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Fibre speed question

warmbells
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎21-03-2014

Fibre speed question

Hi all,
Just started with fibre on Monday 31st March with a download speed of 45meg it has now dropped to 37Meg, I know it takes 10 days to settle. Is it likely to drop even further? How do I find out what my speed should be, I can't find any way of checking what my line is capable of.
Any advice much appreiated.
Gerald
11 REPLIES 11
leader
Grafter
Posts: 261
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Fibre speed question

Hi
That 10 day rule does not apply to FTTC.
The only way to see the line stats is via a unlocked openreach modem or a high end all in one like the fritz box.
[An unlocked HG612 is a popular model as it works well with  software such as modem stats  http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/hg612stats.htm]
Smiley
warmbells
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎21-03-2014

Re: Fibre speed question

Thanks for the reply,
Does that mean that I might get lower speeds still? How do I find out what my profile is?
Gerald
leader
Grafter
Posts: 261
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Fibre speed question

Quick profile checker
http://windows.mouselike.org/be/index.asp?DoAction=BrasChecker
Or the usual BT speedtest
http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/
Could very well drop further Sad
The Unlocked modems are a very useful tool if you like keeping an eye on the line.
If you don't mind flashing firmware then the HG612 is worth a look ( loads on that well know auction site)
The ECI's are alot more difficult to unlocked (think solder ect)
WWWombat
Grafter
Posts: 1,412
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎29-01-2009

Re: Fibre speed question

Quote from: warmbells
Just started with fibre on Monday 31st March with a download speed of 45meg it has now dropped to 37Meg,

That is a plausible drop in the first few days.
DLM lets the line run at full speed from the first connection, and monitors the error rate and the number of disconnections (though the latter is pretty rare).
Normally, it doesn't intervene in the first 2 days, and just monitors. If it needs to intervene, it will normally then turn on FEC (error correction) and interleaving (to make the error correction more effective); you would see the turn-on as a disconnection overnight between the second and third days, and you are likely to drop sync speed between 10% and 20% (unless you had loads of overhead available, and already synced at 80Mbps), and add latency of 8ms.
For most people, DLM either doesn't intervene, or stops at that first intervention.
However, DLM does monitor the line forever, so an intervention is possible at any time, if errors become noticeable.
Quote

I know it takes 10 days to settle. Is it likely to drop even further?

For a few people, this first intervention isn't enough, and DLM has to fine-tune the settings for FEC and interleaving. If this happens, then you would see further disconnections overnight. The speed and latency might adjust somewhat, with the worst case being that DLM chooses to set banded speed profiles. the "10 days" thing is probably a generic way of allowing this process to work for the worst case, but for most people it is finished after 3 days.
If the speed drops significantly more, or keeps changing regularly (suggesting disconnections happen), it is worth raising it as a fault.
There is, however, a feature of FTTC that becomes is more obvious than on ADSL, and becomes more apparent as take-up increases: crosstalk. This is noise on your line, caused by other FTTC subscribers, and can end up being the most significant problem you'll have. Crosstalk can indeed cause speeds to drop further as time goes by, and as more people subscribe. But it happens randomly, so you can't really tell if you've already been hit, or if you will be tomorrow.
Quote
How do I find out what my speed should be, I can't find any way of checking what my line is capable of.

PN should have already provided you with an estimated speed. You can find that here, as the estimated speed. You'll also see a "current line speed" on that page, which is the limit that Plusnet will apply to your downloads.
BT Wholesale provide a checker that gives a range of estimates. You can find that here
BT also provides the speed checker linked by @Webif. When you run that, and then perform the extra diagnostics, it will give you an "IP Profile" value. That value is linked to your sync speed (multiply IP Profile by 1.033 to find the sync speed), and should match the PN "current line speed" above.
If you had a sync speed of 40Mbps, you'd have an IP profile of 38.7Mbps. The best download speeds would be likely to be 36.5 - 37 from speedtest.net.
Plusnet Customer
Using FTTC since 2011. Currently on 80/20 Unlimited Fibre Extra.
warmbells
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎21-03-2014

Re: Fibre speed question

Hi,
I've just run the BT checker and ran the further diagnostics. this is what I got:
Download speedachieved during the test was - 30.94 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 36.45 Mbps-45.56 Mbps .
Additional Information:
IP Profile for your line is - 45.56 Mbps
Upload speed achieved during the test was - 7.61Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 20 Mbps
Gerald
leader
Grafter
Posts: 261
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Fibre speed question

You see if it is with in the btw estimated range as WWWombat highlights
https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html
WWWombat
Grafter
Posts: 1,412
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎29-01-2009

Re: Fibre speed question

That gives you a sync speed of 47Mbps, with an IP profile of 45.5.
Does that second value match the "current line speed" on your Plusnet account?
Plusnet Customer
Using FTTC since 2011. Currently on 80/20 Unlimited Fibre Extra.
warmbells
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎21-03-2014

Re: Fibre speed question

Current line speed:
    78 Mb
WWWombat
Grafter
Posts: 1,412
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎29-01-2009

Re: Fibre speed question

That sounds like the default values from Plusnet, before they set it to a "real" value. Strange that it hasn't updated to match the IP profile.
Still, it means that PN won't be restricting you.
Plusnet Customer
Using FTTC since 2011. Currently on 80/20 Unlimited Fibre Extra.
Den1
Rising Star
Posts: 151
Thanks: 9
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎24-10-2013

Re: Fibre speed question

Are you connected wired or wireless ?  wireless speeds will always be lower 
warmbells
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎21-03-2014

Re: Fibre speed question

Wired, only wireless on my mobile