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Intermittent speed issues.

deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Intermittent speed issues.

Peeps
My broadband was activated in Friday and ever since then I have never had a consistent speed from it.
I am on ADSL (as I found out yesterday)  so my modem is setup as 8mg d/l.
At best I get around 6mb which is OK however all of a sudden it d just drops to around 0.5mb.  When using iplayer or Netflix the video just pauses and stutters it way through. Using utorrent, I can barely get a connection.
I have tired rebooting my router and that seems to help for about 5mins then it comes back again. I have tried a few full factor resets and this has the same effect.
Web pages take an age to load and I notice that my Vodafone suresignal drops out as well due to the low speeds. When the speed is OK again,  the suresignal works again.
Questions
1. Does plusnet have a 10 day period at the beginning where it tests the line to get the best speed? Am I experiencing issues during this test period?
2. Due to the multiple resets and roboots on my router,  has the exchange thought I have had connection issues and put me on a default setting which is slow to try and fix the issues? Can my line be reset to fix this?
3. My router is at the default settings apart from port forwarding for my suresignal.  Is there something else I should do or turn on to increase stability? This router has so many adjustable settings, I don't know what to do. (it the white technicolour one)
Any advice would be appreciated
Chris
33 REPLIES 33
deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

here is a good speedtest taken just  now

will provide a bad one when it happens again.
drunkenmonkey
Grafter
Posts: 1,661
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎13-06-2007

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

You may well find that the reboots are/will have an effect on your connection profile especially since you're in the 10 day training period so I'd try to keep them to a minimum are you able to follow this guide to help us try and get a solution for you:
Http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,96155.0.html
Also can you provide us with the type of router you're using if not the plusnet one and also how you're connecting and doing the speedtests - wired/wireless
Appreciate the tests are a bit of a pain but they are vital! Once you've done those tests can you also connect to the BT test socket and try a BT speedtest on that. It would help us eliminate your internal wiring.
deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

Hi
Thanks for the reply.
i will stop the resetting of my router right away as i want sure if there was a test going on or not.
i have the Technicolour TG582n router.
Here are my line stats
Link Information

Uptime: 0 days, 1:21:39
DSL Type: ITU-T G.992.1
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 8,096
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [MB/MB]: 52.69 / 840.34
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.1 / 19.9
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 10.5 / 18.5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 28.0 / 10.1
System Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / ----
Chipset Vendor ID (Local/Remote): BDCM / IFTN
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / -
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / -
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / -
Loss of Link (Remote): -
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 0 / -
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
HEC Errors (Up/Down): - / 0
here are the speedtest results

Download speed achieved during the test was - 3.83 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 0.6 Mbps-7.15 Mbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :8.1 Mbps(DOWN-STREAM), 0.45 Mbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 7 Mbps
The current line speed is

Postcode:
Phone exchange:
   KINGLASSIE
Estimated line speed:
   7Mb (Download speed could vary depending on line conditions. Estimates are the maximum speeds that your phone line can support. These speeds are dependent on the package you choose.) - Checked on 2014-03-04 13:29:14
Current line speed:
   7 Mb
i do all my speedtesting via the wired connection to my PC. i live in a newish estate built 8 years ago and i hope that all is well with my line.
Jaggies
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 1,700
Thanks: 34
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎29-06-2010

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

All those stats look fine for an "Up to 8Mb" connection - no errors and plenty of spare SNR margin. IP profile and current line speed also match, so nothing wrong there.
However, based on that, your download speed on the test should be a lot better than "Download speed achieved during the test was - 3.83 Mbps".
Were there any other devices using the connection when you were running the test?
deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

No other devices were using the connection in the sense of downloading data, both our smartphones were connected to the wifi and not being used.
I have a VF sure signal plugged in but from my understanding of it, will only use data when on a call.
drunkenmonkey
Grafter
Posts: 1,661
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎13-06-2007

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

Can you tell us what gateway your on? You can find it from this url http://usertools.plus.net/@gateway
deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

no problem
here it is
You are currently connected to gateway ptw-ag01.
This is located in Telehouse West.
Jaggies
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 1,700
Thanks: 34
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎29-06-2010

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

I would try the speedtest with the phones off or disconnected from the wifi. Even if you aren't doing anything apps and other stuff could be updating in the background.
deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

bt wholsale test
. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download  Speed
6.34 Mbps

