Congestion?

[davej99]

BT's Lack of Performance Tester tell me I now have a download speed of O.12 Mbps. Even for rural Scotland that is a touch on the low side. Meantime we endure BT's endless infinity advertising, which would be best spent on replacing the cocoa tins and string that is called BT's network in Scotland, which they say is within acceptable limits.

[davej99]

I wonder how long before BT declare it as a fault? The only currently declared BT fault is in N.Ireland.

Fault, what fault? "Performance is within acceptable limits."

[toad]

I can understand the frustration. I can also understand that BT/Openreach have a job trying to maintain/upgrade the network in the face of cable thieves and an archaic infrastructure. Most of the time I'm perfectly happy with my ADSL2+ service however what I am not happy with at all is the apparent lack of concern and dissemination of information by BT/Openreach. Customers should be given ample warning of the possibility of network problems if major works are going ahead. ISPs using the BT infrastructure should have an active and ongoing technical dialogue with BT so that this information is readily available. How long does it take for them to admit to a fault. Surely they have some kind of realtime monitoring equipment?!!

With regards to rural exchanges; what boggled my brain was the fact that for a lot of these exchanges, all the data and voice of entire communities is relayed across the hills via peer to peer microwave dishes! And there was me thinking each exchange had fibre or cable or something.

"Infinity", huh, yeah, that is about the length of time it will take until everyone benefits from it.

[caber]

All seems to be fine again for me.

>tracert bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to bbc.co.uk [212.58.241.131]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  home.gateway.home.gateway [192.168.1.254]
  2    25 ms    26 ms    26 ms  telehouse-gw4-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.98]
  3    25 ms    26 ms    26 ms  telehouse-gw6-gi3-401.idnet.net [212.69.63.182]

  4    25 ms    26 ms    25 ms  telehouse-gw5-gi4-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.245]

  5    26 ms    26 ms    26 ms  rt-lonap-a.thdo.bbc.co.uk [193.203.5.90]
  6     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  7    26 ms    26 ms    26 ms  ae1.er01.rbsov.bbc.co.uk [132.185.254.46]
  8    27 ms    27 ms    26 ms  132.185.255.60
  9    26 ms    26 ms    27 ms  212.58.241.131

Trace complete.

[scook94]

We're just got back from holiday yesterday and our connection has been atrocious. My IP Profile seems to have dropped from ~6Mbps to 1.75Mbps and since earlier this morning it's been virtually unusable. The BT Speedtester gave me download test of 0.05Mpbs!!! 

I though it was just me so I emailed support, but it seems to be too similar to what's being reported here to be a coincidence. Hopefully we'll get answers soon.

[toad]

All seems to be fine again for me.

At last, me too. Though I don't like counting chickens.....

[Lance]

We're just got back from holiday yesterday and our connection has been atrocious. My IP Profile seems to have dropped from ~6Mbps to 1.75Mbps and since earlier this morning it's been virtually unusable. The BT Speedtester gave me download test of 0.05Mpbs!!! 

I though it was just me so I emailed support, but it seems to be too similar to what's being reported here to be a coincidence. Hopefully we'll get answers soon.

I'm pretty sure it is a coincidence. A lower profile normally indicates a low sync event which is local to your line and/or exchange.

[scook94]

I'm pretty sure it is a coincidence. A lower profile normally indicates a low sync event which is local to your line and/or exchange.

Yeah, that's why I went to support first. The 0.05Mbps download speed seems to have resolved itself and I can get closer to what my current profile would suggest. I've asked Support if they can reset my profile so we'll see if that makes a difference, however the router seems to be reporting higher attenuation than I was seeing previously, so it's likely there may be a line issue somewhere between myself and the exchange (which will quite likely be a very painful process to resolve).

[davej99]

With regards to rural exchanges; what boggled my brain was the fact that for a lot of these exchanges, all the data and voice of entire communities is relayed across the hills via peer to peer microwave dishes! And there was me thinking each exchange had fibre or cable or something.

I'll have you know that is state of the art microwave technology, or it was when the rest of the UK had it installed in 1962, along with the Euston Road Post Office Tower, now decommissioned in favour of fibre.

