Broadband bandwidth artificially capped below guaranteed minimum?

[#1]

I'm on Unlimited Fibre, trying to work from home.

As far as I know, I've only _ever_ got <11Mbps (well below the minimum guaranteed speed).

I suspect that some configuration setting is limiting my bandwidth because my line appears to be OK.

Product: Unlimited Fibre
Estimated Download Range: 31 - 40Mbps
Estimated Upload Range: 5 - 8Mbps
Minimum Guaranteed Speed: 30.9Mbps
Current Line Speed (Download): 11.2Mbps

I run the Bt Wholesale Speedchecker which says it was unable to identify any performance problem with my service.

It tells me "10Mbps Max Achievable Speed", and "IP Profile for your line is 10Mbps". What does this mean? 

The ADSL checker says my line should be capable of >30Mbps.

I have twice phoned PlusNet support, only to be fobbed off with excuses that it is due to my WiFi, which is not the case as this is the speed I see on a wired connection.

broadband username: [Removed]

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): Personal information removed from a public forum (to an area that staff can see).

[#2]

Well, I've discovered what IP profile is:

https://www.plus.net/help/archive/broadband/broadband-terminology-guide/

IP Profile

Also known as: BRAS profile This a speed limit applied by equipment in your telephone exchange.

So PlusNet, please can you remove this limit from my line?

[#3]

OK, so on further research I now understand that IP Profile is part of DLM, and the reasoen it had a low setting was that PlusNet  support had told me to reset my router (to change the WiFi channel, according to their agent, which does not make sense to me).

Today, my IP profile is up to 37Mbps but my download speed is still only 9.8Mbps on a direct wired connection to my router , well below the guaranteed minimum.

PlusNet support is not accepting calls. I am trying to work from home and I have a job interview scheduled today by Zoom.

Could anyone suggest how it might be possible to resolve the issue?

[#4]

Unfortunately this appears to be a problem that many have with PlusNet.

I upgraded to Fibre at the end of January 2020 and I never got the performance I was expecting for the additional cost they charge.

I contacted PlusNet support several times, but they say there are neither issues nor caps on the line.

Nevertheless the effective bandwidth I get is around 10 Mbit/s top. Tested at night when there is no traffic.

Here is how I run my scheduled test from a linux server:

"curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sivel/speedtest-cli/master/speedtest.py | python -"

And here are the results at 2:42 AM and 2:54 AM respectively last night:

Retrieving speedtest.net configuration...
Testing from Plusnet (x.x.x.x)...
Retrieving speedtest.net server list...
Selecting best server based on ping...
Hosted by razorblue (Leeds) [32.13 km]: 32.85 ms
Testing download speed................................................................................
Download: 8.12 Mbit/s
Testing upload speed................................................................................................
Upload: 1.36 Mbit/s

Retrieving speedtest.net configuration...
Testing from Plusnet (x.x.x.x)...
Retrieving speedtest.net server list...
Selecting best server based on ping...
Hosted by razorblue (Leeds) [32.13 km]: 32.651 ms
Testing download speed................................................................................
Download: 10.09 Mbit/s
Testing upload speed................................................................................................
Upload: 1.42 Mbit/s

My router syncs as follows and has a stable connection:

ATU-C Vendor ID: Infineon 178.6
ATU-C System Vendor ID: 45,43,49,20,74,65,6C,65
Chipset: Lantiq-VRX200
Firmware Version: 5.7.9.9.0.6
API Version: 4.17.18.6
XTSE Capabilities: 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x2
Annex: B
Line Mode: G.993.2 (VDSL2)
Profile: 17a
Line State: UP [0x801: showtime_tc_sync]
Forward Error Correction Seconds (FECS): Near: 1669281455 / Far: 49
Errored seconds (ES): Near: 265 / Far: 142
Severely Errored Seconds (SES): Near: 0 / Far: 0
Loss of Signal Seconds (LOSS): Near: 0 / Far: 65
Unavailable Seconds (UAS): Near: 86 / Far: 86
Header Error Code Errors (HEC): Near: 0 / Far: 0
Non Pre-emtive CRC errors (CRC_P): Near: 804 / Far: 0
Pre-emtive CRC errors (CRCP_P): Near: 0 / Far: 0
Power Management Mode: L0 - Synchronized
Latency [Interleave Delay]: 8.0 ms [Interleave] 0.0 ms [Fast]
Data Rate: Down: 33.633 Mb/s / Up: 7.383 Mb/s
Line Attenuation (LATN): Down: 23.8 dB / Up: 33.7 dB
Signal Attenuation (SATN): Down: 21.2 dB / Up: 33.1 dB
Noise Margin (SNR): Down: 5.5 dB / Up: 6.0 dB
Aggregate Transmit Power (ACTATP): Down: 4.8 dB / Up: 5.0 dB
Max. Attainable Data Rate (ATTNDR): Down: 37.649 Mb/s / Up: 7.494 Mb/s
Line Uptime Seconds: 77777
Line Uptime: 21h 36m 17s

[#5]

Hi FlyingFish,

If you have a static IP, PN apply an internal speed profile which tracks the BT IP profile.

