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Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

neepdocker
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎08-11-2007

Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Having put up with a snail speed on my broadband connection with Plus Net for years I had assumed that most people were getting the same UNTIL a local friend sent me the results of his speed check with BT. It was 6.5 mbps so I checked using the same speed checking service and got 2.3 mbps. However when progressing through Plus Nets fault checker I only get 1.7 mbps  and  a statement to the effect that if it is greater than 0.4 then they don't progress it as a fault !!!  I live only 1.2 Km from my local telephone exchange so something is far from right. Does anyone know if I change my ISP are things likely to improve ?
32 REPLIES 32
mal0z
Grafter
Posts: 3,486
Registered: ‎02-10-2008

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

At that distance you should get about the same as your friend.
If you change to another ISP who also uses BT Wholesale - you won't gain much .
Have you reported it to Plusnet. If you have been with them some years you may be stuck on a lower rate - and they will increase it for you.
csogilvie
Grafter
Posts: 5,852
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

I've moved your thread to a more appropriate forum...
I'd suggest you also initially have a read of Broadband Speed Faults: How to Diagnose as a good starting point for looking in to your speed.
Could you post any line stats from your router to this tread too?
neepdocker
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎08-11-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

I have been loyal to Plus Net for over 6 years (more fool me as it seems). You ask for line stats from my router OK how do I get them ? I am not a tech simply someone who uses a computer and expects to get a good service from his ISP.
csogilvie
Grafter
Posts: 5,852
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

What sort of connection equipment do you use to access the Internet?
Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
Thanks: 1,609
Fixes: 565
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Have a look here neepdocker for instructions on how to access your router stats.
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neepdocker
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎08-11-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Thanks Strat - this is what I get
System Up Time 145:30:00
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 9056551 10452649 0 3260 3666 145:28:34
LAN 10M/100M 10227013 9052310 0 3893 3654 145:29:56
WLAN 11M/54M/108M 127228 81494 0 161 29 145:29:52
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 2592 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 39.0 db 22.0 db
Noise Margin 13.4 db 19.0 db
neepdocker
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎08-11-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

I  have been using a netgear router GD834GT
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Those stats are very informative.
It tells me that there is either something wrong with your internal wiring or a line problem.
My first guess it is your wiring.
Do you have a master socket with a removable lower part. If so can you remove the lower part as per this picture and plug the router into the master socket and report the new stats.
neepdocker
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎08-11-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Hi Oldjim  (fellow rambler)
I have one of the new sockets but unfortunately it  installed about 6 weeks ago an muh of the wiring changd over to it. During past troubles with my broadband dropping out I got an ex BT engineer to check out my wiring and he replaced my old telephone line type wiring with proper BT round cable. He wired it directly into the old main BT box and this was rewired into the new box recently. The problem is it is not simply pulling it out of the  main socket because of this, and into the internal one,  and my computer / router is not adjacent to the main socket. to try it with the short router cable.
I also seem to remember when I was trying to get the line dropping out problem sorted there was a mention of changing the line noise, maybe this needs to be reversed ?
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Even with the default noise margin reduced to 6dB your speeds will still be less than they should be with that attenuation
You could try altering the noise margin with Routerstats or DMT but lets see what a shorter cable does.
Can you describe your internal wiring.
From what I understand you have an old BT terminal box which is then connected to a master type socket. Are the other sockets in the house then connected to the removable  front plate of that socket or are they hard wired to the incoming feed
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Because he was an Ex BT Engineer it's likely that the ring wire was used if you have extension wiring and it's this that cause a problem with ADSL. Information here http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/socket.htm
neepdocker
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎08-11-2007

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Thanks itsme
When the new BT main box was installed by BT recently I checked that the bell wire was no longer being connected so hopefully that eliminates that potential cause
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

But the attenuation (39 dB) is surely much higher than it should be for 1.2 km from the exchange.  It's hard to see how this figure could be influenced by whether or not the ring wire was connected.  I live 2 km from the exchange as the crow flies (which is a cross-country route) and my attenuation is 38 dB.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Why o Why is my broadband speed so low

Quote from: neepdocker
Does anyone know if I change my ISP are things likely to improve ?

Almost certainly not, unless you have the option of Virgin cable broadband instead of broadband over telephone.  No UK ISP will be proactive about poor broadband speeds so it's unfair to blame Plusnet in particular.