0 Mbps 7.15 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed
Download speedachieved during the test was - 6.34 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 0.6 Mbps-7.15 Mbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :8.1 Mbps(DOWN-STREAM), 0.45 Mbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 7 Mbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your Broadband Service Provider.
If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your Broadband Service Provider for assistance.
Your test has completed please close this window to exit the performance tester.
speedtest.com test

better today
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

Hi deejayburnout,
I can't see any issues with your line at the minute, I would make sure that you've got no other background programs running on your PC that could be using your connection.
Keep us posted on how it goes.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,916
Thanks: 9,534
Fixes: 156
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

Hi Chris P (DCT),
I know this is playing around at the margins, but when the user is on an exchange in the wild's of Scotland serving less than 1000 users with no prospect of 21CN let alone fibre squeezing the margins is essential.
Accepting that there is a sizeable gap between the measured 6.62Mbps and the reported line profile of 7Mbps, is the latter a rounded figure or the precise profile which would apply to a slightly slower synch'd 20CN line?

from ... https://portal.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/broadband_terminology.shtml#Sync
Sync speeds between > IP Profile
7968 - 8095kb/s > 7000 (up to 7Mb/s)
8096 - 8128kb/s > 7150 (up to 7.15Mb/s)

Also the synch speed is right on the bottom of the last band - given the massive 'head room' on the SNRM, do you have any thoughts on why the line is not synching at the 20CN / ADSL(1) maximum of 8128kbps ?  Is this possibly related to still being within the 10 day ADSL training period?  My memory fails me, does this apply to 20CN?
Consistently being well within the top profile synch band could be all that is needed to squeeze a bit extra out of this line.

Hi Chris (OP),
Is your router in the master socket?  Do you have any extension wiring?  If yes have you checked out all of the usual issues - bad connections, bell wire connected etc.?  have you done a quiet line test 17070 option 2?  You need to squeeze out as much synch as you can get and ensure that you have no noise mucking up the data transfers.  The error counts in your router stats look clean, but those stats were only after a short time of operation.  Can you please post some stats after a day or two of uninterrupted connection.  Note that frequent disconnects reboots is going to muck up your line in ways you don't really want!
Can you do some speed tests with WiFi switched off and nothing else connected to the router?  Just press the WiFi button to turn off the green light.
Remember that if you do a speed test whilst you are streaming Netflix of whatever (I assume you have done this to know that it has dropped to 0.5Mbps) that the speed test is not being done with nothing else using the internet.  Speed tests do not actually measure the delivered speed, rather they infer the speed by using the available capacity to the fullest possible extent.  If there is something else using the capacity, what they report will be inaccurate.  What would be a meaningful measurement is to look at the error counters whilst running Netflix and it is stuttering.  If the error counts rise significantly then that might point to a noise / interference issue.
Is that experience related to a time of day or weather conditions?  As ever with this technology, when looking the issue might not be present and therefore not diagnosable!  For such situations, constant monitoring of the router's stats using the likes of RouterStats is very useful.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

There is a 10 day training period still on ADSL(20CN). It may be something internal or phone line that is causing the slight bit of noise increase.
@deejayburnout
Are you able to connect to your test socket? http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/master-socket-guide.shtml#whatsTest
deejayburnout
Grafter
Posts: 150
Registered: ‎05-04-2014

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

Hi all
Sorry about the delay in replying
The speed issue is getting better. Its a lot more stable at around this speed

its does have times when is crawls and unfortunately i need to reset the modem. i have tried to avoid this as much as i can however i have left it for some time and it will no improve.
Is your router in the master socket? - Yes
Do you have any extension wiring?  - Yes but no issues with it. my master socket is in a bad place and i need to move the router.
have you done a quiet line test 17070 option 2? - What is this???
data from last reset
Link Information

Uptime: 0 days, 12:41:09
DSL Type: ITU-T G.992.1
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 8,096
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [GB/GB]: 1.46 / 18.90
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.1 / 19.9
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 10.5 / 18.5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 28.0 / 11.0
System Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / ----
Chipset Vendor ID (Local/Remote): BDCM / IFTN
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / -
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / -
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / -
Loss of Link (Remote): -
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 0 / -
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
HEC Errors (Up/Down): - / 0
i can test in the test socket tonight when i get home
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Intermittent speed issues.

Quote from: deejayburnout
have you done a quiet line test 17070 option 2? - What is this???

This will tell us if your phone line has any issues, if you dial the number from your handset and choose option 2 then hopefully it should be silent, if it's not then it's something we'd need to look at.
If you can let us know how it goes in the test socket that would be good.