Slow Download speed

[#1]

Hi Guys,
Just wondering if you could throw any light onto why for the last 3 days I have been getting really slow download speeds. I have read the post by Jamesh.
I have raised a ticket with Metronet (Ticket: 25970248) who are usually really quick in responding in past experience, but are not this time. They replied yesterday but havent today and not really got anywhere.
Anyway, my router (Netgear DG834PN) is connecting at about 150-250 kbps. Usually it connects at about 1700kbps.
Running the Tracert command on bbc.co.uk and google.co.uk brings up good low pings (between about 55-75) everytime. However, If I try to connect to a Call Of Duty server, Im lucky if the pings are less than 300.
I have rebooted the router several times as well as trying a different router with different ADSL filters on the telephone socket in the room that my computer is in and on my laptop in the living room connected to the master socket behind the cover. But get the same results.
I have also ran DrTcp but made no difference.
I am really out of ideas and things to try. Any other ideas I could try while waiting for Metronet?
I cant bear this much longer, I have to spend time with the wife because i cant play COD4 online!
Please Help!
Many thanks in advance.

[#2]

I have just ran the BT Speedtester and got the following...
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 224 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  448 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 86 kbps

[#3]

might be because you have hit your bandwidth limit

[#4]

Have you had a look at Jameseh's speed fault blog? http://community.plus.net/blog/2007/07/02/broadband-speed-faults-how-to-diagnose/ Its really good. The main things are :
1. Ensure you are in the main BT wall socket
2. If you have more than one socket in the house try the engineers test socket located under the main BT faceplate
3. Try other cables, filters etc. Check the routers sync rate after changing to see if there is any improvement.
4. Is there any noise on the phone line, if so remove the router and filter plug the phone straight in to the wall and see if its still there, if it is call your phone provider.
The usage limits on Metronet products are slightly different, with a ceiling limit up to around £26 worth of extra downloads available, am sure you will have had an email. But with sync rates as low as you have provided its unlikely to be restrictions placed on the account.
Let us know how you get on

[#5]

Thanks for replying guys,
Yes I have read the Jameseh's Blog Emma and have tried all that has been suggested. Tried a laptop,  different router and micro filters on the test socket and still no different.
I have had no email regarding the ceiling limit.
I have just rebooted my router again and It has connected at 448kbps downstream and upstream.
Ran the BT Speed tester again and got the following -
The speed test has completed on test server speedtester1.nat.bt.com for user *********** and you have downloaded a 1.7Mb file at a speed of
128 kilo bits per second (Kbps), your service bandwidth will have been quoted to you in kilo bits per second.
Your IP address is **.***.***.***, your browser is reported as being Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 and is running on Windows XP.
BT would regard the speed ranges shown below as normal service:
  For 250kbps End Users speeds between 50 - 250kbps.
  For 500kbps End Users speeds between 100 - 500kbps.
  For 1000kbps End Users speeds between 200 - 1000kbps.
  For 2000kbps End Users speeds between 400 - 2000kbps.

[#6]

Can you advise the router stats - noise margin and attenuation

[#7]

Thanks for your reply Jim. Heres the stats.
System Up Time 01:09:45
Port          Status              TxPkts          RxPkts      Collisions    Tx B/s      Rx B/s        Up Time
WAN        PPPoA              5877            6686                0                255        1357          01:09:17
LAN      10M/100M            9453            6996              0                1552        320            01:09:41
WLAN  11M/54M/108M  1764              109                0                  39              2              01:09:35

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 448 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 55.0 db 29.0 db
Noise Margin 15.6 db 18.0 db

[#8]

It looks as though your default noise margin has been increased due to instability problems.
Given that your speed is still low for the attenuation figure.
With the other router/filter/cable are the results similar

[#9]

Hi Jim,

OK, the first link is the Netgear DG834PN router, different filter and in the master wall socket
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7910/netgearfrontyq1.jpg
This link is the same as above but in the connection behind the faceplate on the master socket
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4320/netgeartestqg0.jpg

