Slow download speed, high sync and IP profile?

[#1]

Hi, we've had our broadband activated for about 10 days now (although there was a fault on the line that meant our broadband only started working 5 days ago). However our broadband is painfully slow - all the speedtests showing around 200kbps, and I've done many at different times of the day.
The strange thing is that my router is syncing at 8128kbps down and my IP profile is set to 7150. So surely there is no problem with my line? I am also very near to my exchange - around 750m away so should get fast broadband. Is there therefore a problem at my exchange? (Bangor in Wales).
I have checked the VP Capacity and it is showing as green - my broadband has been really slow ever since it was activated so maybe it's not a capacity problem - ie it's not just slow at peak times.
Currently the bt speedtester isn't working for me but I have run it and it asks to run further tests using bt_test_user but I can't seem to get these to work - it just shows a green BT Wholesale welcome screen? The speedtester also shows my line profile as 7150 and download syncs at 8128 and upload at 448, but my thoroughput is always dreadful, always >200kbps.
Stats from my router:
Link Information
Uptime: 0 days, 12:44:41
DSL Type: G.992.1 annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 448 / 8,128
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 0.00 / 1.00
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 19.5
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 11.5 / 17.0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 27.0 / 13.5
Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / TSTC
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): 0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 99
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
If someone could shed some light on this I'd be grateful, as my line seems to be fine..?
Thanks very much

[#2]

Check the value shown for Current line speed here. That is sometimes referred to as your Plusnet profile and should automatically update to match the BT IP Profile within 24 hours of the latter updating.
I suspect the value is probably 250kbps. If you ring the CSC they can reset that to 7150kbps for you.

[#3]

Hey thanks for your help, I've just checked the linespeed on that site and it shows:
Estimated line speed:
7 - Checked on 2010-09-17 21:46:30
Current line speed:
7150
I've just been able to run a bt speedtest as well:
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
Download  Speed
360 Kbps

0 Kbps 7150 Kbps
Max Achievable Speed
Download speedachieved during the test was - 360 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 600-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :8128 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 7150 Kbps

This test was not conclusive and further testing is required.This might be useful for your ISP to investigate the fault.
If you wish to carry out further tests,please click on 'Continue' button.If not, please close the window using 'Exit' button and contact your ISP for further assistance with these results.

The download speed is still very slow, this test was taken at 9:30 in the morning, so not peak time.
Any suggestions?
Thank you

[#4]

Hi britvic,
from the line test I have just performed I don't see any reason for the poor download speed. I presume you are using an ethernet connection when you are running the speed test? Do you have another router you can try?
Jojo

[#5]

Yes I have tried using an ethernet cable - no difference in speed. We don't have another router to try, we are using the router supplied by you (Thompson TG585v7), it seems to be syncing at high speeds so I don't know why it's so slow?
Just done another test:

Thanks for your help

[#6]

Hi britvic,
Have you checked that your AV/firewall isn't restricting you in any way? Also, are there any other computers on your network which may be using your bandwidth? If not, it may be worth getting a bandwidth monitor such as the one here to see if there is anything on your computer that is running in the background.
Aside from that having just completed your 10 day training period, at this point I think the best thing to do would be to raise a fault via http://faults.plus.net
Jojo

[#7]

Many thanks for your reply, I am certain that AV/Firewall aren't restricting my connection and nothing else is downloading, I have other computers in the house and they are all suffering from slow internet, I have also used my laptop wirelessly in our library recently and it has a much faster connection.
The strange thing is that we had a fault on the line - the line was dead (no dial tone) so we obviously had no internet connection, this was when they activated the broadband. However I did check the plusnet line profile while we had no internet in the house and it was showing as 7150, even though we had never used the internet and the line was dead. How can this be? We had the fault fixed last Thursday so we have only had internet since then - hence we haven't completed a 10 day training period.
However with such a high IP profile and sync speeds we should be getting a lot more than around 300kbps, and I don't think this is acceptable, considering we applied for broadband over 4 weeks ago now, AND we are on the extra package, but at this rate it's not worth having as we wouldn't even be able to download 10GB in a month!
I don't want to raise a fault and get charged for it, I would've thought the engineer would've sorted it out when we had the phone line fixed if there were any problems at the exchange?
Thanks for your help.

[#8]

HI britvic,
I would urge you to raise a fault at this point. Charges can only be applied if it turns out that the customer's equipment is at fault, and the fault checker takes you through all the necessary checks to make sure this isn't the case, so I wouldn't worry about being charged.
Here on the forum we can help with questions and obvious reasons for a fault, suggestions to improve connections and to nudge profiles or the faults team in exceptional circumstances and much more. The thing is though, we aren't fault agents and we do have a process for that. I would love nothing better than to provide you with a solution rather than you having to go through that process but there comes a point where my experience will tell me that it is something that the faults team will have to deal with, and unfortunately this is one of those occasions.
I still won't stop trying to see if, over the next few days there isn't something I can do, but at least if you have a fault ticket open you're guaranteed to have a more detailed investigation into it.
Jojo

[#9]

Hey thanks for your advice, I reported a fault yesterday morning (ticket #36007041), haven't heard anything since, still v slow speeds.

[#10]

HI britvic,
It can be 48-72 hours for an update on a fault ticket.
Jojo

[#11]

Still stuck on "Your support request has been escalated to the correct team for review." - why is it taking so long for anyone to answer my fault request - I know it's not your fault Jo, but do Plusnet not understand that people rely on the internet for their work and if I wanted dial up speeds I wouldn't have ordered broadband? - our monthly bill is coming up soon and we haven't even had a broadband service yet!
Thanks

[#12]

I know it's been a while since I've written on the forum but I have been trying to sort out my problem through the faults team. However, my slow speeds have been continuing and I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do, I'm sick of ringing up plusnet and them having to ring me back, I just want the internet sorted, they and I know what the problem is so I don't know why it's taking so long to fix. The VP capacity is still overloaded, I know this because everyone else in the area is also experiencing slow speeds, and it gets slower and slower during the day.
The frustrating thing is that plusnet said the VP Capacity at my exchange (Bangor in Wales) was regraded on the 4th November, which it may well have been, however the speeds are still extremely slow (and it is showing as green on the plusnet exchange checker) - also very high ping times, makes Skype a nightmare:

Can anyone help me and tell me when the VP Capacity at this exchange is actually going to give decent speeds for the users of Bangor?
Thanks very much

[#13]

Hi britvic,
After the update on the 05/11/2010 saying that is was resolved did you notice the difference or have you been getting these results since?
Jojo

[#14]

Plusnet did a speed test at 3am after the regrade and it showed about 6900kbps. The speed did go up a bit during the day to about 1.3mbps but I have never seen anything like the 7000kbps I should be getting, and it seems to be just as slow as it was before now.

[#15]

Hi britvic,
I've just sent an email asking them to check the VP and explaining what's happening to you. I'll let you know when I get a reply.
Jojo