Line Speed Hell
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page
- Plusnet Community
- :
- Forum
- :
- Help with my Plusnet services
- :
- Broadband
- :
- Re: Line Speed Hell
Line Speed Hell
16-04-2010 10:58 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
In January, I was coming to the end of 12 months with Sky+ Broadband, which had supplied a reliable 4Mb service using their DG934 black box. It didnt do 2 things - it was call centre hell if anything was a problem (which for broadband it was generally OK), and I couldnt VPN into my work. (Although my wife could VPN to hers... go figure!)
I decided to join Plusnet, and then the nightmare began.
Initial prospects OK - I had a known stable 4Mb line, and the initial estimate was 4Mb. Cool. No problems.
Then I connected to Plusnet... 2Mb. Called the call centre - got the usual "following the script" answers of leave it, and let it train, etc. So I did. Still 2Mb.
Another set of calls.... "its within parameters, so it isnt a fault"... What do you mean not a fault? Its half the speed it used to be! Not that that seemed to even register with them as being relevant. Yet more non-technical script following. No joy.
Got sick of calling, so gave up and put up with a sync of 2.0Mb, and speedtest.net of 1.83. Consistently EVERY time 1.83. Almost as though it were capped/limited in some way.
Wife is now about to work from home doing IT management - needs a good stable connection. So I decide to chase again. Usual call centre scripted twaddle "Its within parameters. Its not a problem".
Am now trying a colleague's Linksys WAG54GX which does sync faster (+300k... its a start), but it doesnt connect fully - see other forum post. Plusnet sent a replacement Thomson... but it is still as bad as the original one.
In my view... if I take my car to the garage and it does 70mph before, I damn well expect it to do 70mph after. NOT 35mph, and be told "its within parameters".
Something has changed for the worse - and the only equipment of mine that did was to swap the Sky+ DG934 box for the Plusnet Thomson. All else is beyond my control - sure BT may have knackered something; so investigate it, not tell me "its within parameters".
Some technical info:
Distance to exchange: 1.0mile
Previous Sky+ sync (for 12mths): 4.2Mb best was 5M+, but that trained lower
Previous speedtest.net: 3.8Mb
Previous line estimates by Sky+ (before Plusnet): 4-6M
Initial estimate by Plusnet: 4Mb
Current Stats (Thomson)
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 2,240
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 18.5
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 27.0 / 49.0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 17.0 / 11.0
I have tried everything - powering everything down, connecting to test socket, changing DSL filters, etc.
Can anyone help, or is my only answer to wait and pray they finish the FTTC work sooner rather than later (my exchange NORTHWICH, is due to be done in next 18mths), and then get a MAC code and be done with it?
What I really need is someone TECHNICAL at plusnet to champion the investigation, and not leave me swinging with the frustrating call centre operators who dont seem to actually be technical.
Frustrated... annoyed... wish I had never joined/disturbed the good Sky+ connection.
RichK
Re: Line Speed Hell
17-04-2010 12:05 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Unfortunately the snippet of your router stats you posted doesn't show up-time or the FEC, CRC and HEC error counts to enable a view of those to be gathered.
Re: Line Speed Hell
17-04-2010 1:47 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Full stats from tonight:
0 days, 5:54:35
DSL Type: G.992.1 annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 2,240
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 0.00 / 0.00
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 18.5
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 27.0 / 49.0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 17.0 / 11.5
Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / TSTC
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 12 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 1 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): 0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 1 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 745
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 257
Cheers, RichK
Re: Line Speed Hell
17-04-2010 2:10 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Does connecting to the test socket make any difference (rather than just not give the large improvement you were seeking)?
Have you any idea what caused the target noise margin to rise? Any period where the connection frequently dropped?
Sorry about asking the questions, but if your connection is stable (no uncommanded disconnections) the answers could support requesting a training period reset which would put the target noise margin back to 6dB (and should give you a higher sync speed)
Re: Line Speed Hell
17-04-2010 10:28 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I tried the test socket - no change. Im not after a large improvement - all Im after is what I had reliably for 12mths with Sky+. Not too much to ask?
Nothing else changed as far as I know - the same phones, the same connections, the same sockets - the only differences were the Plusnet Thomson box, and the Plusnet service.
After one of the call sequences, I did get a retraining period. But no real change - which is why I suspected the Thomson box may be dodgy - but this is now the second box, and it gives the same results.
Cheers, RichK
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 12:24 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Quote from: RichK After one of the call sequences, I did get a retraining period. But no real change - which is why I suspected the Thomson box may be dodgy - but this is now the second box, and it gives the same results.
By 'no real change' do you mean not even initially? I would expect a training period reset to start with a target noise margin of 6dB which should have increased the sync speed to around 4Mbps. Did that not happen?
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 2:11 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Hence my plea for someone TECHNICAL to look at it - the call centre staff were not exactly impressing me with their knowledge.
Cheers, RichK
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 2:37 AM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 1:23 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Link Information
Uptime: 1 day, 17:30:48
DSL Type: G.992.1 annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 2,240
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 0.00 / 0.00
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 18.5
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 27.0 / 49.0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 17.0 / 11.5
Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / TSTC
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 12 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 1 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): 0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 1 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 4,193
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 1,415
1 LoS, 12 LoF ... not so great. Although, granted those two stats havent changed for over 24 hours.
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 2:41 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
have you tried flashing the netear router back to factory settings as opposed to sky custom ones, you could then run this with PN. Might make no difference, just a thought...
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 3:08 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Since Plusnet are adamant that they only support the Thomson, then they can damn well get me back to my Sky+ linespeeds using their preferred equipment. If they cant, then they lose a customer. Simples.
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 4:16 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
funniest (sarcasm) of it all is i changed to the pn pro package for the dedicated servers for low ping times on games, and my ping time is so bad with pn i can't even get into any games!!!
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 5:20 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Have you checked your exchange status? as LLU dont actually use BT equipment, just the line.
http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/
Re: Line Speed Hell
18-04-2010 10:08 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
Phil
Using a TP-Link Archer VR600 modem-router.
Re: Line Speed Hell
19-04-2010 12:06 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I'll take a look through to make sure there aren't any issues apparent but it'd definitely be worth the usual test from the master socket with all phones and other line items removed just to prove any issues aren't caused by anything internal.
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page