Speed problems - angelab

[#1]

I've been having snail-like speeds for at least a week, just like the old dial-up days, when waiting for a page to load.
Have tested it on various speedchecking sites over the last few days:
Download 0.12 Mbps
Upload 0.35 Mbps

I ran the BT speedtester.  (Actually I couldn't get it to run on my Mac; had to use my PC laptop.)
"Your configured download throughout speed for this service is 135K"
Result
"Download speed during thetest was 81 Kbps
(acceptable range is 50-250 Kbps)
DSL connection rate
256Kbps (Downstream)
448 Kbps (Upstream)
IP Profile for your line is 135 Kbps"
What does all this mean?  
Angela

[#2]

I have split your post off because you have a different problem.
Can you advise your router stats - attenuation, speeds and noise margin as there seems to be a serious problem with your line

[#3]

How do I get my router stats, Jim?
I have a Netgear router that I bought myself.  It's been working happily for more than a year.
In fairness, I should say that I am not waiting *quite* so long today for the pages to load, but it's been diabolical earlier in the week.
Angela

[#4]

Have a look here Angela.

[#5]

Thanks Strat,
Easy when you know how!!
ADSL Link                 Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 256 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation         49.0 db         25.0 db
Noise Margin         31.1 db       16.0 db

Angela

[#6]

Can you resync the router and report again please

[#7]

Apologies, Jim;  I have been out until now.
How do I do that? 
Does it mean just turn the router off and turn it on again?
I have looked all over it to see if there is a "reboot" switch, but can see nothing except the row of square sockets down the back edge, into one of which the lead for the BT phone socket is plugged.  The other three edges have no switches or sockets of any kind.
I got the original box out in case there were any instructions there, but there's only the warranty info.
So maybe I just unplug the router's mains connection and its telephone plug;  wait a minute, then plug them both back in again?
Sorry to be so dim!
Angela

[#8]

Don't unplug the telephone cable from the router while it's live - doing that is likely to upset the equipment at the exchange - giving low speeds is its unwelcome response. When re-syncing there is no need to do that.
The router will (has to) re-sync if power is turned off by disconnecting the power supply. Wait a minute then turn it on again. Otherwise there might be an option in the browser interface called "restart the router" or similar - which is easier. The re-sync process takes a couple of minutes.
It's best not to do this too often, the equipment at the exchange regards it as a dropping connection, … you can guess the rest.
David

[#9]

Thanks David!
Have done that.
Here are the new stats:
ADSL Link                 Downstream         Upstream
Connection Speed 3040 kbps         448 kbps
Line Attenuation         49.0 db                 25.0 db
Noise Margin         7.9 db                 17.0 db

That "downstream connection" looks a bit different!  And the noise looks a bit less.  I guess that is good news?
Angela

[#10]

Hi Angela,
It's certainly better news, and this was expected though with your attenuation a higher connection speed would have been expected (4000-5000kbps).
The way maxADSL works higher sync speeds go with reduced noise margins and the router syncs at a speed which just meets the target noise margin set by the DLM (Dynamic Lime Measurement) kit at the exchange. Target noise margins (on maxADSL) go from 6dB up to 15dB in 3dB steps and normally the noise margin shown immediately after re-syncing is close to one of those values. I guess your target noise margin is 9dB though the value of 7.9dB posted is a fair way from that. If you keep checking the value does it vary a lot over a short period of time?
If you did a BT speedtest now you would probably see no difference in results because the DLM needs to increase your IP Profile first (to 2500kbps for your sync speed - up from 135kbps in your opening post). For this percentage increase this may take 1-2 days. After that Plusnet have to update their copy of the IP Profile which is shown as Current line speed in the Member Centre (link). It can take a further 12 hours for this to happen. Then speedtests should show increased speeds.
Having a sync speed of 250kbps suggests your connection experienced a period of severe electronic noise. Have you any ideas on what might have caused that?
David

[#11]

Glad you said about the speed test not showing increased speed for a day or two, David, as of course I did a check straight away, and it was the same as before!
Electronic noise?  No idea what might have caused that.  What normally causes it?
The router is in a downstairs front room, where the main telephone box is.  There are two computers, a conventional printer, a cordless telephone.  COuld it be any of those?  Can't be the piano!  There is a residential road outside; but surely traffic in the street would not have any effect?
Many thanks for all the advice everyone.
I'd like to say the speed is now unrecognisably fast - but I can't quite.  It is better than it's been earlier in the week though.
Angela

[#12]

Can you describe the wiring in your house
Are there any other telephone pints even if they aren't used
Does your main socket look like this

[#13]

Hi Jim,
No, the main one - into which the router is plugged - does not look quite like your picture.  It's the same shape, but the logo is located at bottom right and is the old-style "T".
There is one other point downstairs, in the kitchen, which is a smooth stainless-steel one (no logo) matching the adjacent power points.
There's a third point upstairs, which has the same type of box as the downstairs main one, again with T logo in bottom right.
None of these has a built-in horizontal join in the case.
All of these are in use, each with an ADSL filter between socket and phone.
Angela

[#14]

That sounds as though you don't have a modern master socket which makes diagnosis much more difficult.
If you look at the wires coming into the house do they go directly to the main socket. If they do then all we can do at this stage is to monitor the connection and see if it holds sync with the exchange.
If you check the router statistics regularly you can see if it happens.
If the problem keeps happening then the only solution is to have a modern master socket fitted (that will need to be by BT and may be expensive as I don't think that they do it for free any more) so that the problem can be identified as being with your internal wiring or the wiring to the house.
One thing which could be done is to disconnect the bell wire from the master and the extensions but unless you are really confident and know what you are doing I wouldn't as technically it is against the BT rules to touch anything inside the master socket

[#15]

The incoming wires go first via a smaller box (about half the size of the "main" box), on the other side of the room, which has the olde-style T on it.  This little box just has a single screw in the middle to hold the case together. 
I remember now that this is where the fixed telephone was originally sited when we moved here, in 1972.  Eventually, to be able to have more modern phones that plugged in and out, we had the boxes changed for more modern ones with sockets, and we must have had the new socket resited the other side of the room where it is now.
Angela