Download speeds

macshac · Mar 16, 2007, 21:24:10

I joined idnet on 14/03/2007.
My download speed first two days was 2.9mb.I am 3KM from the exchange but now my speed has dropped to 1.4MB. I E mailed support and they said have to wait 10 days for line to settle down.
I can accept that but my real question is When I first got broadband from BT in July last year my speed ran at 3.9MB which dropped in Nov to 2.7MB Dec I lost all broadband for a week.
BT got me back on after new year when I ran at 2,7MB until Feb21st then dropped to 1.4MB.
Needlesss to say I left BT because of the unstable service and poor support.
They refused to accept there was anything wrong with my line.
Now the same thing is happening on idnet.
I am on the Max service.
Any comments most appreciated?

Rik · Mar 16, 2007, 23:45:00

It does sound like your profile has been driven down by an unstable line. This would affect any ISP, which uses a BT IPstream product, you were with. Check the sticky here, and post your line stats, then we might be able to give you some clues.

macshac · Mar 17, 2007, 09:39:02

Hi Rik
connection speed 1280Kbps Downstream 448Kbps Upstream
Line Attenuation 52db 5.5db
noise margin 11db 18db
Last night was
3424Kbps 448Kbps
52db 15.5db
4db 18db
I am using a Netgear DG834V2 router and XP Pro
The speedtester reported .969 Kbps download
The phone number tester reported ADSL Max greater than 1.5Mbps
Hope this makes some sense double dutch to me but I still think there is a line fault who at BT wholesale could I complain to?

Rik · Mar 17, 2007, 09:51:45

Given those figures, which are marginally better than mine, you should be seeing a throughput in the region of 2800kbps. How long have you been getting the low speeds? My guess, from your 12db noise margin (the Netgear habitually reports the figure a bit lower over time, it also halves the d/s attenuation, which will be 31db in your case) is that the line has been unstable and the DLM has upped the margin to try an achieve stability.

If this has happened recently, and you have not maintained a stable connection for 3 days (your router logs will show you), then you will need to wait.

If it has gone on for 3 days or more, then carry out the BT speed test mentioned in the sticky, and report your figures to support together with the IP Profile which that test will tell you.

macshac · Mar 19, 2007, 09:51:17

Hi All
I took your advice and removed the ring wire from all my phone sockets on sunday am .
When I Logged on this morning the following are my stats:-
Connection speed 3040 upstream 448 downstream
Line attenuation 53db 15.5db
Noise margin 8db 21

It seems as though something has corrected the speed could this be Simons help or the removal of the ring wire?
Download speed 2456 download 448 Upstream

Rik · Mar 19, 2007, 10:26:22

Nothing that Simon can do, despite his amazing powers, will alter your line characteristics. It look like the ring wire trick has done the job for you... (Of course, Simon may just have twisted a few arms at BT to get some work done at the exchange I suppose.

)

Edit: I've added a graph of my router stats this morning, you can see clearly the big dips that I occasionally experience. With the extra 3db of headroom, I don't lose sync. At 6db I would.

[attachment deleted by admin]

macshac · Mar 19, 2007, 13:12:24

Hi Rikbean
Where did you get the router stats program looks good?

Lance · Mar 19, 2007, 13:35:19

You can download it here, macshac.

Rik · Mar 19, 2007, 14:26:44

I don't know, I stop to have a sandwich and load the computer into the back of a van, on its way back to Evesham, and you're in there beating me to the post.

Thanks, Lance - saves me digging out the URL (I'll add it to the stickies, I think).

macshac · Mar 19, 2007, 14:52:08

Thanks Lance
Although so far ,you have to be a computer scientist to configure it and as a silver surfer it may be beyond me Ill give it a go!!!!

Rik · Mar 19, 2007, 14:55:15

If you're not sure of anything, just yell. It should work pretty much 'out of the box' if you have a Netgear.

macshac · Mar 19, 2007, 15:17:19

Hi Rikbean
I have to say I am so grateful for the help I have received.
My download speed seems to be holding steady now at 2456 and I cannot believe it was so simple as taking out the ring wire.
I went through 30 E mails since Nov with the Indian connection etc.
and numerouse phone calls with the unstable line and at no point did anybody suggest your cure.
So!!!! well done Idnetters and its good to be on board

Lance · Mar 19, 2007, 15:24:46

I'm glad we could help you! The ring wire is such a simple thing to do, and can yield great benefits!

Lance · Mar 19, 2007, 15:25:17

Quote from: rikbean on Mar 19, 2007, 14:26:44
I don't know, I stop to have a sandwich and load the computer into the back of a van, on its way back to Evesham, and you're in there beating me to the post.

Thats got to be a first!

