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Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Kwak
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Posts: 137
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Registered: ‎05-11-2007

Fairly abysmal speed all week..

TBH my speed just general surfing (I'm not a file sharer or anything) has been noticably slow sometimes for a while. I wondered if it was my PC firewall so I changed that and perhaps it  was better. But this week, I had one evening when simple sites wouldn't even load because they were timing out.
I have to laugh at people with multi MBps links complaining it's not the max advertised. I've ran a few speed tests this week and I'm very lucky during normal times to get 1.2MBps. It can be below 1. Late last night I got 6 strangely enough.
Today however it's at a complete snails pace. If I run the broadbandspeed checker, I'm getting 0.01 MB and I just give up trying.. I'd be faster using a modem from the 90s. I've also just tried the BT speed tester and I'm getting download speeds of 0.1 MBps. My UPLOAD speed is considerably faster than my DOWNLOAD speed. Just tried again, download speed 0.01! I rebooted the router last night about midnight, so that's well after the outage.
It took me about 3 attempts to login to post this on my OWN ISP as the page wouldn't load! I've logged into my router and the only thing using the net is the PC I'm writng this on at a slow rate, it's not like I've a virus swamping my link.
My router (vigor, which are I thought a good make) is advertising a download speed of 17336000 (!!!!!!!!!) SNR margin 3 Loop Attn 28. The line doesn't crackle when I lift the phone, the router isn't saying it's reconnecting. It's connected fine, it's just complete rubbish between me and the world.  What gives? Have I been stuck on a shared internet link with 100 file sharers or is there some severe technical issue?  The fact late last night I could get 6MB and today it's 0.01MB make me wonder.
I' m not asking for lighting speeds but 0.1 to 0.01 is just ridiculous, I'm sure anyone would agree.!
PS While I'm here : I've meant to post this before as I've often wondered. If plusnet KNOW they are going to be taking someones internet down for a bit, why don't they email us a couple days in advance? You can't expect people to keep checking the status page?!
21 REPLIES 21
Kwak
Rising Star
Posts: 137
Thanks: 11
Registered: ‎05-11-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Ok the plusnet link to say what it THINKS my line speed is is
Current line speed:
7.15 Mb
Yet the BT speedtester still gives a download speed of  0.1 MBps and a ping over 100ms.
Broadband Speed Checker has now started working again (the needle moves now!) to the point it actually works and is up to 0.8 Mb/s.
Edit : Ran it a second time, it started ok, ground to a halt, and I got a final download speed of 0.06 MB/s with an upload of 0.28!
delem
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎14-10-2011

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

You can subscribe to service status email notifications here http://usertools.plus.net/status/email.php
KevinG
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Registered: ‎05-11-2008

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Quote from: Kwak
PS While I'm here : I've meant to post this before as I've often wondered. If plusnet KNOW they are going to be taking someones internet down for a bit, why don't they email us a couple days in advance? You can't expect people to keep checking the status page?!

If you sign up for the Service Status emails you will get exactly this.
http://usertools.plus.net/status/email.php
Edit: delem beat me to it!
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Hi there Kwak.
It is a fairly unusual occurrence for Plusnet to take down any internet connections, but as already said the Service Status is the best way to keep abreast of this & all sorts of problems that arise. Apart from email you can also subscribe to the RSS feed see http://usertools.plus.net/status/ .
As to the speed issue, strangely since various changes to the BT Speedtester I've had very little problem with it despite being on a 20CN Market 1 exchange, but just now when I ran it I got a stupid result 0.05Mbps (hang on, I've had that speed on dial-up). However the Mybroadband speed checker has given me correct results the last couple of days consistent with my profile and typical performance despite the recent issues there!
It's highly probable that both are borked for a number of people but not everyone, so I shouldn't worry too much. Try the tester over on Thinkbroadband which generally gives reliable results.
What does the BT Speedtester show your profile as, that's important? It should be around 15290 for the sync speed you mentioned.
The Current Line speed of 7.15 Mb at the portal is certainly going to be a restricting factor and for some reason it doesn't seems to have updated since I presume you upgraded to 21CN? It'll need someone from the DC team to go and give it a nudge, but it's unlikely anyone will be around until Monday.
Edit: Forgot to include - put your number in this http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/? and post back the exchange name (Not your number) & it's VP status.
Kwak
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Registered: ‎05-11-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Ok thanks for the thing about the service update. It's not quite what I was on about as you'll get spammed with all updates, get used to them, then miss the important one in the noise.
I'm talking about when they know subscriber X is to be affected,  emailing them with "Your internet is likely to be down on Friday @ XX:YY for blah minutes/hours" kind of thing.
Re speed, this isn't academic, the reason I've been looking it it is because it's very noticably very VERY slow, websites timing out loading them etc, some of them just plain unusable for periods, and I'm getting pretty fed up of it.. Fast last night, got up today and basically like using a slow old modem or something.
Maybe the BT speedtest is rubbish, but the other two speedtests I've tried (broadband speedtester and watchdog) have also been very very slow today but were 100x faster last night.
And my router shows the throuhgput per machine, and it was showing like double digit kbps, from the computer I'm testing on.
OK, ThinkBroadband is also same sort of speed.  A lot of these speedtests look very similar, I'm guessing are same underlying test?Huh
Re profile it didn't show me a profile? I've no service ID so couldn't do the other option. Though plusnet reported it as 7.15 Mb and said
"What does "Current line speed" mean? The speed shown above is based on your sync speed"
VP Capacity "showing as green"
It's got a bit better during the day. I might reboot my router (again) but tbh I shouldn't have to, given I booted it last night to see if things got better and it was faster aferwards (actually was same results), 6MB is fine, ~0.1 isn't. End of the day something is wrong. I certainly shouldn't be getting throttled, I've used a fraction of my bandwidth.
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

