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At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

jdmac
Grafter
Posts: 38
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Registered: ‎10-03-2011

At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Have already raised a ticket for this and the BT engineer was even out today to no avail.  
For about a week now, I have been receiving varied download speeds varying from 1.5 to 8. The thing is when I try to download off say dropbox a file which is only 599MB is saying it will take "greater than 12 hours" to download! Sky downloads take a long time too.
I can get on internet and surf and it is slow and occasionally internet access is non-existent but when it comes to downloading files its impossible.  Have tried new leads, different router, different laptop and the test socket. Engineer could not find anything wrong with broadband or phone line or equipment.  
I am awfully suspicious that Plus net are either 1. up to something to get me to upgrade to Fibre or 2. their planned maintenance throughout the country is affecting performance.  I'm on an unlimited package so can't possibly have reached my limit.  
Anyone have a clue why????   I phoned Plus net after the  engineer today and they said they will review the report from them and "monitor" my connections over the coming days - feels like a fob off to me.
23 REPLIES 23
cedlor
Grafter
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Registered: ‎02-04-2015

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

What router do you have? can you post the stats from it?
What OS is on your PC?
jdmac
Grafter
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Registered: ‎10-03-2011

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Using a Dlink 2640r but have also tried a Thomson issued by plusnet but that was useless anyway when I first got it as it kept dropping connection. Dlink was much more reliable.
What stats do you need (I'm not that much of a techy person)? 
On windows 7.
cedlor
Grafter
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Registered: ‎02-04-2015

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Speeds up/down  errors , sessions,
Maybe the same as this
DLink DSL-2640B / 2740B
    1. Go to http://192.168.1.1 in your browser
    2. Log into the router (default, Username: admin  password: admin)
    3. From the Top Navigation, click the Status Button
    4. From the Left Hand Menu, Select "Statistics".
    5. Your line stats are displayed under the "ADSL Statistics" Section.
If Not see here page 4 has some stats - perhaps someone with this router may know how to get more
jdmac
Grafter
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Registered: ‎10-03-2011

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Hi there, here are the stats, show download of 8mb however most speed tests are getting anywhere near this as mentioned before.  For some reason engineer/PN are reluctant to do a physical check at the exchange itself.  The exchange has flooded in the past and we have had floods in my town recently so do you not think a check is obvious! Many in the town (including my Dad) are experiencing slow sluggish internet speeds!  Can only be at the exchange. 
Mode: G.DMT
Type: ANNEX_A
Status: Showtime 
 
  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 8096 kbps 448 kbps
 
SNR Margin (dB): 8.5  24.0
Attenuation (dB): 14.0  6.0 
Output Power (dBm): 15.5  12.5 
 
Super Frames: 5248320 5248320
RS Correctable Errors: 117 4
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 0 0
 
HEC Errors: 0 0
Total Cells: 13230 20528
Data Cells: 15794681 2117680
Bit Errors: 0 0
 
cedlor
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Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

I see you have had this problem for a couple of years?
G.DMT Type: ANNEX_A I believe is the slowest ADSL service Maximum speed is 8Mbps  which makes your test result look reasonable.
So you need to look at what might be causing slow downs - do you use any programs with a lot of uploading? If you are uploading
on a system this slow it really affects the download speed.  Have you tried connecting direct to the test socket (via a filter)
If the speed reduction is only at certain times have you looked into if there is anything causing interference at those times.
Street lights  security lights electric fences sky boxes replacement power bricks and so on?
You would appear to be fairly close to the exchange so the loss due to a long line should not occur.but you could have poor line or joints.(intermittant fault)
Have you looked to see if  there are any published problems at the exchange - which one is it? I have noticed a few lately that have gone
form basic adsl to fibre  without ever offering adsl2+.
jdmac
Grafter
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Registered: ‎10-03-2011

