Someone Else With Atrocious speeds (Mon 24/05/10) - (Now Resolved!)

[#1]

Since the Plusnet 21CN upgrade earlier this year I have been ticking along nicely at an average of around 4.85Mbps until that is a week or so ago when the speeds started to tail off down to 2.85Mbps which is a big difference. I didn't pursue this at the time as I reasoned that it would correct itself in due course but today the speed has nosedived to 243kbps download and now the upload speed is higher than the download at around 355kbps.
I phoned Plusnet Support this afternoon and they wanted me to use the test socket procedure. Well having struggled all of the furniture away from the linebox, it turns out that this box doesn't have a test socket. That only features on the main line box which is downstairs. Since I don't have a wireless card on my PC there is no point plugging the router in downstairs as I won't know what it is doing. The linebox that my router (BT1801HG) connects to is the one I had installed when I first switched to broadband in 2003 and has been perfectly ok up to now. It is not an extension but a separate line (I used to have another line for dial up) which runs from the point where the BT line enters the house (at roof level) and runs through the loft to the box in the back bedroom).
I fail to understand how something supposedly at my end has caused this speed outage, especially  as I was still getting around 2.8Mbps speeds around 00:30 today, and also from reading this forum, as I am not the only one with this problem. I also find it extremely odd, given that Plusnet is a division of BT Group that there is such apparent reluctance to pursue the matter with BT in the first instance.
I am not sure what the rule is for posting pictures here so I am including my photo evidence as hyperlinks only...
1) ThinkBroadband speed test run at 17:12 today (they appear to be still on GMT)
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k129/Spruance_2006/IT/ThinkBroadbandTest240510.png
2: Plusnet Speed Test results from this afternoon
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k129/Spruance_2006/IT/MyBroadbandSpeedtests240510.png
3. Plusnet line profile screenprinted this afternoon
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k129/Spruance_2006/IT/PlusnetLinespeedat1659on240510.png
4) ThinkBroadband Speedtest history back to Feb 09.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k129/Spruance_2006/IT/ThinkBroadbandMonthlyStatsFeb09toAp.png
++
Finally I should perhaps point out that I am on Plusnet Unlimited 'Up to 8Mb' at £20.42/Month (exclusive of referral discount). I live less than one mile from the local exchange so that at least should not be an issue. Also despite the current status quo, until recently my linespeed was 6000 so exactly double the 3000 it is showing as now.
Perhaps someone could investigate?

[#2]

Hi,
I am suffering a similar problem (see upgrade blues) but haven't been upgraded to ADSL2+ yet!
I think you will need to post more than just speed tests to allow PS staff to get to grips with the problem.
Router stats would be useful and/or a BT speedtest  - the following link explains the procedure:
www.plus.net/support/broadband/bbfaults/bt_speed_tester.shtml
Regards
Mike

[#3]

Thanks for the reminder Mike. I did run a BT speed test but neglected to post it! 
So to continue:-
5) BT Speedtest result from this afternoon:
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k129/Spruance_2006/IT/BTSpeedtestat1655on240510.png
6) BT1801HG Router Link Info (from a few minutes ago):
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k129/Spruance_2006/IT/RouterInfo-240510.png

[#4]

Our problems are different - your connection speed is much lower than mine.
Your router indicates that you are on ADSL (G.DMT) rather than ADSL2+
Rgds
Mike

[#5]

That's strange because Plusnet definitely told me some months ago that my line was being upgraded to the 21CN service and BT's exchange report shows that Boston exchange was enabled for 21CN in April 2010 (if I remember correctly).
As an experiment I switched my router off overnight but having just put it on again the download is still 243kbps but the upload has now reduced to 233kbps.
If this was an isolated event I could accept that my equipment was at fault but the myriad similar experiences being posted on here suggest that it is a Plusnet (or maybe BT) issue so....
"What's going on Plusnet?!"

