Broadband speed slower than expected

[#1]

I pay £16.34 per month for Plusnet Unlimited but feel I should be getting higher speeds for the money.
I don't have Java applets so can't run the BT speedtest.  No matter what other tester I run it's always about
2.7MB download speed, for example:

Hope there is sufficient info here:
Exchange EABCY
Phone exchange:
BILLERICAY
Estimated line speed:
5 - Checked on 2009-09-11 10:17:16
Current line speed:
3000
Peak usage:  4.06 GB  8am – Midnight
Off-peak usage:  169 MB  Midnight – 8am
Total usage 4.23 GB

From my Voyager 240 Router:
Line mode G.dmt 
Line state Show Time 
Latency Type Interleave 
Line Coding Trellis Off 
Line Up Count 1
Statistics Downstream Upstream 
Line Rate 3840 Kbps 448 Kbps 
Noise Margin 8.6 dB 21.0 dB 
Line Attenuation 30.5 dB 22.0 dB 
Output Power 18.6 dBm 11.9 dBm
Output Power 18.6 dBm 11.9 dBm 
K 121 15 
R 12 16 
S 1 8 
D 16 2 
Super Frames 416973 416971 
Super Frame Errors 14 0 
RS Words 28354231 3544253 
RS Correctable Errors 1487 7 
RS Uncorrectable Errors 49 0 
HEC Errors 11 0 
OCD Errors 0 0 
LCD Errors 0 0 
ES Errors 0 0
Test the connection to your ADSL service provider
Test ADSL Synchronization: PASS 
Test ATM OAM F5 segment ping: PASS 
Test ATM OAM F5 end-to-end ping: PASS 
Test ATM OAM F4 segment ping: FAIL 
Test ATM OAM F4 end-to-end ping: FAIL
Test the connection to your Internet service provider
Test PPP server connection: PASS 
Test authentication with ISP: PASS 
Test the assigned IP address: PASS 
Ping default gateway: PASS 
Ping primary Domain Name Server: PASS
I have checked all my connections/filters
Could you please see if a speed increase is possible thanks.

[#2]

Your speed is far too low for the reported attenuation.
Can you plug the router into the test socket with nothing else connected and advise the noise margin, attenuation and speeds

[#3]

Thanks for the prompt reply.  Took a bit of organising as the main socket with the tester
is in the garage.  Here are the results:

Connected to the test socket, nothing else connected:
Statistics Downstream Upstream 
Line Rate 5312 Kbps 448 Kbps 
Noise Margin 11.0 dB 19.0 dB 
Line Attenuation 30.5 dB 22.0 dB 
Output Power 19.6 dBm 11.9 dBm 
K 167 15 
R 14 16 
S 1 8 
D 16 2 
Super Frames 15878 15876 
Super Frame Errors 1 0 
RS Words 1079766 134946 
RS Correctable Errors 49 0 
RS Uncorrectable Errors 1 0 
HEC Errors 1 0 
OCD Errors 0 0 
LCD Errors 0 0 
ES Errors 0 0
I notice the downstream line rate has gone up but the connection speed is still about the same.
Thanks for your help.

[#4]

You can ignore the speed test results as they are limited by the IP Profile.
The point is the downstream sync speed which has increased from 3840 @ 8.6dB to 5312 @11dB
This gives us two bits of useful information.
Your default noise margin as set by the exchange is probably 12dB (probably due to problems with your connection from the other socket) and much more important your internal wiring is badly affecting your sync speeds.
With a master socket in the garage you are very limited in what you can do.
Can you post a photo of the wires attached the removable faceplate of the master socket

[#5]

I hope this gives you some idea. Sorry about the poor quality.

The black wire is the main incoming wire.  The other three wires go to sockets
inside the house.  The phone below the socket is never connected.

[#6]

One possible cause is the problem is that the ring wire is connected and disconnecting that may help however there may be other reasons for the problem
Without wishing to be impolite - how competent would you feel in relation to modifying the phone wiring.
If you just want to take the first easy step you could try a BT Iplate which doesn't require any fiddling with the wiring as it just clips into your master socket between the removable faceplate and the socket
http://www.shop.bt.com/content/uni2/documentation/58lt/iplate_8pp_booklet_v2_iplate_instruction_book...
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=7256
If you want to take it further can you advise how many sockets you have in the house and how convenient/difficult would it be to run a new cable from the master socket to the router
A further question - are all three wires feeding sockets you use and are the two upper wires different (round instead of flat) to the third wire

[#7]

I've disconnected the ring wires from terminal 3 of the main socket and this appears to have helped the router
stats:
Statistics Downstream Upstream
Line Rate 4512 Kbps 448 Kbps
Noise Margin 8.3 dB 19.0 dB
Line Attenuation 30.5 dB 22.0 dB
Output Power 19.0 dBm 11.9 dBm
One of the upper white wires goes to a socket that we never use.  The two upper
wires are indeed round, not flat like the one that comes out of the side (this is the one that
feeds the indoor socket that the router uses). 
I'll get an I-plate as well.
Will the above improvement result in a faster broadband connection?
If you plug the router into the front of the main socket in the garage (not the test socket inside
which gives the best stats) you now get roughly the same readings (above) as using the
original indoor socket for the router.

[#8]

The sync speed of 4512 should give a profile of 3500 if it's stable for 72 hours. This should allow speeds of around 3200 (approx) on a speedtest.
With an attenuation of 30.5db, you should be able to get much higher than this.
Are all other sockets that are in use filtered?

[#9]

Yes, all sockets have filters. Any other ideas?

[#10]

If I were you, I'd remove the connections that are redundant and remake the ones that are to be used. If you getting an iPlate, then get one of these http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=7187 to remake the connections on the back of the faceplate.
Not sure how old the filters are nor what quality they are, but while the credit card is out get some (or one) of these http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=1652 Always come in handy as a spare.
Also, try unplugging all phones and thus just leaving the router attached. Then add one phone at a time just to see if there is any change.

[#11]

Fitted the iplate to the master socket this morning and definite improvement to router stats as follows:
Statistics     Downstream Upstream
Line Rate     5984 Kbps 448 Kbps
Noise Margin 8.6 dB       20.0 dB
Line Attenuation 31.0 dB       22.0 dB
Output Power 19.6 dBm 11.9 dBm
Ran a speedtest and no change:

Tried disconnecting all phones at the sockets.  All filters are good quality but changed them round
anyway.  No  improvement in connection speed.
Is there anything I or Plusnet can do now to speed up the connection or is it a local exchange issue?
Thanks

[#12]

you'll need to keep that sync for  3 days for your ip profile to get updated , as said previously your download speed is governed by your ip profile.

[#13]

Sorry, I'm not sure of the terminology.  Do you mean that I need to keep my router switched on for 3 days
continuously to have the ip profile updated?
Thanks everyone for your help

[#14]

That's correct.

[#15]

I'd leave your router switched on permanently if you want to keep a decent speed