OK whats going on? Is Unlimited throttled every evening?

[#1]

OK. I had a problem when I changed over from 15gb limit to "unlimited", because the guys a plusnet blocked my access and forgot to warn me.
I have been trying to get my speed up ever since, and the router is plugged into the master socket at great inconvenience.
I have been running speed tests roughly every 15 minutes, and occasionally every hour.  
A pattern has begun to emerge,... between 19.30 and 23.00 ping times treble, and the speed drops dramatically
NO I am not a gamer. My "normal" speed used to be about 1.4mb and steady  it has crawled up to 700kbps for the past day since this morning, and then suddenly WHAM, back down to 250 kbps...


I am beginning to wonder if I made the right decision to go "unlimited"
So  What is going on?
[Moderator's note by Thomas (Be3G): CAPS removed from title – they're equivalent to shouting so should be avoided on these forums.]

[#2]

Are the figures your sync rates or your data throughput speeds (i.e. via a broadband test page)?
What are your line stats - line attenuation and SNR and do these change when the speed changes. If you are having line problems this may has increased the min downstream SNR to 9dB, 12dB or even 15dB which will affect your sync rates and then your data rates.
You need to check what you IP profile is set to on BTs network by running the BT speedtester and also what PN think it is via connection settings -> high speed broadband, and also see if these are changing.
The unlimited package is very heavily managed, more than most of the others.

[#3]

OK.... Get this.... I am also checking my router stats at the same times, and they do not change...
I will post a sample if you require...
SNR is 7.3  to 8.3 no significant changes between 15 minute checks.
IP profile matches the one on the BT speedtester (I have done one every three hours since 0800 this morning, and similarly until 2330 yesterday)
If "unlimited" is "Heavily Managed" then it is NOT unlimited ...
A 50 % speed drop for me is more devastating than someone on 6 or 7 mb speed....

[#4]

Well what a surprise..... just done a my broadband speed test, and sure enough  it is back up to 700
My Broadband Speed tester
Date  Download Speed  Upload Speed 
Today 22:22 707 kbps (88.4kB/s) 375 kbps (46.9kB/s)

Here is my record to prove that "unlimited" is definitely LIMITED....

Tuesday 10 November 2009
Date                Download Speed      Upload Speed
Today 22:09  293 kbps (36.6kB/s) 143 kbps (17.9kB/s) 
Today 22:00         273 kbps (34.1kB/s)    254 kbps (31.8kB/s)
Today 21:55          670 kbps (83.8kB/s)    343 kbps (42.9kB/s)
Today 21:18         216 kbps (27kB/s)        248 kbps (31kB/s)          
Today 21:05         496 kbps (62kB/s)          286 kbps (35.8kB/s)
Today 19:39        701 kbps (87.6kB/s)   334 kbps (41.8kB/s)
Today 17:15       706 kbps (88.3kB/s) 339 kbps (42.4kB/s)
Today 16:14        679 kbps (84.9kB/s) 371 kbps (46.4kB/s)
Today 15:26        664 kbps (83kB/s) 377 kbps (47.1kB/s)
Today 14:44       701 kbps (87.6kB/s) 372 kbps (46.5kB/s)
Today 13:42       704 kbps (88kB/s) 378 kbps (47.3kB/s)
Today 11:59       704 kbps (88kB/s) 377 kbps (47.1kB/s)
Today 10:37       702 kbps (87.8kB/s) 377 kbps (47.1kB/s)
Today 09:45         700 kbps (87.5kB/s) 375 kbps (46.9kB/s)
**************************************************************************************************************************
ROUTER STATS
16:15
Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.6  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4

*********************************************************
17:15
Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.4  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4
**************************************************
18:30
Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.3  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4
************************************************************
19:30
Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.4  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4
*****************************************************************
20:30
Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.3  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4
*******************************************************
21:05 Tuesday 10 Novebmber

Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.3  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4
***********************************************************
21:57
Mode:  G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect

  Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 1696  448

SNR Margin (dB): 7.1  21.0
Attenuation (dB): 63.5  25.0
Output Power (dBm): 12.2  18.4
****************************************************************************************
Speedtest. net    (don`t tell me it is not accurate...... it uses the same engine as the My broadband tester, and gives the same results)
11/10/2009 9:33 PM GMT  0.38 Mb/s  0.31 Mb/s  132 ms  Paris  ~ 400 mi 
11/10/2009 9:32 PM GMT 0.44 Mb/s 0.30 Mb/s 182 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 9:22 PM GMT 0.25 Mb/s 0.09 Mb/s 383 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 9:20 PM GMT  0.56 Mb/s 0.24 Mb/s 145 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 9:19 PM GMT 0.24 Mb/s 0.27 Mb/s 295 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 9:11 PM GMT 0.23 Mb/s 0.26 Mb/s 312 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 9:10 PM GMT 0.42 Mb/s 0.26 Mb/s 131 ms Milton Keynes ~ 150 mi
11/10/2009 9:09 PM GMT 0.35 Mb/s 0.19 Mb/s 317 ms Roubaix ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 9:07 PM GMT 0.28 Mb/s 0.22 Mb/s
1110/2009 7:44 PM GMT  0.71 Mb/s  0.32 Mb/s  116 ms Maidenhead  ~ 200 mi 
11/10/2009 7:43 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 66 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 7:42 PM GMT  0.68 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 67 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 5:18 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.32 Mb/s 94 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 5:17 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 102 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 5:16 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 110 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 3:28 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 50 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 3:28 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 56 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 3:27 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.31 Mb/s 61 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 2:47 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.33 Mb/s 52 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 2:46 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 56 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 2:45 PM GMT 0.66 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 59 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 1:45 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 50 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 1:44 PM GMT 0.71 Mb/s 0.29 Mb/s 56 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 1:43 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 59 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/10/2009 12:01 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 54 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 12:00 PM GMT 0.66 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 60 ms Birmingham ~ 100
11/10/2009 10:40 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.33 Mb/s 49 ms Maidenhead ~ 200
11/10/2009 10:39 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 55 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 10:38 AM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 59 ms Birmingham ~ 100
11/10/2009 10:06 AM GMT 0.71 Mb/s 0.28 Mb/s 184 ms Torshavn ~ 600 mi
11/10/2009 9:49 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 49 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/10/2009 9:48 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 54 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/10/2009 9:46 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 58 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 10:10 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 58 ms Maidenhead
11/9/2009 10:09 PM GMT  0.70 Mb/s  0.37 Mb/s  66 ms  Paris  ~ 400 mi 
11/9/2009 10:08 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 67 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 9:03 PM GMT 0.47 Mb/s 0.19 Mb/s 128 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 9:02 PM GMT    0.31 Mb/s 0.35 Mb/s 149 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 9:01 PM GMT 0.36 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 138 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 9:00 PM GMT 0.52 Mb/s 0.35 Mb/s 153 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 8:03 PM GMT 0.44 Mb/s 0.29 Mb/s 135 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 8:03 PM GMT 0.56 Mb/s 0.35 Mb/s 144 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 8:01 PM GMT 0.40 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 281 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 7:36 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.28 Mb/s 110 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 7:35 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 114 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 7:34 PM GMT 0.66 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 101 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 6:58 PM GMT 0.34 Mb/s 0.18 Mb/s 65 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 6:57 PM GMT 0.58 Mb/s 0.32 Mb/s 328 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 6:56 PM GMT 0.46 Mb/s 0.30 Mb/s 61 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 6:48 PM GMT 0.59 Mb/s 0.26 Mb/s 322 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 6:47 PM GMT 0.41 Mb/s 0.29 Mb/s 56 ms Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 6:46 PM GMT 0.37 Mb/s 0.24 Mb/s 79 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 6:18 PM GMT 0.47 Mb/s 0.30 Mb/s 50 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 6:17 PM GMT 0.56 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 56 ms Paris ~ 400 mi