[#6]

Out of interest I have just run another BT speedtest with results as follows:-

Download speedachieved during the test was - 139 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 50-250 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :3328 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 250 Kbps
The throughput of Best Efforts (BE) classes achieved during the test is - 11.51:28.06:60.43 (SBE:NBE:PBE)
These figures represent the ratio while sententiously passing Sub BE, Normal BE and Priority BE marked traffic.
The results of this test will vary depending on the way your ISP has decided to use these traffic classes.
So why is my IP profile set at just 250kbps when BT say that my DSL connection rate is 3328 Kbps on the same test. Also, how come I was regularly getting 4.8Mbps as recently as end April 2010 on precisely the same set-up/equipment as I still have now?

[#7]

The line speed has definitely been degrading since the start of the month - has anything changed on the line at all, any new phones or sky boxes been added? Also is the connection the same from the master socket and have you noticed it dropping connection at all?

[#8]

Thanks for taking an interest Matt.
The one thing that has happened recently is that on 13th May 2010 I bought a Logitech M505 wireless mouse. I have read this morning that these can have an effect on a wireless router but I don't use my router wirelessly, preferring instead to use an ethernet cable which I bought new  in February 2008 when I received the BT1801HG router on joining Plusnet. I have used that router ever since apart from a few weeks between August and September last year when my PC died on me and I had to use an old Windows Me system as a back up via a Speedtouch ADSL modem as the older system would not recognise the router. My current PC (since 11th September 2009) is a Dell Studio 540 quad core running Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2.
What seems most odd is that the fault just seemed to happen overnight. I had become aware of gradually reducing speeds but as these had no great impact on my online activities I didn't pursue it. Then on Monday 24th May 2010 I noticed that I was having buffering problems on a YouTube video and images were taking ages to load just like they used to when I was on dial-up. Also, reading other comments on this forum suggests that  I am not the only one with this sudden linespeed drop off, which seems more than coincidental.
All of the MyBroadband speed tests come out at around 242kbps download and between 350 to 380kbps upload. So whilst the download speed has been badly affected the upload speed is not much different to the usual figure of around 380kbps.
In addition the BT Speedtester site results all indicate that my IP Profile has been set at 250kbps, but why is this? I realise that it is now a legacy product but I am still on the Plusnet Unlimited service and so should not be subject to end of month line speed restrictions due to over usage. In any case my monthly usage is hardly excessive, the last three complete billing periods being 15.88Gb, 16.76Gb and 18.15Gb. Discounting the free overnight usage (I am a bit of a nightowl ) the 18Gig becomes 11Gb and the other two are fractionally over 10Gb.
As for my line. I have no way to test the router on the master socket which is downstairs as I do not have a long enough ethernet cable and have no wireless card on my PC. I did change my landline phone in early February this year from a 2-handset BT Dect phone to a Panasonic KX-TG6412ET 2-handset DECT phone. Then again I don't see how switching from one DECT phone to another should make any difference, and in any case in March and April this year I was getting 4.87Mbps and 4.85Mbps download respectively.
Finally, these are the latest BT Speed test results:
Firstly at 10:59pm on Tuesday 25.05.10

Secondly at 10:42am this morning, Wednesday 26.05.10

Finally these are the latest stats from my router taken at 11:55 today Wednesday 260510

The only other thought that springs to mind is could my router be worn out? In which case could you suggest a suitable replacement?
Anyway thanks again for looking into this and I just hope you can find out what is wrong.
Thanks.
Brian (aka Spruance)

[#9]

Hi Spruance,
Ok, from the information you posted there are a couple of points that need considering...
1) AFAIK Your BT1801 router is NOT ADSL2+ compatible. Now it may be that you're on an ADSL1 service on 21CN or it may be that, since the router isnt capable or it, the router is using ADSL1.
2) With a downstream attenuation of 26.5db you should really be synching at the maximum 8128k even on ADSL1.
Your connection looks very unstable , given the number of different synch speeds in your various posts it must be resynching quire frequently. You're right, It could possibly be the router and changing that might be a good idea. The 1801has pretty good event logs and stats , can you possibly post them as that might shed some more light as to what might be causing the problem. You can get some DSL diagnostics from here http://192.168.51.254/xslt?PAGE=J42 ( assuming your router is on the default 192.168.1.x subnet ) ( you will need to enter the router password ) which,assuming the router has not been powered off will show a list of the resynchs.
These stats http://192.168.51.254/xslt?PAGE=J04 would also be useful as they show error rates.
You probably do need to be able to run some tests from the test socket ( behind the master socket faceplate ) however, in order to eliminate your internal wiring as a possible cause.

