed tester - does this thing EVER work? All I ever get is 'Error'.

[coreservers]

I love this BT specialist teams are investigating c**P. that's what they tell th isp's but in reality they'll do nothing. What we should be doing is mailing ian livingstone directly. it'll soon get dealt with then.

IDnet really need to start putting a disclaimer on orders too, regarding WBC, until such a time that it's stable and a workable product, but I see that as very far off, as far a BT are concerned. they already have a working product. And their internal market wont allow for mass spending on improvements

[Rik]

Though they have admitted a software fault and are currently upgrading nodes.

[coreservers]

Was unaware of that Rik. there is some hope then. all hail BT   

[Rik]

I wouldn't hope too hard - it takes them three hours to do it, during which time all WBC connections are down. 

[coreservers]

no change for me then. 

[Glenn]

I wouldn't hope too hard - it takes them three hours to do it, during which time all WBC connections are down. 

You would think that their Change Management teams could coordinate the upgrades quicker, there must be a lot of small/medium sized companies that use WBC for their internet connection.

[Rik]

There must, Glenn. To my mind it's a statement of how BT view their customers. A bit like BR managers of old who complained that a railway would be easier to run if it wasn't for the passengers.

[axys]

I love this BT specialist teams are investigating c**P. that's what they tell th isp's but in reality they'll do nothing. What we should be doing is mailing ian livingstone directly. it'll soon get dealt with then.

IDnet really need to start putting a disclaimer on orders too, regarding WBC, until such a time that it's stable and a workable product, but I see that as very far off, as far a BT are concerned. they already have a working product. And their internal market wont allow for mass spending on improvements

So how long will this 'investigation' take do you think? I've had 12 days of rubbish (and yes it is logged with idnet) and am now officially v annoyed. Still, looking on the bright side, the BT tester worked for me for the first time in a week, to tell me how rubbish my speed was ... (and that's an improvement on the 2-300k I have been getting).

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 10610 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  1141 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 9000 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 833 kbps

[Rik]

BT's 'cure' is supposed to be complete by 6pm. Some people have reported improvements, but we're all really in a wait and watch situation. We do know that it's not an IDNet problem as David migrated to AAISP, and they haven't been able to get any improvement either.

[coreservers]

well it aint worked, whatever they did or didnt do. It was all going so well, but in the past hour my router has re-sync-ed 4 times. stnc rate has dropped from 7965 to the below, snr is fine, so why all the re-syncs

Connection Speed 6390 kbps 760 kbps
Line Attenuation 40.5 db 19.0 db
Noise Margin 9.8 db 7.7 db

[rireed3]

That'll be the crosstalk you caught on phone conversation last week, not related to the 'cure' for throughput capacity.

Edit: Can you try to catch it with RouterStats or something?  They clearly didn't fix it, but you have to convince them, and intermittents are the devil.

[coreservers]

they supposedly fixed the line last Friday, as we've not had any crosstalk since, btu it's now dying rapidly, re-synced 5 times in last 10 minutes

6390 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  760 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 5500 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1518 kbps

woo hoo 1.5mb

[rireed3]

You beat my edit.

The crosstalk (or maybe multiple voice faults) is (are) intermittent.  You have to

• catch it again (RouterStats or something)
• convince the voice-fault support to really fix it again...and again...

[rireed3]

I was 'speeding along' for a couple of days:



Now I'm back to the slow lane:



same sync:

Uptime:   12 days, 14:06:53
DSL Type:   G.992.5 annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]:   1.216 / 19.247
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]:   12,5 / 24,5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]:   7,0 / 4,5

[rireed3]

btu it's now dying rapidly, re-synced 5 times in last 10 minutes

If it's that often, you could probably catch it just by noticing the router lights syncing and picking up the phone.

[Sebby]

You beat my edit.

The crosstalk (or maybe multiple voice faults) is (are) intermittent.  You have to

• catch it again (RouterStats or something)
• convince the voice-fault support to really fix it again...and again...