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Hi there,
No not years its been working fine up until just over a week ago. What tells you that it has been happening for years?  Yes I am paying for a max of 8mbps so that's not a surprise. No I very rarely upload!  Yes tried via test socket with both routers I have, still the same. Engineer even used it. Speed it worse as day goes on but it still very slow first thing.  I tried a download of 599mb file at 7.30 this morning and it said it was going to take apprx 3 hours. Engineer tested line but said it was ok.  I think it is likely a joint problem either in street, at cabinet or in exchange itself. It is Moffat exchange. The Moffat exchange has been upgraded to Fibre recently (longer than a week ago though). How would I go about checking for problems at the exchange?  But surely the BT engineer would know this if there was one!  The engineer mentioned something about being set up for 21CN but obviously I'm capped at 8mbps  (I think that is what he said!) but have no idea what he was talking about! 
winaria
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎28-01-2016

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

I can confirm all these problems. I am on the same exchange and have been intouch with plusnet twice today as well as yesterday and last weekend. I have run dozens of speed tests in the last 5 days. On Wednesday am speeds were excellent. By 8pm it was almost unsuable at less than 1Mb.
Same thing today Thursday. Absolutely fine this morning and tests run after talking with Plusnet at various intervals were Ok till 1940 when 0.85Mb showed. Plusnet tests from their endat 1950 showed 8 Mb from their end which is what they have always reported, in other words they are not seeing right into our house, only to the exchange. All their tests are clean.
cedlor
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Registered: ‎02-04-2015

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Good two of you - maybe more?
Ok maybe engineer was mistaken?Huh
See this:
http://www.telephone-exchange.co.uk/Moffat-WSMOF.html
At the bottom of the para  exciting news........there is link marker "here"
Follow that and you may be able to tell if they have been working on your cabinet/cabinets.
Like I said it looks as if they maybe missing out the CN21 adsl2+ step.

There are sometimes problems when they are working in the cabinets so if they are enabled I would go back to PN and tell them
to ask openreach to check it out.  Just been looking at your weather forecast snow and gales  Brrrrr!
cedlor
Grafter
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Registered: ‎02-04-2015

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Quote from: jdmac

What tells you that it has been happening for years? 

I was reading this    http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,117420.msg1018304.html#msg1018304
What was the cause of the problem then? you never got back.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Quote from: jdmac
On windows 7.

Has the possibility of Microsoft forcing the massive Windows 10 upgrade to you been eliminated?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
winaria
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎28-01-2016

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Me too Win 7. No intention of going Win 10.
My frequent testing the last few days has shown that all is well in the morning and early afternoon. At 16.12 on Thursday it was 6.42Mb and at 1940 it was 0.85 (yes that's a fat zero)
Today Friday at 1550 it was 5.91 and at 1613 it was 0.75Mb.
Nothing else is on the line and i've tried direct attach to the master socket and  an ethernet cable to the PC with wifi disabled. Stats all show fine morning/afternoon, terrible evening. Even test with wifi on are fine/not fine, so it's not here - it has to be the exchange but nobody is listening.
cedlor
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Registered: ‎02-04-2015

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

@Winaria  - May not be the exchange - it could be something external causing noise on your line. If you still have the stats you took can you compare the
SNRM  Up and Down   at times when the speed was better and when it was bad.
That link I posted for checking out your exchange and cabinet seems a bit flakey - worked last night but not today.
Maybe try this instead - it will tell you which cabinet you are on. Maybe we can then find out a bit more.
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/pls/adsl/ADSLChecker.AddressOutput
jdmac
Grafter
Posts: 38
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Registered: ‎10-03-2011

Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Don't think its likely the Windows 7 to 10 thing - I've tried it from an android phone, an ipad, and an xp laptop too!
Surely if line noise, this would have been picked up by the Engineer that came to my house to do tests?
The 2nd link gave me:
                         
                                        Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)  Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)    Downstream Range (Mbps)
FTTC Range A (Clean)          80    74                                    20      20                            --        Available
FTTC Range B (Impacted)    80  70.4                                20      19                              --        Available
ADSL Max                                Up to 8                                      --                                  7 to 8    Available
Fixed Rate                                    2                                          --                                      --        Available
Other Offerings
Fibre Multicast                                --                                          --                                    --        Available
Mustrum
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Re: At wits end....download to take hours and HOURS!

Are you testing from a wired or wireless connection?