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And Slower Still

danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

And Slower Still

This is the third day of even slower speed when my connection dropped from 35Mbps down, to 32Mbps and Up dropped from 15Mbps to 11 Mbps.
Speeds of around 50Mbps Down a few weeks ago, now a distant memory.
How can this be acceptable? All the proclaimed advantages of Fibre, or at least FTTC, frittering away.
Are charges for broadband too little, so there's no profit to be made if money spent on investment?
13 REPLIES 13
sjptd
Grafter
Posts: 494
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎01-09-2014

Re: And Slower Still

First test is [1] make sure you have wired connection to the router, [2] run http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/ , [3] continue to Further Diagnostics. [4] post the results (including profile) here.  That won't solve anything, but will help narrow down the reason for the slowdown.
danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
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Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Thanks sjptd. Posted a reply earlier but can't see it so posting again.
Have attached results of BTW speed test this morning. To clarify, my maximum speed has been dropped in the last 6-8 weeks. Until a month ago, I was on Fibre Extra (80/20) which I'm now told can no longer be delivered.
Being somewhat simple, I feel that if something's already happened, it can happen again, its just not being made to happen for whatever reason (I suspect cost vs income is ruling improving technology and infrastructure).
sjptd
Grafter
Posts: 494
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎01-09-2014

Re: And Slower Still

That post shows things are slow coming in to your modem, not an issue with the rest of your setup.
A couple of possibilities are [1] that extra connections into the cabinet has caused crosstalk an lowered your speeds, and [2] you have an ECI modem connected to a Huwei cabinet and are suffering from the G-INP issue (search this forum and Thinkbroadband for details on that).  Unfortunately, not much you could do about the first of those.  If it is the second, a Huwei modem (HG612) on ebay for around £10 should sort things out.  (You could say it is up to Openreach/PlusNet to supply an appropriate modem, but it might be a lot less strain just to pay the £10).
Getting a modem on ebay or unlocking your current one (if HG612) will give you more statistics that will help see what the real line status is.
Another is that there really is some deterioration in you line which might be resolved by engineering.  You probably won't get them to get out an engineer unless you are outside the estimated range:  find your estimated speed at http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome and enter your telephone number.
It could be due to some deterioration with things inside your house.  Fairly unlikely, unless you have added extensions or done some other change recently.  It might be worth trying to plug the modem into the test socket to see if that is better; but unfortunately the way DLM works you won't see an immediate improvement from that.  The line stats (on an unlocked modem) would show any change up immediately, though.
danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Thanks for your considered and comprehensive reply sjptd.
The popular explanation is crosstalk, I'm not as convinced, I've long suspected the cables in the road, we've had problems in the last 4 years  with the phone line when a neighbours phone got crossed lines with ours (there's only two of us from our pole which emerges from the road cables). Finding a spare clean pair from the cabinet proved near impossible. Recently, we had speed issues whilst still on the Extra Fibre service, and the connection on the pole was shortened back to remove a corroded connection. Whether or not its the culprit, I don't have faith in our copper phone line. From the pole was replaced last year, 120 metres which at the time had 3 joints along its length, now a solid cable, and speed improved a tad at the time.
Visits from 5 BTO Engineers looking at a speed fault in the early part of this year (the job could not be signed off) eventually found that the port we were connected to in our cabinet was generating errors sporadically. There had been a very close, rather severe thunderstorm (instant flashes and bangs) and we'd lost broadband for a substantial time after our power had returned. It may well be that the card was/is damaged in the cabinet?
I am using an Asus DSL AC68U combined router and VDSL modem. It is supposedly faster and more stable than the separate Modem and WiFi Router supplied by PlusNet. I have still got the Modem and router, the Modem is an Huwei. Last week, I switched back to it, speeds were lower still (3-5mbps) and I lost the log which the AC68U keeps. If I use the Huwei I can configure the AC68U to simply be a WiFi Router but I lose the log. Annoyingly, whilst providing data, that data is limited and I can't see many of the statistics others quote in these forums.
I guess maybe I could try unlocking the Huwei and using it linked to the AC68U, I'll ponder that.
I have linked to the modem and the AC68 by cable direct to my PC with nothing else attached and WiFi switched off (I normally use mains wiring connections, but went direct). On a direct connection my Pc links about 1.5mbps faster than through Mains adaptors, and the mains adaptors themselves are generally slightly faster than WiFi (at least using my PC).
The BT socket is a Mk3 and new within the last year.
It's a puzzle, one I wish that I didn't need to think about. All I am seeing is a steady reduction is service speed and whilst perhaps I shouldn't, I become really annoyed about it, almost to the point of obsession. it worries me that the speed will drop away to so slow that eventually buffering returns, whilst meanwhile BTW will continue to downgrade the expected speed and show all is hunky-dory.
Oh Well! ^-)
Tricko
Newbie
Posts: 9
Registered: ‎05-05-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Im in a similar boat to you, my initial drop from 55 to 32 a few weeks ago (ignoring the fact that I used to get 65-70 about six months ago...), and after a week of switching to a Huawei modem my speed is now dropped down to 26  Sad
Plusnet have now raised a fault with BTOR, so need to wait another week probably before hearing anything more, but I'm not holding out much hope any more.
I used to have a rock solid 19Mbps on ADSL before making the switch for fibre, any more drops and I'll be better off going back to that and saving myself £15 a month. At least my upload speed hasn't collapsed (yet), thats about the only advantage I'm seeing of fibre at the moment.
danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: And Slower Still

