Fibre speed falls through the floor

[#1]

For a week or my (new) fibre speed has been pretty constant at around 70 Mbps.  Very pleased; and I had just begun to trust the darn thing.
Tonight it is down to around 20 Mbps.
Very frustrating not knowing why - nothing has changed, BT modem always on etc.
Why has it fallen - is there anyway for a user to tell?

[#2]

Double check with a wired network connection rather than wireless if you're not doing so already.
Also try logging on to the router, do a manual disconnect, wait a couple of minutes and reconnect - I've had to do this a couple of times in the last 18 months.
Do a 17070 quiet line test and check for any snap crackle or pops on the line.
Lastly set up a thinkbroadband ping graph or similar.

[#3]

Hello fp
     I don't want to worry you but mine dropped from 48 Mbs to 30Mbs,
I raised a fault on this but was not given an explanation for the drop, only that Pn and BTO do not consider this a fault  so your stuck with it unless it drops below 23 Mbs.
I am paying for the 80/20 package unlimited,

regards smiler1

[#4]

Thanks for the responses.
The tests are wired - and I turned off the PN router in-between some of the tests.
The speed was varying in the first week I had it then seemed to settle down to 70 or more until tonight.
I am on unlimited; and the line can clearly do 70.  Not fixing any problem would seem like a scam.
I find it frustrating not knowing why the speed varies or suddenly tanks.

[#5]

Hi fp,
I'm sorry to hear that you're seeing slowdowns on your connection.
Are you seeing these at a particular time of day? Your connection rate isn't changing between the Cabinet and your property so we're looking at a definite throughput issue. When you start to see low throughput, could you try a PPPoE connection sow e can rule out a router issue please?
http://community.plus.net/library/broadband/fibre-help-how-to-set-up-a-pppoe-dialler-in-vistawindows...
I've attached your line statistics.

[#6]

Chris
First of all thanks for responding.  And for the line statistics, which seem to rule out one potential problem?
My speed was varying on first install.  Then for the last week (at least when I tested it) it seemed to have settled down to 70ish.  Yesterday teatime/evening when I switch it on (the router that is, the BT modem is left on) for the first time that day, the speed had dropped to around 20 Mbps – varying between about 16 and 30 ish.  Later that night toward 10 o'clock it seemed to partially recover to >50 Mbps.  I began to wonder whether someone else had hacked my connection, on the assumption that my 70 Mbps is not 'shared' at peak times. This morning at six, it was back to 'full speed'.  And tonight, so far, it at 72 – 73, which I think is a record.
I cannot categorically say if the variable speed is at a particular time.  I would say in the evening, but of course that is when I use it most.
My frustration is not understanding anything about the underlying technology and therefore whether I should expect the speed to vary (so much) or suspect a problem.
Thanks for the PPOE information.  I will try to find a Windows machine – or learn a bit more about linux.
Frank

[#7]

Can you try leaving your router on ?
I know on some of my routers, when they are first turned on, I can get random speed fluctuations for up to an hour. They are running dd-wrt which is something totally different to what you are using but if your speed seems to stabilise after a while it might be worth investigating.

[#8]

Ok.... up until 2130 ish the speed was very good and constant at around 70-72.
Then it started to flap around 60 - 70
Now (22:15) 20 - 30 Mbps.

[#9]

Set windows box to connect to BT modem via ppoe. 
72 Mbps download / 9.38Mbps upload.  (Strange that upload is half usual speed.).
Back through router: back to 70 ish / 18ish upload.
PPOE test about 22:30, so about 15 minutes from when speed measured 20-30 Mbps through router.
And router test about 3 mins later.
I guess my question is: should the speed be consistent and around 70 all the time.

[#10]

With a wired connection, your speeds should be consistent in an ideal world. With wireless they can vary considerably but you've hopefully ruled that out with the PPPoE / PC.
PN have said your modem connection speeds has remained constant so it isn't disconnecting and reconnecting at a lower speed so I'd suspect congestion at the exchange or cabinet.

[#11]

I can't see your exchange located on the list of exchanges that are having issues. It might be worth raising a fault with us at http://faults.plus.net so we can get the Cabinet looked at if the issues are continuing.

[#12]

Thanks Chris, I raised a ticket.