11/9/2009 6:16 PM GMT 0.34 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 506 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi

11/9/2009 6:15 PM GMT 0.28 Mb/s 0.12 Mb/s 559 ms
11/09/2009 5:00 PM GMT  0.69 Mb/s  0.24 Mb/s  70 ms  Maidenhead  ~ 200 mi 
11/9/2009 4:59 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 117 ms  Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 4:58 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 135 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 4:44 PM GMT 0.71 Mb/s 0.32 Mb/s 108 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 4:43 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.33 Mb/s 105 ms    Roubaix ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 4:41 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 78 ms  Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 4:37 PM GMT 0.39 Mb/s 0.30 Mb/s 504 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 3:58 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 49 ms  Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 3:57 PM GMT 0.64 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 55 ms         Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 3:56 PM GMT 0.64 Mb/s 0.33 Mb/s 60 ms   Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 2:41 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 48 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi

11/9/2009 2:40 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.31 Mb/s 49 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 2:39 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 55 ms  Paris ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 2:39 PM GMT 0.63 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 76 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 9:00 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.37 Mb/s 48 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi
11/9/2009 8:59 AM GMT 0.71 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 55 ms  Pari    ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 8:58 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.38 Mb/s 58 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/9/2009 8:03 AM GMT    0.70 Mb/s 0.28 Mb/s 98 ms Roubaix ~ 400 mi
11/9/2009 8:02 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 47 ms Milton Keynes ~ 150 mi
11/9/2009 8:01 AM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.31 Mb/s 56 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/8/2009 11:05 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s  0.28 Mb/s  98 ms  Roubaix  ~ 400 mi
11/8/2009 10:33 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s  0.27 Mb/s  153 ms  Roubaix  ~ 400 mi 
11/8/2009 10:32 PM GMT 0.70 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 75 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi

11/8/2009 10:04 PM GMT 0.68 Mb/s 0.33 Mb/s 105 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi

11/8/2009 10:03 PM GMT 0.69 Mb/s 0.33 Mb/s 128 ms  Paris ~ 400 mi

11/8/2009 10:02 PM GMT 0.68 Mb/s 0.36 Mb/s 110 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi

11/8/2009 8:19 PM GMT 0.30 Mb/s 0.25 Mb/s 125 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi

11/8/2009 8:19 PM GMT  0.32 Mb/s 0.26 Mb/s 234 ms Roubaix ~ 400 mi
11/8/2009 8:18 PM GMT    0.32 Mb/s 0.31 Mb/s 139 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/8/2009 7:29 PM GMT    0.33 Mb/s 0.30 Mb/s 139 ms Maidenhead ~ 200 mi

11/8/2009 7:28 PM GMT 0.31 Mb/s 0.35 Mb/s 99 ms   Paris ~ 400 mi

11/8/2009 7:27 PM GMT 0.34 Mb/s 0.34 Mb/s 131 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
11/8/2009 6:23 PM GMT 0.20 Mb/s 0.13 Mb/s    208 ms Birmingham ~ 100 mi
****************************************************************************************************************************************
I think I have copied them correctly. !
Hope this lot helps someone somewhere to get this speed issue sorted out quick.....

[#5]

Shutter, I'll be very interested to see how this is dealt with/resolved as I have the same problem and it's rather annoying but the premium package would not suit me so i'm in a predicament. My noise margin is at 6.3 and data transfer rate is at 7616 but if i do a speed test my pings at the moment are very high and my download speeds fluctuate between3600 and 6100 but should i set a rapidshare download going it will crawl in at around 30KB/s most times at this time of night. I will be following your thread with interest.

