BT speedtester claims I'm on an 'assured rate' service - why?

[#1]

I've just run the BT speedtester and have got a strange result
=======================================================
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
6775 Kbps

0 Kbps 6500 Kbps
Max Achievable Speed
Download speed achieved during the test was - 6775 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 1000-6500 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Assured Rate IP profile on your line is - 6500 Kbps
====================================================
OK, the 'actual' throughput is higher than the 'mxa achievable', but that's not the issue - the BT speedtester doesn't always give reliable throughput figures. What is the issue is that I've run the speedtester often before and it's never claimed I have an 'assured rate' service. Usually the Max Achievable Speed line says 0-7150. I'm on ADSL2+, but I've never had an IP profile higher than 7150 so the software assumes ADSL Max - dumb, but understandable.
Why would it suddenly tell me I'm on an assured rate?
I was on the DLM trial in the Spring, and since then have had a fixed profile (not the same as a fixed IP profile) of SNR=6 and interleaving off. But I've run the BT speedtester several times since then and have never seen the 'assured rate' message before. [Edit: normally I also see my sync rates, but with the above message that's absent.]
So, is it a speedtester glitch or has something about my line been changed?
Graham

[#2]

when you manage to find out, let us know we have been wondering for a long time

[#3]

Just looking for there help, found they have got a new line checker http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=16738

[#4]

and it's a load of rubbish - see picture and this is from my router
Noise Margin:    8.9  dB
Connection Rate:  3776  Kbps
Line Attenuation: 51.0  dB

[#5]

To respond to the original question - it changed for me when I went from 20CN to 21CN

[#6]

I just tried the new BT line checker.  It tells me I can get about one twentieth of the speed I actually do get!

[#7]

Its mostly a spam trawl, to find prospects
T.

[#8]

It looks like the 'assured rate' result was a glitch. Here's the output from a speed test I ran just now:
============================================================
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
7321 Kbps

0 Kbps 7150 Kbps
Max Achievable Speed
Download speedachieved during the test was - 7321 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 1000-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :8056 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 808 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 6500 Kbps
The throughput of Best Efforts (BE) classes achieved during the test is - 21.96:24.61:53.43 (SBE:NBE:PBE)
These figures represent the ratio while sententiously passing Sub BE, Normal BE and Priority BE marked traffic.
====================================================================
The throughput figure is too high, given my IP profile, but otherwise it looks normal.
One thing I have noticed recently: when the BT Speedtester is opened, the first thing that happens is that the Java test runs. It completes, but then the Speedtester (ar least I hope it's the Speedtester!) initiates traffic for 15-20 seconds (I wasn't paying enough attention to count properly) and during this time I have no control over the browser - I can't enter any details and I can't close it. Maybe that traffic is part of the explanation of why the throughput figure is high (some kind of buffering before the measurement starts?). Has anyone else encountered this?
(I'm using Firefox 3.5.11 and Java 1.6.0_20-b02 under XP. I can't get Firefox 3.6 to work with Java, either with or without the 'next-generation plug-in')
Anyway, thanks for the input, everyone.
Graham

[#9]

I had a Java update today (1.6.0_21...), so I tested it with IE8 and FF3.5 and 3.6.
To cut a long story short, as long as I don't enable the 'next-generation plug-in' I can use Java with IE and with FF3.6 as long as I open the link with IE Tab Plus. I can live with this.
With native FF it mostly doesn't work. If java.exe loads and takes up around 29-20KB, it will work. If it loads and takes up about 44KB, it won't. I have no idea what causes the difference. When it fails, dumprep.exe runs and asks if I want to send an error report to Microsoft, then java.exe closes - and then this sequence is repeated for a second time.
It's probably something peculiar to my ageing PC.
(Sorry for going off topic - the relevance is that the BT Speedtester is the program I was using to test whether Java was working. I was loading the page but not actually running the test most of the time.)
Graham

[#10]

Quote from: grahamt

Your DSL Connection Rate :8056 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 808 Kbps(UP-STREAM) IP Profile for your line is - 6500 Kbps

thats a upload speed i would kill 4 to my 56kbps.
yes i do have a problem with my line and hope to have fixed asap.
can you tell me how far you live from your exchange,if you dont mind me asking.

[#11]

From what I remember of reading the thread about your upstream speed problems, you should get a speed that's better than mine once the line problem's fixed. My downstream attenuation's 39dB, and the Kitz (http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/max_speed_calc.php)calculator tells me that's equivalent to a line length of about 2.8km. The straight-line distance to the exchange is less than that - maybe about 2km or a mile and a quarter in old money. Looking at your thread, I see that your attenuation's only 29 and that you can get a downstream speed of 17Mbs at a standard 6dB noise margin, so I'd guess that when all's well you'll get an upstream speed of around 1Mbs.
The calculator says the best downstream speed I could get at that my distance from the exchange is 9568Kbs, but my line gets unstable (because of a night-time drop in noise margin) above about 8100. Given that my wiring isn't ideally configured for ADSL, I'm happy with that for now. FTTC is allegedly coming in December, when I'll get my wiring improved.
Graham

[#12]

thats a really good line speed for that distance man sound.
bt engineer called today for me and fixed the problem which was at the exchange.he done a lift and shift.
but why couldnt the first bt engineer do the same thing on the 4th which he supposed to ov done,anyway not your problem grahmat.
this is my speed so far and am only 1.3km away from exchange
router
DownStream Connection Speed   18939 kbps
UpStream Connection Speed 448 kbps
my bt profile is only at 5500kbps,hope this will go up in time.
am just glad to be up and running again.but hope i will get that upload stream you got.
have you uncapped your upload with pn? and interleaving on or off?
thankyou for your replay man  

[#13]

Excellent downstream sync speed. IP profiles (BT and then, after a day or so, PN) should catch up soon.
Now that the fault's fixed, your upstream speed will stay at 448 unless you ask for it to be uncapped. (I can't remember if you did that in your other thread. In any case it can't hurt to ask again, either in the forum or via a ticket.)
I was on the ADSL2+ trial, and I think upstream speed was uncapped by default then, so I just stuck with it. During the trial it was found out that with some lines there's a significant trade-off between upstream and downstream speeds, so the default when ADSL2+ became a full service was to cap the upstream. With your high downstream speed, though, it shouldn't be a problem.
I've got interleaving off - it was the way I was set up at the end of another trial (DLM) and again I just stuck with it. With your (now) excellent line I'd leave interleaving on for the moment. You can always turn it off later if you want to.
Graham

[#14]

yeah its looking good so far,done a few tests last night although its only been 24 hour.
today speed with a netgear router,,,am so glad am back using this.hate the thomson.
DownStream Connection Speed  15347 kbps
UpStream Connection Speed 448 kbps
with a bt profile of
Download speedachieved during the test was - 5378 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 2000-21000 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :15344 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 13000 Kbps
but last night i had a 16000k profile with bt
DSL Connection Rate 18931Kbps
upstream the same as 448.
i wish it had stayed on last night rate or may of gone up,am not sure if interleaving is on or off atm.
early days still lets just hope it gets better.