Slow Speeds since I got the 8meg Max service

[hairyman]

Results Image not loaded

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 7616 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  448 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 6500 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1146 kbps




Hi All

Managed to squeeze a test out of BT tonight. The sync rate is OK the SNRmargin from the router interface varies sec by sec from 5db to 9db and it has been that way for about 5days with no disconnects. It has been cold and wet , rain always seems to prevent dropouts to the exchange. I has seen into the ducts in the High Street during wet spells when they are down playing with the cables and they have to pump it out every time. A dry spell of over maybe a week brings on disconnects.

Anyway the IPprofile is good at 6500kbps I have never seen it higher. The throughput is not bad for me at 1146kbps probably near the best I have had from a BT test. Idnet said BT do their calculations on capacity based on 20mbps per 50connections ie 400k each on average. I suppose I could be thankful that I have nearly 3 times my share!! or seek to get nearer the 2300kbps that IPstream gives to the average home user!!

I don't think BT have done any work on the exchange broadband equipment as these rates are fairly standard for the weekend . Last night they were in the 600s or lower.

Cest la vie ici BT.

[hairyman]

Speed Test Results
Date 31/10/08 23:21:52
Speed Down 760.29 Kbps ( 0.7 Mbps )
Speed Up 368.17 Kbps ( 0.4 Mbps )
Port 8095
Server speedtest1.adslguide.org.uk

Tried a Thinkbroadband test as well the sub 1meg is more typical of throughputs I have.

Router shows no errors or lost packets etc.

[Sebby]

What's amazing is that you have maximum sync (for an interleaved line), a decent SNRM, yet a dreadful throughput. I just find it so bizarre that speeds always seem to be the same. I wonder what they'd be like at, say, 4am...

[Rik]

If I could run a test for Hairy, I would.

[Sebby]

It just strikes me as bizarre that speeds are always terrible. If it was congestion, I wouldn't expect it to be a constant issue.

[Rik]

I know, Seb, it really doesn't seem to be a simple congested VP case. I half wonder whether BT don't have enough backhaul at the exchange?

[Sebby]

Yep, something like that would make a lot more sense.

[hairyman]

I once did a test in the early hours of the morning ( usually I have to sleep) when we were watching the Chinese FI GP I think. The speeds did exceed 2meg then one test was 3.something meg  I remember.

Whats the point in having great speeds at times one is asleep and doesnt need the internet. Except if you are ripping off music, movies or games that is?

I do speedtests when I as a working man ( wake at 6am get to work 7.30am get home 5pm to 6pm etc) use the net and almost always it is less than 1meg , usually 600k ish. I have done tests in the working  weekdays and speeds seem worse than evenings , the best speeds are usually about nowish ie during the weekends when I may get over a meg for a lot of the time. ( only just over a meg mind you).

Don't know why the daytime rates are so slow , business use ? Our MP lives 400yds away maybe he runs the country from home. We do have a large industrial estate bordering the town but with several international companies ( oil exploration, huge dairy, and a renowned machine tool company) I think they would have their own fibre but maybe they hook into BT ?

Where I work which is some way away on a different exchange my colleague's who mostly live nearby get much faster speeds in the evenings again there is no cable nearby just BT and a few LLus. At work we get a minimum rate per PC of 1meg often more ( over 300 PCs on the network).

Locally in the next town ( adjoining) they have many LLus ( O2 ,Sky , Orange, TT, again no cable ) but reported average speeds seem nearer 4meg. A pal on a £7.50 a month O2 deal on 8meg gets 6meg tps plus in the evening weekdays and he lives way out in the sticks on a farm.

I see most mobile bb seems faster than my rates  at less cost. Personally I cant see how anyone  can justify me paying £18 for a service of about the same speed that I had in early 2003 when I first got 512k bb when the exchange was enabled.

The most frustrating thing is I have no one to complain to. IDnet only provide their Letchworth office and connection to Lonap etc they provide nothing locally to me where I am being told the problem is. Last year Eclipse Internet gave me a internet link that was averaging over twice my current speeds and they used heavy traffic shaping and throttled ordinary browsing when busy.

Would asking for a deadlock letter and escalate it to the ombudsman service be doing no more than satisfying/feeding my frustrations??

I get the same results on an alternative spare router and on the other PC or various laptops I have access to. This PC is dual boot XP with Win98se for nostalgia and better speed ( Vista is even sloower than XP ) but broadband speeds seem similar after a change of OS .

Please Please can O2 come to the exchange next year!! Sorry IDnet you are great but a business plan based on BT providing a second grade / third world local loop doesn't look too great from this end?

About this backhaul I assume this is the exchange to backbone bit!! Show me where it is and I will get my hacksaw out!   

[Sebby]

The only reason I asked about the speeds in the early hours of the morning was to gauge whether the issue really is down to congestion - and as you achieve 2/3Mb, I think it's fair to say that it is.

I don't believe there is anything more you can do. I don't believe that IDNet would provide a deadlock letter. Deadlock letters are typically used where there is a dispute that cannot be resolved, but this isn't the case - there is a problem outside of IDNet's network that they have no control over.

Ultimately, your options are to move to another ISP (but it's questionable whether that would make any difference), or sit tight.

[Rik]

You could try contacting the CEO of BT, Hairy. With the previous incumbent, that was known to work wonders.

