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Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

ultimax
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎27-12-2012

Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Hello,
My broadband was activated yesterday and am presently getting only 1.3-1.5Mb/s with the router plugged into the master socket.
I understand it takes about 10 days for the connection to stabilise, but are such slow speeds normal? I was expecting a fluctuation near the expected speed, and not at 10-15% of the speed I'm supposed to be able to hit.
If it's any use now, here's the diagnosis information.
Would appreciate any insight.
Thanks!
DSL Connection --> Link Information

Uptime: 0 days, 0:15:36
DSL Type: ITU-T G.992.5
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 440 / 13.384
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/MB]: 802,50 / 5,91
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12,9 / 0,0
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 15,4 / 30,5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 30,1 / 9,2


BT Speedtester
Download speedachieved during the test was - 1.32 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 4 Mbps-21 Mbps.
IP Profile for your line is - 11.8 Mbps
Upload speed achieved during the test was - 0.35Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 0.45 Mbps

Current Line Speed
Estimated line speed:9Mb (This may vary between 8Mb and 11.5Mb) - Checked on 2013-01-11 17:17:23
Current line speed: 21 Mb

17 REPLIES 17
w23
Pro
Posts: 6,347
Thanks: 96
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎08-01-2008

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Give it a while, your line statistics suggest you will get much better speeds.
Call me 'w23'
At any given moment in the universe many things happen. Coincidence is a matter of how close these events are in space, time and relationship.
Opinions expressed in forum posts are those of the poster, others may have different views.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Plusnet may be throttling your connection accidentally.  Look here https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed and see what is shown under Current Line Speed.  If this is less than 11.8 Mbps then they are.  In which case you need to call them and get it put right.  
Okay lets try again, your current line speed 21 Mbps suggests that it is still at a default value.  So no obvious reason why your actual download speed was so slow.  I would try a few more tests to make certain then call Plusnet if all the results are bad.
DBGlos
Grafter
Posts: 40
Registered: ‎12-01-2013

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Hi there
This is what I would like to know....
At least your profile syas you should be getting faster - mine is at 0.25 at the moment I think...
Makes the internet almost unusable doesn't it... I like you was expecting some fluctuation around my forecast speed of 13.5 Mbps but it dropped very quickly after activation to the painfully slow speed we are getting now and has stayed there ever since!
Please let me know how you get on!
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

The situation with DBGlos is completely different.  DBGlos has arrived at a line rate of 287 kbps - for whatever reason.  You, ultimax, have a line rate of 13384 kbps but got nowhere even close to this in the (single?) speed test you ran.
ultimax
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎27-12-2012

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Hello,
So I take it that my slow speed isn't normal even in the first few days after activation.
I've run the speedtest several times at different times over 2 days and I've gotten a consistent 1.3Mb/s speed. Even tried different speedtest websites.
I'll give PS a call tomorrow and will post back.
Thanks for everyone's help.
DBGlos --> Apparently our problems are different, but I imagine the frustration to be similar, though you're probably in a worse off position than I am. I can still surf reasonably speedily, but it's streaming that's choppy. Anyway the bottom line is as a new customer you hope to jump in and enjoy your broadband connection right away, but sadly this hasn't turned out to the be the case for us.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Quote from: ultimax
So I take it that my slow speed isn't normal even in the first few days after activation.

No, you are much more likely to achieve a faster speed than you ever do again during the first few days.
Estragon
Rising Star
Posts: 811
Thanks: 10
Registered: ‎07-02-2012

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

@ultimax
Not just the throughput is wrong. Sync/connection speed/bandwidth on 30.5dB attenuation would normally be 15Mbps or more. The two problems may be related.
The 9dB noise margin can account for a loss of up to 1.2Mbps, so might explain the loss of sync speed. Have you been disconnecting and reconnecting a lot to see if it improved things? That can easily cause a jump from the standard 6dB.
Re the throughput, is this a new installation of broadband, (possibly at new premises for you), or a migration from an OK service with a different ISP?
Are you testing speeds with a wired or wireless connection to your router. It needs to be wired for diagnostic purposes, and Plusnet will want that. It would also be better if your master socket has a detachable bottom half of the front, to remove that half, (the faceplate), and connect the filter to the test socket revealed. Careful, as any extensions are wired to the back of the faceplate.
Edit - a set of stats immediately after connecting through the test socket, taken before speed testing, would be useful.
ultimax
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎27-12-2012

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Hello Estragon,
This is a new installation. The Open Reach engineer had to come down and set things up.
I disconnected/reconnected a few times, but not a whole lot I reckon. Just to shift the router around and reboot two or three times to see if that fixed things.
I connected the filter to the test socket directly as you've described. Measurements were taken over an ethernet connection, not wireless.
Here's a fresh of stats, taken from the test socket (faceplate unscrewed), before speed testing, through a wired connection:

Uptime:
0 days, 0:00:53
DSL Type: ITU-T G.992.5
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 443 / 13.186
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 91,76 / 208,79
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12,8 / 0,0
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 15,3 / 30,5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 29,7 / 9,1

And here are the latest speedtest results from BT Wholesale:
Download speedachieved during the test was - 1.41 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 4 Mbps-21 Mbps.
IP Profile for your line is - 11.63 Mbps
Upload speed achieved during the test was - 0.35Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 0.45 Mbps
jim:quote
Estragon
Rising Star
Posts: 811
Thanks: 10
Registered: ‎07-02-2012

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Is your computer running Windows XP? If so there are settings that might help.  If later than XP then Windows adjusts them automatically.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Apologies if I missed it - but are you running the speed tests wireless or wired - if wireless can you try wired
ultimax
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎27-12-2012

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Hey guys,
I'm running WIndows Vista.
And the tests were done on a wired connection. The results are similar on a wireless connection, though.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

When running the speed test you need to make sure that no other program or no other device is accessing the internet.  If it was, that could explain the poor results - which otherwise are quite difficult to explain.  Assuming your computer is your only internet-connected device then starting it in Safe Mode with Networking might be effective in blocking other programs that access the Internet.  So doing that and repeating the speed tests would be interesting.
Estragon
Rising Star
Posts: 811
Thanks: 10
Registered: ‎07-02-2012

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

IIRC safe mode with networking disables any software IS security you have.  Leaving you reliant on the router firewall and and Windows firewall if you enable that.
Method0ne
Grafter
Posts: 134
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎12-12-2008

Re: Is it normal for new customers to have really slow speeds initially?

Might be a shot in the dark here, but do you by any chance use Avast for your anti-virus protection?
I only ask since I used in on Win XP before my recent hardware upgrade with no issues, yet since my upgrade, and a subsequent move to Win 7, Avast has caused me nothing but headaches as it completely eats my bandwidth with its' web monitoring active.
And by completely eats, I mean the throughput drops from my usual 15-16mbit to that of less than 2mbit, and recorded as low as 0.25mbit using online speed tests.