This link is a different router and different filter on the connection behind the faceplate on the master socket
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/8306/safecomtestwb8.jpg

[#10]

The odd thing is that with the Safecom router the attenuation is showing as 50.4dB whereas the Netgears are both showing 55dB
However there must be a problem with the line as you should be getting much higher speeds with 55dB attenuation. As a comparison I get about 2500kbps at 15dB SNR and 51dB attenuation.
The only way forward is to use the Fault Checker and say you have a speed problem. I assume Metronet works the same what as PlusNet

[#11]

Jim,
Many thanks for your feedback and info. I raised an incident on Thursday with them at about 6pm and had ony 1 response since, which is really poor in my opinion. Normally the support is really good, but I am disappointed this time.
Anyway, I really appreciate your help. Thanks again.

[#12]

looking at that i got a high noise margin as well rele takes the mic 2bh but i know networking and bt are looking in to it and had a internal note yesterdat saying it was a profile.
if its a profile issue like plus net says it is then it would be two profile issues within 4 months and i've only been with plus.net 4 4months as well.
just posted my speedtester.bt.com results below
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Your DSL connection rate: 3744 kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP profile for your line is - 3000 kbps
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 2554 kbps
Router -
DSL Status:  Connected
DSL Modulation Mode: MultiMode
DSL Path Mode: Interleaved
Downstream Rate: 3744 kbps
Upstream Rate: 448 kbps
Downstream Margin: 13 db
Upstream Margin: 24 db
Downstream Line Attenuation: 50 db
Upstream Line Attenuation: 15.5 db
Downstream Transmit Power: 12 db
Upstream Transmit Power: 18 db
Plus.Net outcome
Upstream Link Info
 
Loop Loss Loop Loss Add Text SNR Margin Errored Seconds HecErrors Cell Count Speed
33.5 22.8 4 0 7311013 448


  Downstream Link Info
 
Loop Loss Loop Loss Add Text SNR Margin ErroredSeconds HecErrors CellCount Speed
50.5 13.5 0 0 36840423 3776


  DSL Max Data

  BIP Interface Data
 
Current line rate Line rate change timestamp Maximum Stable Rate Recalcuated ProfileTimestamp Maximum Stable Rate
3000 2008-07-28T00:15:00 N 2008-02-13T14:54:36 4000


 
Fault Threshold Rate Interleaving Flag ServiceOption ServiceOption Status ServiceOption Update Timestamp
3200 A 1 THIS LINE IS STABLE AND WELL WITHIN ERROR/RETRAIN LIMITS FOR THE CHOSEN SERVICE OPTION (ILQ=GREEN) 2008-03-30T12:03:01
so lets await 4 plus.net to let me know.

[#13]

I must be honest I am not sure what the problem is.
You are currently showing this
Downstream Rate:    3744 kbps
Downstream Margin:    13 dB
IP Rate 3000kbps BT speed test 2554 kbps
Are you getting lower speeds on the PlusNet speedtest and, if so, what does this give https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed
I would guess that you have a default noise margin of either 12dB or 15dB and you seem to have a lot of errors - how long has the router been in synch.
Note to achieve the next step of 3500kbps you would need to hold synch at 4000kbps or higher which given your attenuation and error rate looks unlikely

[#14]

There are other things in those stats that point, fairly strongly, to poor local phone wiring.
(just ask Shutter what that can do)

[#15]

HPsauce - for my education  
Can you be a bit more specific as these are my current stats and I don't have any local wiring. The only thing I can see are the large number of errors but I don't know over what period.

Quote

Uptime: 0 days, 11:14:07 Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 3,584 Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 19.0 Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 24.5 / 51.0 SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 19.0 / 9.5 FEC Errors (Up/Down): 130 / 6,151 CRC Errors (Up/Down): 8 / 13 HEC Errors (Up/Down): 10 / 12