[Ann]

I'm thinking that my problems are due to this being a university town.  This year we've got far more students than ever before and my problems started just as term was starting.  My speed is good when the stus are asleep in the mornings, as soon as they get up at midday it goes down the toilet.  My theory will be proven if things improve during the Christmas vacation... although it would be nice to think that they could fix it before that. 

[Rik]

It's a distinct possibility, Ann. I'm convinced that BT are neglecting the existing network as they spend money on the 21CN/WBC push, Sadly, the latter still seems to be subject to delays on the delays.

[Lance]

If only IDNet were big enough to have LLU, but still keeping the personal touch.

[Sebby]

Absolutely, Lance. It's so unfortunate that ISPs have to be held back by the likes of BT, especially in the current situation where they are not investing in their network due to 21CN/WBC.

[Rik]

If only IDNet were big enough to have LLU, but still keeping the personal touch.

One day...

[hairyman]

Date 04/11/08 17:24:30
Speed Down 644.94 Kbps ( 0.6 Mbps )
Speed Up 365.61 Kbps ( 0.4 Mbps )
Port 8095
Server speedtest1.adslguide.org.uk

Hi All

No real improvement as you can see the speeds remain at 650kb this seems to be managed speed as it is very constant , the download varies up above this level at the start then goes below then levels off at this speed. It is very similar to the three terminal software and hardware controllers I deal with at work where a demand at a certain level ( liquid flow, pressure etc) is called for and the equipment heads to that level by monitoring the actual requirement and adjusting a pump speed or valve to achieve this. Feedback in the system is set to do this in a conrolled fashion.

I assume congestion is managed by BT software just like the ISP shaping at other providers. I just wonder why a fairly small town like mine ( about 1000 dwellings ) has such a problem??

What speeds do you guys get during normal hours , like now in a weekday evening . BT I am told provide 400kbps each line ( or rather 20meg for every 50 ) on a shared basis .The average of many UK speedtests seems to indicate between 2 and 3 meg for BT based ISPs depending where in England and Wales you are.

Ann

I can appreciate your University problem as I know the daytime and evening rates here may be slowed by the large private school we have in town , they have mainly overseas students ( 11 to 18 yrs old) living in etc. I heard they had a fibre link put in direct to the exchange and they also have sat links for high speed use.

It must be very hard for independent ISPs that are forced to use a competitors equipment as they a fully dependant on someone else for their performance and pricing. I would imagine we will mostly just have the big boys ISPwise left after this credit crunch/recession. 

But at the end of the day I am provided with a service by IDnet not BT so they are responsible for the performance via their commercial involvement with BT/Openreach or whatever they call themselves now.

[Rik]

Hi Hairy

I get a consistent 2800k from a 3000k profile at almost any time, 382k up.

[Glenn]

hairy, on my high nm line, 60db, I get around a download speed around 1.8Mbs more or less constantly on a 2300kbs connection

[Rik]

I just wonder why a fairly small town like mine ( about 1000 dwellings ) has such a problem??

It may well be piggy-backing off a larger exchange nearby.

[hairyman]

It may well be piggy-backing off a larger exchange nearby.

Hi Rik

That could be the case the neighbouring town ( same dialling code ) is almost joined up to us the exchange there has all the major LLus and some of the smaller ones. My town exchange is physically quite a large building about the size of a 6/7 bedroomed bungalow and probably built in the 60/70s. It supports the surrounding villages as well I think there are about 5000 lines in all ( from memory of looking at an online checker) . I would expect broadband connections and usage would be below normal levels around here as in general the population out of town is above average in age with lots old retired and elderly. The town itself is a small working town that only dropped its parish council status a few years ago when it voted to upgrade to a town.

What both you and Glen  get on throughput is what others at work say they get ie around 50 to 75% of your  sync rates fairly reliably. My mothers neighbours get over 2 meg tp on a long 6km line to their small exchange.

What does puzzle me is a pal of mine ( well his son really) gets 3meg tp in the evening on my exchange over what must be a line over 4km long ( I am 400mtrs line of site / 1.1km by main road rout to the same exchange) . My line has 38db loss , high for less than 1km . Currently sync at 7600k interleaved with profile of 6500k .

My speeds are nearly always abysmal weekday days and evenings and improve a bit ( 2 to 2.5 times faster) if I am lucky at weekends.

Still its all, good fun !!??   

[hairyman]

You could try contacting the CEO of BT, Hairy. With the previous incumbent, that was known to work wonders.

Rik et al

Where would I get his email address or would a letter be better??
I would be happy to send either and would love to see which type of standard reply I got initially.

I might ask if they could release me from my phone tie in if improving the bb is not possible? I could then  then go to a cheap combined comms package ( LLu or BT type)

   

[Sebby]

Ian Livingston
ian.livingston @ bt.com

(Watch out for the space - I might dislike BT, but I don't wish spam on anyone!)

[Ann]

Cheers for that.. I've just sent an email.

[Ann]

... and got the below reply which I have forwarded to IDNet..

"I am sorry you are experiencing lower speeds.  I don't know if this is anything to do with the network.  However, this is something your ISP should handle on your behalf.  Its what you pay them to do.  They should be able to identify the type of issue, deal with it themselves or raise with our wholesale division.

Ian"

[Rik]

A straightforward handoff. I wonder how he would respond to an email from IDNet themselves?