Rik · Mar 19, 2007, 15:27:40

I'll allow it just this once.

It was a good sandwich, followed by a good riddance too! Interesting, talking to the driver, he told me he's doing a lot of pickups lately and that Evesham's customer support has gone to pot... Can't argue there.

Rik · Mar 19, 2007, 15:29:54

Quote from: macshac on Mar 19, 2007, 15:17:19
I went through 30 E mails since Nov with the Indian connection etc.
and numerouse phone calls with the unstable line and at no point did anybody suggest your cure.
So!!!! well done Idnetters and its good to be on board

We're not script jockeys, you see, just users who have picked up some knowledge as we go. The ring wire is a pesky, anachronistic, hangover and should be removed from BT's wiring instructions, imo.

It's good to have you among us, I'm sure w'll have you into full fanboy mode shortly.

macshac · Mar 20, 2007, 09:49:09

Hi All
I have been running the router monitor and the line has dropped from 2.4 to 1.9 after a couple of days.
What is the rule of thumb re download speed to connection speed?

[attachment deleted by admin]

Rik · Mar 20, 2007, 10:20:27

See this sticky.

Your current sync speed would give you a profile of 1500kbps and throughput, on an optimised machine, of around 1350kbps.

macshac · Mar 20, 2007, 10:27:13

Hi Rikbean
Thanks for your reply.
It seems my line noise has become more stable since I moved the BT phone out of the master socket to the next socket down the line from the computers and routers.
Do hand held phones with base stations affect the master socket?
As I said before when I first had BT broadband I had a much faster download speed but since adsl Max it appears that I have dropped below the 2mb download speed.
Looks like I will have to live with that but at least with all your help it looks like my line is becoming more stable.

Rik · Mar 20, 2007, 10:43:20

Some brands of DECT phones do affect ADSL, but thankfully, they are few are far between. The placing of the phone's base station can be influential though, so it might be worth moving it around.

The weakest link in your connection is often the bit between BT socket and router, the quality of the cable can have a significant effect. For that reason, it's always better to keep that lead a short as possible and use longer ethernet cables, these can be up to 100m per segment, though I'd not recommend using that sort of length.

I find it puzzling that you should get a better result from a socket 'beyond' the master - what was plugged in, and where, at the time? The master is just the same as any socket on your wiring except that it has less cable between you and the exchange, only the test socket is 'special' in its behaviour.

If you previously had a fixed-rate 2Mbps connection, you might want to call support and get switched back to it. What is your current d/s attenuation and noise margin?

macshac · Mar 20, 2007, 11:06:48

Hi Rikbean
My stats are as follows:-
Connection speed 3776 D/stream 448 u/stream
Line attenuation 54db 5.5db
Noise margin 5db 18db
Is This ok?
I put a copy of my stats on the last post!!!
Sorry didnt answer your query I think of the phone extension in our bedroom as beyond the master my apologies for my terminology.
I live in a bungalow overlooking the sea at westward ho! in Devon the master socket is in the hall with an extension in master bedroom.
When I moved in I had an additional socket put in by BT in the computer room.
Hope this makes sense!!!

Rik · Mar 20, 2007, 11:14:18

Sorry, didn't realise the attachment was from Routerstats.

With that sync speed, you should be on a much higher profile. As it happens, your figures are more or less identical with mine, and I get a consistent 2500 profile (2400 throughput) with the occasional boost to a 3000 profile when the wind is in the right direction.

We do have one significant difference, though. I have had my target noise margin raised to 9db to stabilise the line. Your current profile suggests that your line has been unstable, and the result has been a lowering of the profile to reflect this. You may want to consider asking support to get your target margin raised.

Incidentally, for that attenuation, you should never have been given a 2Mbps fixed-rate connection, and probably wouldn't be able to get it now. BT sets the d/s attenuation limit for 2M at 43db.

Lance · Mar 20, 2007, 12:19:34

I wonder why BT don't/didn't make the default target 9db rather 6db. If they had done that when they first brought out MAX, I'm sure many people would have far more stable lines!

Rik · Mar 20, 2007, 12:23:21

Indeed they would, Lance, and perhaps peoples' expectations of Max would have been more realistic. However, I suspect there was someone in marketing who thought the higher speeds would look better and...

macshac · Mar 20, 2007, 21:31:03

Hi Rikbean
Can you explain why my noise margin has dropped to Zero is this because I have
no noise on my line?
My down load speed dropped to .967 again about 4 pm today .I have just logged on again and speed is back up to 1.9.
I seem to have a stable line but still fluctuating on download speed.
I have informed Simon and he has asked that I continue to monitor for a couple of days.
Probably to get to the 10 day watershed.
I must admit as a silver surfer I am getting close to giving up on the broadband experience