This can get out of step with the BT IP profile and remain at an old and lower limit.

Sometimes it can be corrected by dropping the PPP connection to PN and reconnecting.

It is better to do this via the routers local  management pages rather than recycling the routers power.

Regards

Richard

[#6]

Thanks, I don't believe I have a static IP address - well, I don't pay for one.

[#7]

@ezplanet 

Thank you for the test command line. Here are my results:

Retrieving speedtest.net configuration...
Testing from Plusnet (80.229.253.118)...
Retrieving speedtest.net server list...
Selecting best server based on ping...
Hosted by Ai Networks Ltd (Welwyn Garden City) [56.71 km]: 21.419 ms
Testing download speed................................................................................
Download: 8.96 Mbit/s
Testing upload speed................................................................................................
Upload: 6.23 Mbit/s

I'll try again at nighttime, but I can't say I'm hopeful of anything much better.

I do wish PlusNet would reply. I think I'm going to have to exercise my right to terminate the contract early.

[#8]

Hi

I should have asked if you are testing the speed over a wifi connection or a pc connected by an ethernet cable to the router?

If  by WiFi coukd you please test using an Ethernet cable.

WiFi can cause slow speeds for many reasons, including:

Interference from neighbours WiFi,

Weak WiFi signals,

Old WiFi cards and dongles

Etc

Regards

Richard

[#9]

I am testing from a linux server directly connected to the router via gigabit lan.

And I am really getting frustrated with plusnet support treating customers like idiots to dodge this poor bandwidth issue reported by many.

[#10]

Hi @RichardB ,

I am using a wired connection to test the speed. 

[#11]

I opened a case with PlusNet support and I am reporting regularly my speed tests through the case.

I would encourage everyone to do the same, the more, the better the chances that they will look into this matter.

To date, PlusNet has dodged all the questions by pointing to alleged user issues, their standard responses are  "you are using WiFi" (even if that were the case any cheap router now can deliver 150 Mbit/s wifi minimum), or "you have a firewall", "you have other applicances". Rubbish! I am testing overnight when nobody is using the network and there should not even be contention with neighbours.

This attitude should no longer be acceptable to anyone. It is time they take the matter seriously.

[#12]

I've has a case open since 11 Mar 2020 and another one opened when I called on 11 Mar 2020, neither of which has been responded to by PlusNet staff.

Nevertheless, I will keep adding daily bandwidth reports as you suggest (until I leave the contract, if no progress)

[#13 · Accepted solution]

I'm happy to say that I've received a response to the case I opened on 11 March.

Your speed profile appears to be too low, I have adjusted this to the maximum speed it can go to. Please restart your router and re test the line. The results should change immediately.

I noticed that, if I go into my broadband account, I now see this information:

Product: Unlimited Fibre
Estimated Download Range: 31 - 40Mbps
Estimated Upload Range: 5 - 8Mbps
Minimum Guaranteed Speed: 30.9Mbps
Current Line Speed (Download): 37Mbps

Note that the last entry has changed. I believe this entry is reporting a configuration setting at PlusNet's end (not any measured speed).

To check, I ran a speed test and was still getting ~10Mbps before restarting the router. 

After restarting, I'm getting the full bandwidth I expect: 35Mbps download (and 8Mbps upload)

... and the same on wired and wireless connections!!

I would be very interested to know what the "speed profile" that was changed was, as I suspect many others who are reporting low speeds in this forum might benefit from the same change.

Thank you to Jamie at PlusNet for resolving this.

[#14]

The conclusion demonstrates that, contrary to what plusnet support insist on, plusnet actually practices traffic restrictions by assigning users to profiles.

[#15]

But at lest there is an easy check to verify this - just look at  the speed information in your broadband account (as above)

This seems to be the artificial speed restriction a.k.a. speed profile itself, not any measured speed (and NOTHING to do with WifFi!!!)