[#10]

Hi MisterW. 
Thanks for the suggestions.
My router was supplied by Plusnet when I joined in Feb 2008 so I am surprised that they didn't recognise the incompatibility issue when 21CN came onstream. Actually I had been promised a replacement router when I upgraded (on 17th Feb 09)  to the Unlimited product that I am now on but this never materialised and as the BT1801HG still worked I didn't pursue it with them.
I finally had a phone call around 5pm today from Plusnet Support saying that they agreed that my IP profile was far too low. They say that they have now escalated my question (number  33504142  / username = pieris) However, before they will even consider pursuing this further they want me to plug in my router to the master socket, which is downstairs. There is no room downstairs to set up the computer which is why it has always been in the back bedroom - upstairs. Not only that but if I plug in the router downstairs, I will have no idea whether it is working or not since it will no longer be connected to the PC. I have no wireless card in my PC and to cover the distance involved via ethernet connection would require a cable length of at least 12 metres with a roll of carpet tape for good measure to avoid obvious trip hazards. Needless to say that I do not have such a length of ethernet cable about my person and hence Support's suggestion that I should 'get' i.e. presumably buy  one (@£17.99 for 15mtrs from PC World)  just for a one off test exercise doesn't seem like a very good deal to me. I might as well save my money and put it towards a new router if that does indeed prove to be at fault. Support say that they are able to monitor the router remotely but that I should leave it on the main socket for at least 24 hours during which time I will be potentially offline. I do still have my old Speedtouch ADSL modem but if I connect that to the PC and the upstairs socket will it affect the router performace result on the main socket downstairs? I will probably give it a try as being offline is extremely inconvenient.
Anyway, coming back to your enquiry about my router stats, I have managed to access the info and have uploaded a snapshot of the Detailed DSL Statistics to my Photobucket account as follows:-

However, the other info you requested, i.e. the DSL Diagnostics, was a full screen affair and as my freebie Photobucket account max size is 1024 x 768 this may be a little difficult to read unless you can enlarge it on your PC:-

Both of these were taken around 8pm today. I was trying to upload the DSL Diagnostics file to my Mediafire account but that failed no doubt due to the low speed problem.
So now I just need to finish off some things online before letting Support know that I am moving the router and then I might call it a night instead of faffing about with the ADSL modem at this time of night.
Thanks for your help on this. I will look in again as soon as I can.
Brian

[#11]

Sort of off topic but a top tip, if you click the Plus sign below next to Additional Options and Attachments... you can upload the photos (any size!) to the forum.

[#12]

@Spruance: As a heads-up, you -cannot- connect more than one ADSL device to the same telephone line

[#13]

Quote

I do still have my old Speedtouch ADSL modem but if I connect that to the PC and the upstairs socket will it affect the router performace result on the main socket d

