POP3 emails throttled on PlusNet broadband - affects both PN and non-PN email (Outlook client)

[#1]

@Anonymous Roughly when do you think it got slow?  Does it that line up with the 16-17th of November @Attila_The_Pun is suggesting?

[#2]

I wasn't paying much attention, but I would say early November, which is why I *assumed* it might have been a side effect of going on to "Pro Addon" on the 4th November.

[#3]

@Kelly Yes, it was probably around that time, but coincidentally, that was also just after I installed the November M$ updates, hence the confusion - sorry,

[#4]

Kelly (and all),

I'm very sorry not to have replied, but I have been engaged also with Microsoft Community Support and MS Support over this and several other problems, all related to Outlook 2016, and simply couldn't get back here.  I missed the PlusNet update messages because of being bogged down in email and Outlook problems

BREAKING NEWS

I found recently (and should have told you sooner) that my wife's PC, which uses the same PlusNet broadband link as I do on my machine, was NOT suffering this throttling effect - her emails were coming down at normal speed.  I also confirmed that the UPload speed was not throttled - it gets the usual 0.9 Mbps I have got used to (I'm not a regular uploader, so don't really care).  Whereas on my troubled own machine it's right down to a lousy 128 Kbps.

This morning, in the nick of time (see below), I found the time to use Wify's machine to test Outlook under my own Windows ID, and all my emails came down at normal speed - no throttling.  I also spotted that Wify's machine was not on v1709 of Windows 10 like mine but was still on 1703. Nick of time to spot this, because as I was checking things on Windows Update, the download of 1709 began and indeed is now in the lengthy process of installing itself, which will take some hours judging by the fact that it has so far taken a half-hour to do just 21%.

So I had better report back when it has finished installing the alleged upgrade and I have retested email download speed.on my wife's machine.

Oh, by the way, both Wify's and my machine are Wi-Fi-connected to the PlusNet router, not by network cable.  I haven't tried the latter. but might later.  If someone thinks it might matter, say so.  Remember too (see original post) that when I connected by tethering over my (O2) mobile broadband in place of PlusNet and copper, the email throttling no longer happened and my emails whizzed in, which is why I was sure that this was a PlusNet problem. Less sure now. 

Watch this space.

AtP 

[#5]

@Attila_The_Pun - Interesting, but it MAY be a red-herring, my laptop is W7 Home Premium running Thunderbird.

[#6]

@Attila_The_Pun ah!  Thanks for getting back.  I've been bending some peoples ears about the possible throttling if it was on our platform but we couldn't see anything

Let us know if the upgraded machine shows the same problem.  That would be useful to know if there is something in the latest version which doesn't like pop3/Outlook.

[#7]

I think John's probably right about the red herring, though.  I've checked Windows Update on my machine, and Windows has been on v1709 since before 23 October, whereas I've only been throttled since last week.

The Windows update is now at 72%, so It will be an hour or two before I can retest. Actually it's at "preparing to install updates 72%", so could be hours yet before it's done.

Another irritating thing is that Office 365 installs updates willy-nilly (usually monthly) without your being able to monitor it.  What is worse is that - unlike Windows Update - there appears to be no log (I have asked MS) showing when such updates have been applied.  MS appear to flog this as a good feature - fee-paying subscribers getting up-to-the-minute 'upgrades' with all the latest features (most of which I don't even want).  This approach ignores the established fact that in all software, the most likely place for errors to lie is in new or updated components, and also that in order to investigate a change in observed behaviour, you need to have a visible record of what changed and when. But that's not their style.

The best info available at this moment (via File - Account in any Office application) is that my wife's computer is on Office 365 v1710 build 8625.2127 Click-to-Run, and mine is on the same. When these updates were applied, we are not privileged to know.  However...

  From Control Panel - Programs on my wife's PC , I see MS Office 365 with an "installed on" date of 17/11/17 (this means an update, not an installation), so is presumably the date that MS Office went up to v1710, with the only update since then being MS OneDrive today (possibly part of the windows update currently in progress). [I do note that OneDrive seems to be updated very frequently.  We don't use it, in the main.]  My own PC shows exactly the same for Office 365, so that rather rules out a difference in Outlook version as an explanation of the throttling. As to Windows, we wait to see.... now 82%  'prepared', but I've cooked and eaten lunch between 72 and 82%...

Back later - and thanks all.

AtP

[#8]

There was no change on my wife's machine after the 1709 upgrade - no throttling occurring.. Great for her.  I've obviously still got it on mine, with still no explanation.  I've put up a new email profile with the same email accounts and am trying that now.  Will report if anything changes or I find a solution.

I am on the brink of reinstalling Office 365, not just for this - I have several problems in Outlook. 

[#9]

I tried connecting my PC to the PlusNet router via an Ethernet cable in place of Wi-Fi but still had the same problem of throttled email traffic to Outlook.  It was worth a try.

Recap:

-  As previously reported, when I use the same email accounts on my wife's machine (now same Windows and Office releases as mine), my emails shoot through to Outlook, no problem - the Windows update did not affect it.

-  When I quit using PlusNet broadband on my machine and use mobile broadband through my O2 phone (wi-fi hotspot/tethering), the emails scream through.

  I cannot think of anything I could have done on my machine that would target just my email traffic to Outlook, can you?

- This throttling affects all POP3 email accounts I use, not just my PlusNet ones, so it's not a case of the PlusNet email server throttling my traffic. Also, if it were the email server singling me out (by email addresses), then I would be equally afflicted when using my wife's computer and also when using tethering.

