Help, please

[#1]

Hope I’m in the right section but I am now at my wits end in trying to solve my problem. I have been with PlusNet since Oct. 2008 and currently have a ‘Your Way Option 1’ account with an extra 1GB of usage for which I pay a total of £10.99 pm. For the first time I have apparently exceeded my limit, the penalty being a reduction in broadband speed. However, I have recently queried the fact that, for some considerable time, I have only achieved 250kbs download that has now been reduced to 125kbs (as of today). BT engineers have visited my premises, carried out all the necessary checks and confirm that 4.5 to 5mbs should be available. Checking my router details today indicates that the DSL readings are 448/5125. I’m not technically minded and have little understanding of the information shown except that the engineer did explain that the reading of 6144, at the time of his visit, would decrease over a period of two or three days, as per above.
I am considering an upgrade to Option 2, which will allow a considerable increase in usage, but don’t regard this a viable move until the speed problem has been resolved. Can anyone please offer a solution?
Estimated line speed:
Not recorded (service activated before we introduced estimates).
Current line speed:
5000

[color=red]DSL Connection[/color]
Uptime: 0 days, 2:51:00
DSL Type: G.992.1 annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 5,152
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 0.00 / 0.00
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 11.5 / 19.5
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 25.5 / 45.0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 19.0 / 8.5
Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / P
Loss of Framing Local/Remote): 33 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 3 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): 0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 9 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 15,544
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 103
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 87

Date Download Speed Upload Speed
6/11/10 23:48 119 kbps (14.9kB/s) 86 kbps (10.8kB/s) Share
6/11/10 20:59 125 kbps (15.6kB/s) 89 kbps (11.1kB/s) Share
6/11/10 20:37 122 kbps (15.3kB/s) 116 kbps (14.5kB/s) Share

[#2]

When you were getting the 250kbs was that using a wired or wireless connection to your router?
Could you post the results from a BT speed test please.
Regarding changing accounts, you might do better to switch to Value which gives you 10GB for £12.99 (or £6.49 if you are on a market 3 exchange) - some of the traffic shaping is more severe but if you just do standard browsing and email it should be fine. You can compare products using this tool: http://usergroup.plus.net/prodcomp1.php

[#3]

Good morning jelv,
Thank you for your response.
I am currently using a wired Suretouch 510v6 router as supplied by PlusNet. Unfortunately I am unable to perform a BT speed test for some reason relating to Java and when I mentioned this to the engineer he remarked that this was not uncommon. However, all other speed tests (PlusNets, Dan Elwells, Webuser etc.) have all confirmed the same low speeds.
Records show that I reside in a Market 1 area and therefore do not qualify for the reduced monthly rate and, furthermore, I am quite happy to pay for Option 2 provided I can achieve the desired speed.

[#4]

Unfortunately it's not the actual throughput but the IP Profile I wanted to see from the BT speedtest - and that's the only way to get it.
I'm wondering if you are on an incorrect profile - it needs someone from Plusnet to check that.

[#5]

Hi Calypso,
I've just ran a line test and checked your account and they are both showing as 4500k. I do notice, however that your account is set to fixed so this would mean that when you go over your usage you would see restricted speeds during peak times. Do you think this could be the issue?
Jojo

[#6]

Hi Joanne,
As referred to in my earlier post, I am aware that there is a restriction due to my exceeding limited usage but the reduction is by half of 250kbps (now between 121 and 125) which, by your own admission, is way below what I should be getting. Your figure of 4500kbs is what the BT engineer suggested would be available. If I can achieve that I will be happy to upgrade to Option 2.

[#7]

Hi jelv,
This morning I have tried three times to download Java that, after a period of about 15 mins. appeared successful, but BT test still says it's not installed, do I wish to install necessary plug-in, again and again. Most frustrating, can't see what I'm doing wrong.

[#8]

HI Calypso,
I'm not sure what you mean. When an account is restricted your maximum would be 128k which is what you seem to be getting at the moment. If your line was unrestricted I don't see why you wouldn't get the 4500 that your profile suggests.
Jojo

[#9]

Quote from: Calypso

Hi jelv, This morning I have tried three times to download Java that, after a period of about 15 mins. appeared successful, but BT test still says it's not installed, do I wish to install necessary plug-in, again and again. Most frustrating, can't see what I'm doing wrong.

Regarding Java you may have several versions installed - it does that sometimes - you will need to uninstall all of them and then install again.
Which browser are you using

[#10]

Hello Oldjim,
I use Chrome as my default browser. When I check which version is installed it shows J2SE RE 5.0 Update 4. as of 11/11/10. and nothing else!!

[#11]

Did you use this to check your Java http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

[#12]

with Firefox I am on Java 6.0.22 (and 6.0.21 because I haven't removed it)

[#13]

Ditto with Chrome.

[#14]

Hi Joanne,
I appreciate your comments but,  the point is, I was only getting a max. 250kbs long before the restriction applied. Having left it for longer than I should, I eventually raised an enquiry ticket on Oct. 29., which, I might add, took a month to resolve, in a fashion ie: engineers visit.

[#15]

Hello Strat,
I have just used the Java check as suggested but it simply shows that Java(TM0 plug-in is not installed. When I attempted to download Java this morning, it showed that Chromeinstall-6U22(1).exe had been installed but there is now no record of this!!