The Current line speed at the portal should be updated by Delta reports from BT. The figure in the Delta report is based on the BT profile which is determined by your Sync speed. In a number of instances, Delta reports haven't been coming through as they should or the Plusnbet Line Speed hasn't been updated for some reason. As I said someone from the DC team can give it a nudge but that will be based on the profile from the BT speedtest.
The BT profile is usually shown as the last line in the results box, you need to confirm what this figure is - that's using the ADSL & FTTC Diagnostic Test, you don't need the Service ID, just the Phone number will do.
You are not getting throttled (in the sense you are implying) but something certainly appears wrong. If you can confirm the BT profile that will eliminate one factor. If you check which gateway you are on http://usertools.plus.net/@gateway/ you could try a Gateway hop by forcing a disconnect & re-connect of the ppp session via your modem/router interface (or do a re-sync, but not the preferred method) and then checking if you are on another gateway which may improve things.
wrt Status reports, if you subscribe to the RSS feed, it's fairly easy to ignore the ones with Titles that are of no interest.
Edit: Add extra info above about BT speedtester - it isn't "rubbish" by the way, it can be a useful diagnostic tool despite giving borked results on occasions.
Kwak
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Registered: ‎05-11-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Ok I did they other test, I ignored it first time round as it was on about information I didn't have and I was running the "normal" speed test.
I tried again ommiting the other info.
It's come back with another shocking speed and :
Download speedachieved during the test was - 0.09 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 4 Mbps-21 Mbps.
IP Profile for your line is - 13.46 Mbps
Errrr!
PS I've tried a speedtest with my old PC, it's similar results, it's not this computer that's slow.
KevinG
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Registered: ‎05-11-2008

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Have you raised a fault?
https://portal.plus.net/apps/kbdfaults
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Make a note of which Gateway you are on, try a gateway hop in the manner I suggested, note the new gateway. If the speed improves raise a fault on the previous gateway and mention you hopped and speed now ok. otherwise mention that you problem is occurring on on both gateways, post that BT speedtest result in the ticket.
Have you got another modem/router you could try, need to eliminate that as a cause as it could be the problem if gateway hopping doesn't sort it.
Kwak
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Posts: 137
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Registered: ‎05-11-2007

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

It's certainly not the router, unless it's got a fault that only develops at night. Once again last night (a bit after midnight) I did a test and was 6.X MB on the bt test, today on exact same test
page I'm back to 0..01-0.2. I did restart the router last night. I'll restart again in a sec.
Ok I've restarted router again and this time it's a different gateway. Not much better. First attmept 0.3 Mbps second test 0.08.
I was hoping someone who reads the forum who works for plusnet could give something a nudge, but it looks like I need to raise a fault.
Anotherone
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Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Looks like you may have to raise a fault, BUT just check again what the Current line speed at the member centre is first at https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed (login needed) it was 7.15Mb you said, it should be around the same figure as the BT profile (was IP Profile for your line is - 13.46 Mbps). ALSO try another modem/router if you have one, as they can go faulty and cause throughput problems.
It's unlikely that anyone from the Plusnet DC team will be around until Monday, so if trying another modem/router has no effect (or you can't borrow one) I'd ring up today and tell them about the mismatching Profile/Current Line speed and ask them to give it a nudge. Make it clear it is "Throughput" speed you are having a problem with not sync speed, so they shouldn't try to talk you through "plug it in the test socket etc. etc.".
If you get an agent that starts on that, and says they can't nudge the Current Line speed, ask for s Supervisor, because they can.
If nudging the Current Line speed has no effect, then raise a fault and state you haven't got another modem/router to try if that's the case. They should then offer you a loan one.
Donut
Grafter
Posts: 30
Registered: ‎17-04-2012

Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

Hi , just a suggestion - and I'm not a expert of ANY description - but the other week I unplugged my phone and router cables from the filter to watch a sky box office movie , when I plugged them back in I was getting similar readings because I put them back in the wrong sockets , idiot that I am.
Might be worth checking , even though it sounds silly.
Good luck
Dount
Anotherone
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Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

That would cause a very low sync speed, not what seems to be the problem here  Wink
Kwak
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Re: Fairly abysmal speed all week..

I don't reallly understand how my router could be the problem. It's a good Vigor one that's only a couple years old, the connection is rock solid, and the pattern seems to be
slow during day
fast at night
slow during day
fast at night
I DID have a problem years ago with a my phone line which led to the connection dropping and being allocated a lower speed, but that showed different symptoms and the line crackled etc. This time the connection is ocnstaant solid and the data just seems to fall off a cliff somewhere down the line. I do get some RX CRC errors.
Perhaps I can force the router to a slower speed. That helped with the problem years ago.