- General download speed is 17 Mbps - unaffected, except by PlusNet Support tweaking the line parameters, which has done nothing except reduce my general download speed a little - it was over 20.

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The supposed throttling of data upload seems to have gone away - I don't know why - and is back to 0.9 Mbps.

 I am at my wits' end with this and other Outlook 2016 problems.  My next move will be to reinstall MS Office...

This is a new computer which I've had for a matter of weeks, and this problem just dropped out of the blue about 9 days ago. I will update my ticket to see if Support can escalate this to higher thinkers.  I also have it on the go with MS Support Outlook specialists.

[#10]

It's not just email that is slow, I have recently downloaded a couple of largish programs, and even with a reported achievable download speed of 10.5Mb/s they stuttered and rarely got to 2.0mb actual (as reported by the Firefox download manager).

Strangely - Bitmeter was reporting 9 -10Mb/s.

[#11]

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@jab1 wrote:

even with a reported achievable download speed of 10.5Mb/s they stuttered and rarely got to 2.0mb actual (as reported by the Firefox download manager).

Strangely - Bitmeter was reporting 9 -10Mb/s.

Hi John,

Just for clarity...

• From where are you taking "achievable download"? "Achievable" or "Maximum speed" reported by some routers is an estimate of what the speed might be if everything else were the best it could be - that is the absence of noise on the line, no interleaving ... etc. in short the absence of the 'adjustments' which keeps the connection stable
• I do not use Firefox ... does FF report download speeds in BITS or BYTES?  10.5mbps might (without compression) deliver 1.4mBps data transfer, possibly peaking higher with good compression.
• The BITmeter report would align with the 10.5mbps synch speed, which would give a profile of 9.2mbps.

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[#12]

Kevin - my apologies, I composed and posted that only half concentrating. What I probably should have said is:-

My currents line speed (according to PN) is 10.5Mb/s, my connection speed (according RSL) is 11.3Mb/s, and download tests (via JDA) is 10.3Mb/s.

Unfortunately, I forget which units the Firefox meter uses, and as I have no need, atm, of a big download, I can't answer that question.

I would have had a look at the BTW figures, the 'further tests' option on there seems totally borked for me, it hasn't worked for over a fortnight.

Software downloads a month or so ago were decidedly quicker - and more stable, speed-wise.

[#13]

John,

Interesting figures: if RSL is routerstats, then that is synch speed and the profile should be only 9.966 mbps.

Download speed test aligns well with the current speed figure.

[#14]

Hi Kevin,

RSL is Routerstats Lite, and the figures I have quoted were checked directly before I replied slightly earlier.

However, my speed/SNR problem referred to in this thread:https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/High-variable-SNR-and-speed-reduction/td-p/1493827 has resurfaced, so it looks like I will have do a little more work on that.

[#15]

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@jab1 wrote:

It's not just email that is slow, I have recently downloaded a couple of largish programs, and even with a reported achievable download speed of 10.5Mb/s they stuttered and rarely got to 2.0mb actual (as reported by the Firefox download manager).

Strangely - Bitmeter was reporting 9 -10Mb/s.

---

Well, for me, John, being 'him what raised the thread', it is an email-only slowdown, as my general download speed is still a very good 17+ Mb/s.  [The upload speed reduction, incidentally, disappeared about 2 days ago, for no apparent reason, and may have been unrelated.]

Anyway, I can now report that I have found the root of the problem, following a clue from 'Townman' (Kevin) in another thread of mine - see Kevin's post here.

I will not repeat (much of) what I have said in that thread, as you can read it at message 12 . Basically, it appears to come down to a problem in the PlusNet router's DNS processing, and I have worked around it for the time being by telling my PC to use the public DNS of Google (8.8.8.8) instead of the one that came with the PlusNet Technicolor TG582n router which I have had for around 8 years if my memory serves me well (which it no longer does )

I now want my router officially fixed or replaced.  I understand from the highly technical (fries-your-brain, but in places hilarious) thread that Kevin pointed me to (https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/198-18-1-x-address-problems/m-p/1171169/jump-to/first-unread...), and others to which it refers, that I can modify the router parameters myself in either of two ways, but I'd rather have the official firmware fix, and indeed would like to know how to check first whether I have the faulty version, if someone can tell me how. Failing that, or a free holiday in recognition of all the stress, I will ask for Community help - no, not care in the community, but step-by-step, next-to-basic instructions from someone here on how to do the changes myself.

I can't tell you all how utterly this and several other email-related problems (mostly in Outlook 2016) have driven me, and how much of my life has been wasted dealing with them. Without help here I would have gone either bonkers or into the miry slough of despair.  Thanks all.

I don't understand how PlusNet could leave an untold number of customers with a fault like this in one of the router types they send out.  Presumably they know who they are(?)  "We'll do you proud"

I am still mystified as to why the same problem has not arisen on my wife's computer, which is connected to the same router in like manner (Wi-Fi), and will undoubtedly have the same TCP/IP configuration (I am sure but have not yet checked). That's something I will look into.

Also, what caused this problem to spring up 10-ish days ago out of the blue?  I'll look into software changes around that time, to see what it could have been.  I do note that the original DNS routing problems which were the subject of the long thread mentioned above were triggered by a change of how IP address caching worked in successive Windows versions, so it is possible a recent MS change triggered this problem, and thereby started affecting access to my email servers. However, this is an area of expertise on which my grey matter has never been expended, and in reading the technical thread mentioned, I was put in mind of something Homer Simpson once said, of the sort “If all that has to go into my brain, then something else will have to come out.”

Over and out (for the night).