[#6]

I am on Unlinited also (though I am also on 21CN as an 'ex trialist'), I honestly do not see these evening slow-down issues that many have reported.
I seem to be consistently connected to thn-ag2, perhaps that''s a good gateway or maybe it's the 21CN that is keeping my connection from slowing down, Whatever is causing your issues, either my gateway or 21CN (or both) seem to make me much better off.  I'd assume that traffic shaping would affect me also if that was really the issue (though this may depend on the loading of the gateway or some otehr part of the network).
Hope this infomormation helps to point towards a possible solution (or, at the very least, an explaination for your peak-time speed issues).
All internet connections will, potentially, slow down at peak usage times but I agree that your experience is rather worse that you would wish to expect, I cannot comment on the current experience of those using other ISPs though as I have now been with PN for a couple of years.
, Alastair.

[#7]

Just for everyone's benefit the line issues that Shutter has had are/have been dealt with. He's got a steady profile and an uncongested exchange. These are throughput problems just like all the others being complained about.

[#8]

Just a short note, the unlimited is not related to the speed of the connection, but to the amount of Gb that you can download at any time of the day,  that is if your connection speed is fast enough, the speed should comply to this chart  http://kitz.co.uk/isp/plusnet_shaping.htm  you can compare different products side by side

[#9]

You are quite right Pierre, but unless I've made some awful mistake the speedtests are just like browsing, which should be unrestricted.

[#10]

but just look which rubbish speed tester was being used  Trust Gerry
.

Quote

11/9/2009 8:01 AM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.70 Mb/s    0.31 Mb/s    56 ms    Birmingham    ~ 100 mi 11/8/2009 11:05 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.70 Mb/s    0.28 Mb/s    98 ms  Roubaix    ~ 400 mi 11/8/2009 10:33 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.69 Mb/s    0.27 Mb/s    153 ms  Roubaix    ~ 400 mi  11/8/2009 10:32 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.70 Mb/s    0.34 Mb/s    75 ms    Birmingham    ~ 100 mi   11/8/2009 10:04 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.68 Mb/s    0.33 Mb/s    105 ms Maidenhead    ~ 200 mi   11/8/2009 10:03 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.69 Mb/s    0.33 Mb/s    128 ms  Paris    ~ 400 mi   11/8/2009 10:02 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.68 Mb/s    0.36 Mb/s    110 ms Birmingham    ~ 100 mi   11/8/2009 8:19 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.30 Mb/s    0.25 Mb/s    125 ms Maidenhead    ~ 200 mi   11/8/2009 8:19 PM GMT    87.112.17.111    0.32 Mb/s    0.26 Mb/s    234 ms Roubaix    ~ 400 mi

[#11]

Pierre.... I am using the same speedtest engine that "mybroadbandspeed" (recommended by PlusNet) uses, and I also use the Mybroadbandspeed tester.  They both give the same results within .03 ... so there is not any point in making facetious remarks, when I have problems enough without having to explain to you about the two speed testers .

[#12]

Both use the OKla engine but the MyBroadband uses a node next to the PN pipes, you have been using places 400 miles from there on speedtest.net and hence are measuring the general internet slowdown and not PN on those - trust me Gerry, Jameseh hates their results

[#13]

Right,
Time for some clarification.  WEB IS NOT THROTTLED ON UNLIMITED.
Now we've got that clear let's look at some other things.  We  KNOW that we currently have some issues affecting throughput on our network currently.  These are being sorted as per the ~£1m extra capacity we've added in the last week.  We've also started doing some work (which we should have completed at some stage later on today.
Shutter - You're currently on a 1250Kbps profile which I suspect is the reason for your poor throughput.  What's the BT Speedtester giving?

[#14]

We'll Pierre, they may have improved it  you never know, personally I prefer to use mybroadbandspeed for consistency, but Shutter has demonstrated some correlation with mybroadbandspeed and BT speedtester 
So leave the poor chap alone, you're confusing him 

[#15]

Speedtest.net = BAD
Mybroadbandspeed = GOOD
Shutter - When you use a different server, eg: Birmingham, your traffic is going from the south coat, to London to Birmingham to London to the South coast.
If you use ours, it goes from the south coast, to London, back to the south coast - so less distance.  Using servers in France is even more pointless