Yes, very definitely!! you cannot connect the ADSL modem and the router at the same time ( even to different sockets! ).
Thanks for posting the DSL statistics, both very useful.
The results from them are pretty bad though, I'm afraid. The 2nd one showing the main DSL diagnostics is particularly horrible. It shows the line trying to retrain a number of times, failing, succeeding, failing again quickly and finally succeeding but synching at a VERY low speed.
The error code its reporting when failing to synch ( ERR_CRC_MISSMATCH ) I've not seen before and I've been using 2wire routers for some time now ( albeit the later 2700HGV version ). Maybe if Bob Pullen ( from PlusNet ) sees this thread he might have more info on the error code since he's also a bit of a 2wire guru.
Anyway, from the stats we can see that your line has an attenuation of  21.2 db ( at 300hz ), not a very long line. You appear to be on the 21CN network since the vendor code for the exchange is reported as IFTN, a Huawei MSAN IIRC, but on an ADSL1 product since the downstream rate cap is set at 8128k.  Now on a line with 21db attenuation you would expect, under normal circumstances, to be synching at the max 8128k on ADSL1 with no problem, you obviously have a MAJOR problem somewhere! That bit loading graph is AWFUL, but thats why its only synching at ~400k.
I think you either have a router fault OR a line/exchange fault. The problem is that before PlusNet can get BTw to investigate a line/exchange fault they need to exclude any possibility of a fault in your equipment and internal wiring. In order to do this, support are quite correct in that they need to confirm that tests have been done from the 'test socket' ( this eliminates ALL internal wiring ) otherwise if BT send an engineer and find a problem in your wiring you will be liable for the ~£145 call out charge!. I understand that in your case it is quite difficult to do this and keep a computer connected but PlusNet support ought be able to get the information they need even if you cant. Ok so you will be offline for 24 hours but at your current speeds you are almost offline anyway. PlusNet also ought to be able to loan you a router to test with since the Speedtouch ADSL modem you have is really not that good.
Just a thought,  do you have friends or family that have access to a laptop that you could temporarily connect to the router when its in the test socket, at least that would enable you to get the DSL diagnostics information and see if there is any major difference when connected there ?

[#14]

Hi there,
We do unfortunately need the test results from the master socket to progress this.
However, perhaps we could arrange a test at a specific time, then you only have to be offline for an hour or two? I'd be happy to do that for you if it helps.

[#15]

Well I just thought that I would post an update having been offline for five days (for the reasons stated previously) since 23:30 on Wednesday 26th May whilst Plusnet carried out their tests. 
On the afternoon of Friday 28th May I again asked if it would be possible to hook up my old Speedtouch ADSL modem and was again told in no uncertain terms that this could corrupt the test results and that a router and ADSL modem couldn't be connected to the same line at the same time anyway** So I have been waiting impatiently to hear the outcome of said tests. After receiving a 'no news' text at 7pm today I had a phone call from Support at around 9pm to say that they wanted to book a BT engineer visit. I asked if they were anywhere nearer identifying the problem but was told that this was why they wanted BT to call. I then again asked if there was the remotest possibility that my router could be at fault, this having been dismissed previously. "Haven't you already tried a different router?" he asked. "No" I said. "They told me I couldn't."
Well, surprise, surprise (or perhaps not). Having finally got the go ahead to try the old Speedtouch 330 ADSL modem I now have a perfectly reasonable 2.9Mbps download and 370kbps upload again. Having used the very same modem on an an emergency basis last Aug/Sept that throughput compares very favourably so I think that this particular device is working at optimum. This of course on a connection that Plusnet were going to despatch a BT engineer to check out. Not only that but I connected and was online with the Speedtouch modem via the upstairs socket whilst the router was still plugged into the test socket downstairs.
One thing I find rather odd is that shortly after connecting via the Speedtouch modem, a BT speed test (attached) revealed a still reasonable 2654kbps download and that my IP profile had been mysteriously uplifted from 250kbps to 8000kbps. Not only that but my DSL connection rate has increased to a much healthier 5504kbps downstream and 448kbps upstream. To my mind that suggests some tweaking at the exchange rather than a domestic line fault issue.
So apart from MisterW on these forums, it seems that no-one gave any credence to a router problem preferring instead to go down the tortuous tick-box route to a BT engineer coming for what would almost certainly have been a completely pointless visit. As I said in conclusion this evening I would look a right **** if BT come round and it's only my (Plusnet supplied) router that's faulty.

Needless to say that I am not particularly impressed, but thanks must go to MisterW and others on this forum for their interest and sage advice.