@Tricko
Very annoying isn't it Tricko, as if the customer didn't matter at all. Like there's' a box of chocolates, if one has it they get 30 chocolates for their £20, but if two share it, they get 10 each, same price, if 3 share it 6 .75 and so on. the more that share, the fewer chocolates they get for the same price, and the greater the profit. When the number of chocolates gets ridiculous, there's a lower price that kicks in to make it look better, but in fact the profit is still amazing.
If we originally bought 30 chocolates for £20, that should remain the package, less chocolate should see money returned, and as profit starts to fall, more chocolates will need to be made to keep the company (or ISP) in business.
An old phone system with bolt-on's and slow down's that must have been predicted is no reason to sit and do nothing. There is talk of vectoring solving crosstalk issues, but talk is no good, roll-out is needed (yesterday, not tomorrow or the day beyond).
Grrrr! ^-)
plusnettony
Plusnet Staff
Plusnet Staff
Posts: 2,188
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Registered: ‎24-07-2014

Re: And Slower Still

I've tested your line and found :-
- Bridge Tap Not Detected  (which is good)
- G.INP (detected)
- Cross Talk Not Detected
- REIN not detected.
All good... But. ...
"Description Impairment in copper joint detected most likely in local network. Please continue to submit a trouble report
Main Fault Location Local Network"
I'm raising a fault report for you based on the above.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Tony T
 Plusnet Help Team
danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Thank you PlusNetTony.
I'm very pleased that the tests came up good on Crosstalk, Rein, and not sure what Bridge tap is, but the test seemingly passed. Also G.INP on should be a bonus. Until I reinstated the Huawei BTO Modem (yesterday) I had shown no CRC errors Up or down for 3 days which I think is remarkable on current form (one or two in a day not uncommon, 53000 in the small hours of one night 6 weeks or so ago), and which I believe is due to G.INP which the Asus DSL-AC68U Router Modem is configured for. I have been unable to upgrade the software and unlock the Huawei modem, it would not have it despite 3 or 4 attempts, I suspect down to me not doing something right.
I think I'd better reinstate the Asus modem, which I'm hoping will return the 3Mbps lost overnight Up and Down.
Not wishing to jump any guns, but if BTO can sort out the copper problem (with luck above ground somewhere between port and socket) I may be able to return to the Extra Fibre service at some stage, but I'm not too hopeful. I think that the subterranean cables in the road will prove to be the culprit and that BT will not want the expense and effort if there are a hundred things they can half-heartedly attempt first, but we'll see.
plusnettony
Plusnet Staff
Plusnet Staff
Posts: 2,188
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Registered: ‎24-07-2014

Re: And Slower Still

I'd say probably not, in fact they'll probably want to send around an engineer at the next stage of their investigation. It's worth raising it on the off chance that they can fix the cable though.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Tony T
 Plusnet Help Team
danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
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Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Thanks plusnettony for raising a fault, I guess we'll wait and see what happens next.
plusnettony
Plusnet Staff
Plusnet Staff
Posts: 2,188
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Registered: ‎24-07-2014

Re: And Slower Still

The latest is "Openreach Trouble Report Accepted - Your fault report has now been passed to one of our engineering teams."
I've got no estimate for you of a resolution time, but we really should chase tomorrow if we've not had an update.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Tony T
 Plusnet Help Team
danludlow
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 573
Thanks: 54
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎03-12-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Thanks again @plusnettony, Something happening is far preferable to the unknown and bewildering!
Much Appreciated.
plusnettony
Plusnet Staff
Plusnet Staff
Posts: 2,188
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Registered: ‎24-07-2014

Re: And Slower Still

Normally I'd ring up/echat them and ask, but if don't want to delay anything.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Tony T
 Plusnet Help Team