A friend of mine, a computer engineer, was recently sent to a remote part of Skye, to deal with a very irate man who had bought a computer but it would not connect to the internet. My friend asked where the broadband connection was and the customer said he did not know if he had it. So he asked the man where the phone was. "That would be in Dunvegan," came the reply.

Meantime, the problem I did not have because my connection is "within acceptable limits" for a cocoa tin and string, seems to have gone away.

[andrue]

Got home and it seems my connection is underperforming. It's not time for its bi-monthly stupidity and the TBBQM graph doesn't look that either but it's not giving it's normal speeds either.

[Steve]

Well in the last 30 mins I can see 4 FTTC TBBQMs showing a small increase in max latency and evidence of packet loss.

[andrue]

Well in the last 30 mins I can see 4 FTTC TBBQMs showing a small increase in max latency and evidence of packet loss.

I've just powered my router off for 20 minutes and now things are back to normal. No idea if that's my 'normal' problem occurring outside of it's normal bi-monthly cycle or just that last night's glitch produced the same kind of symptoms.

[mervl]

  Just wondering: could the slight increase in latency between 4pm and 11pm be related to increased on-line activity generally now the clocks have gone back, on the assumption it takes us all about a week to adjust our behaviour and the nights draw in to the late afternoon? It doesn't look like I can compare with last years TBBQM, and probably it won't last anyway when we have other things to do . . . And with the rains followed by frost isn't it going to put the (weaker bits of) local physical infrastructure under a bit of (atmospheric) pressure?

[andrue]

Maybe but I'm not doing anything more in the evenings than I ever did. I'm seeing more latency and packet loss than normal tonight as well although since the reboot my speeds seem fine.



Current snaphot:



A more typical day's usage:


As you can see there's normally a slight increase in latency in the evening but barely noticeable (the spike at 4pm will have been a speed test).

So usability is not affected for me but I'm curious - something seems to have changed.

[Steve]

I think that's it I am curious as well. I'm see a sustained rise in maximum latency on a quiet connection, it's unusual to see any changes to this on FTTC unless a continuous download is occurring (unlike adsl) conversely I can see 2 adsl2+ lines which are showing no sustained rise in maximum latency this evening.

[psp83]

Is everyone still seeing this?

For me its now happening between 4pm - 10pm

[Glenn]

I can see the same on 4 out of 5 FTCC admin connections, the ADSL lines don't appear to be affected.

[andrue]

Yup I'm still seeing it. Quite a bit of packet loss on occasion. Doesn't impact anything though.

[andrue]

Yup I'm still seeing it. Quite a bit of packet loss on occasion. Doesn't impact anything though.

Looking at that graph we should bear in mind that the house was empty until 4:30pm. There's a mail server but it's not doing much at the moment.

Edit: I stand corrected. My throughput is poor tonight - barely getting above 30Mb/s.

[Steve]

That's exactly what we're seeing on the staff side- shall we blame the Tennis I wonder?

[psp83]

Well IDnet are saying they've heard nothing from BT about congestion on FTTC connections 

[psp83]

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share-thumb/f4d9590daa7df609c24b6d946bd868fa-09-11-2012.png

Looking at that graph we should bear in mind that the house was empty until 4:30pm. There's a mail server but it's not doing much at the moment.

Edit: I stand corrected. My throughput is poor tonight - barely getting above 30Mb/s.

Mine is the same as yours..



Gotta be something going on somewhere.

I'm also only getting 25Mbps down when it's normally around 60Mbps.. Websites are taking longer to load as well.

[zappaDPJ]

My throughput has been a constant 37.4x Mb/s for months, it never wavers. I've just run a few speed tests and the best I can get right now is from BT @ 21.2Mb. There's also evidence starting to show of some not insignificant packet loss on some of the staff BMQs. Others are completely clear which I can't explain.

So yeah, in short, things are not so good for some of us right now.

[joe]

mine is as per andrue and psp83:-



net has appeared generally sluggish yesterday and today.

[joe]

Just done speed test (Speedtest.net)  Milton Keynes 27.56/16.16 and London 39.06/16.06

Normal service 62.90/17.29 

Something is not right!