Slow, slow, very very slow

[#1]

I am getting really fed up with slow speed & would like some help on what I need to do to improve it, please.
I have remained on my initial broadband service with Metronet - originally advertised as up to 2Mbs. However, I understood that I should benefit from recent changes to the Plusnet service.
My router is Linksys WAG54G & I connect to it wirelessly. The router is connected to my main telephone socket.
Following instructions from another post, router details are:
Downstream line attenuation  47
Upstream line attenuation      28
downstream margin    10db
upstream margin    5db
Results of broadband speed test earlier today are:
download speed 472 kbps
upload speed 712kbps
I am not more than 1.5 miles from the telephone exchange.
Help please!

[#2]

Hi Hollycroft,
I'll have a look for you and see if I can see anything that's amiss. Can you tell me how your router is set up. Are you using any extension cables/sockets. Have you tried using the test socket?
Jojo

[#3]

Hi,
After a little bit of delving, I've found that your line is banded between 1-2Mbps this means that 2Mbps would be the maximum connection speed (sync) This will have happened because the line was unstable at a higher rate. Looking at the connection chart below it seems that you only switch your modem/router on when you use the internet. Is it a USB modem you use. If you do have a modem/router then I would advise leaving it on constantly for a better performance.
Jojo

[#4]

Thanks, Jojo - I will try leaving my router powered on. I have always been in the habit of switching it off when not in use - partly to save power & partly because the power supply makes an annoying noise.
I don't think that I have a test ADSL socket to try, unless I am likely to find one underneath the main telephone socket panel screwed to the wall? I connect to the telephone socket via a small device (filter?) which has 2 input sockets (telephone and ADSL) and one output socket (telephone). Have I got something wrong here?

[#5]

Ok, well, as discussed if you can leave the router on now I'll check in the morning how it's been performing and see where we can take it from there.

[#6]

Hi Hollycroft,
It's looking a lot better. You should see a speed increase shortly and I've applied for the banding to be lifted, so we may get some more out of it. I've posted a picture below of your connection since yesterday and it's been solid. So far so good.
Jojo

[#7]

Quote from: Hollycroft

& partly because the power supply makes an annoying noise.

That's a little worrying!

[#8]

Hi Jojo
I've just done a speed test & got a download result of 1502kbps. This is an improvement, but I'm hoping for much better than that.
I'll keep checking & let you know how it goes. Many thanks for your help so far.

[#9]

There has still been no significant improvement - download speed is around 1500kbps. Did you request that BT lifts the 2Mb limit on my line? How long might it take to be actioned?
Many thanks

[#10]

Did you check with the BT wholesale speedtest to see what the capacity of your line is. 

[#11]

Hi there,
It looks like there have been a couple of connection drops, though the connections between have been long enough that this isn't much of a worry. However it depends on the sync speed your router reports - I suspect this is hovering just below the 2000 mark and unfortunately unless it increases neither will your connection speed.
Does anything improve if you disconnect the telephone from the socket? In particular the router's sync speed? Also with regard to the power supply, is there any way you can test an alternative as if this is buzzing (you mention a noise earlier in the thread) it may be emitting electrical interference which could be slowing the signal.

[#12]

I've just run the BT speed test and got the following results:
download best effort  903kbps, maximum available 2000kbps
upload                            718kbps, upstream rate IP profile 992 kbps
I'll try your other suggestions later & report back.
Many thanks

[#13]

I've looked at my router stats both last night and this morning and I see:
downstream rate  2270kbps
upstream rate        992 kbps
downstream attenuation  48
upstream attenuation        28
downstream margin 3db
upstream margin      5db
I've tried disconnecting the telephone but it didn't seem to make any difference. I don't have another power supply to test on the router, but I will try to borrow one.
I'm sorry but I still don't really understand what it is that is limiting my speed. Do the above rates mean that is the max for my router? Would a new router help?

[#14]

How long is the adsl cable which goes from your router to the phone point?
Sometimes having a REALLY long one can slow down your connection.

[#15]

Looks like the line's still banded at 2Mbps.

WBC 1M - 2M No delay (INP 0) 6dB Downstream, UC No delay (INP 0) 6dB Upstream (ADSL2+)

I've requested that the banding is lifted again so keep an eye on things over the coming days and let us know how you get on...