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Have I been put on a new Server?

danludlow
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Have I been put on a new Server?

For most of my time on FTTC with PlusNet any speed test (Usually Ookla) found a server in London or close to it, about 4 months or so ago this changed to Sheffield or that neck of the woods. Nottingham and Leicester were frequent. Half an hour ago I was checking my speed and midway lost Broadband connected to a Sheffield server, when service returned it was (and remains) a London based server that I testing speed on.

I'm assuming that speed test pings to find its nearest server and that I have been connected to one in London again.

Just curious, and hoping that its a better connection. In the last 3 weeks my connection has been stable, and as fast as I can hope for, but despite the fast speed 35-37Mbps pages have hesitated or frozen frequently. Pages I am familiar with and use frequently are suddenly performing badly.  I'm hoping that from about 12.30 AM today that's improved.

 

 

17 REPLIES 17
SpendLessTime
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

Check your gateway at http://users.plus.net/@gateway_custom?debug-ip=yes to see which date centre you are connected to.

 

If it says Southbank then you are using the new network.

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
danludlow
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

Thanks SpendLessTime, I'm on pcl-bng01 located in City Lifeline House. London I think, still tests using London servers,

Is this a good thing,  have I been banished? Hoping that its a reliable fast connection I'm on.

SpendLessTime
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

I found Ookla would some days choose an interesting server to test against even when my gateway hadn't changed for 100 days. Smiley

 

The preferred server would sometimes not even be listed as a choice , the issue is the Ookla co-opt some test servers and if the server cannot handle the load, well the result is interesting. I found the best Ookla servers to use were in the Netherlands(Haarlem) as this gave a more consistent result.

 

Now I just use Thinkbroadband and BTW , while sometimes treble checking againt http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

 

As for reliable, you'll find out in peak hours. Smiley

 

The best gateway is so variable. For me and my setup, I'm better on the gateways ending in AGxx which are the smaller (meaning less connections per gateway) and older gateway boxes. Other people have issues with these boxes  so there is no easy rule. You find out what works for you by testing and monitoring. I'm sad in that I log gateway changes and verify the speed and quality results when they happen. Wink

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
danludlow
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

Further to this, my connection was broken at 07.30 this morning, returning immediately but seemingly on a Sheffield gateway. Speed is slower and SNR DOWN has gone up from 5.8 to 10.00. Not sure why, and hoping that it will return to normal over the next few hours or days. 

southerner
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?


@SpendLessTime wrote:

Check your gateway at http://users.plus.net/@gateway_custom?debug-ip=yes to see which date centre you are connected to.

 

If it says Southbank then you are using the new network.


I'm curious about this? as I've been moved to the new network and I'm currently on Colindale (pcn-ir01)

SpendLessTime
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

I guess Plusnet are bringing on more data centres onto the new network which would make sense as having all connections from one data centre would be asking for trouble. Smiley

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
spraxyt
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

Both Colindale and Southbank are Points of Presence on the new network. The gateway name will include "ir" which is an Internet Router.

David
Andrue
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?


@danludlow wrote:

Further to this, my connection was broken at 07.30 this morning, returning immediately ... Speed is slower and SNR DOWN has gone up from 5.8 to 10.00. 


Network changes within PN can cause your PPP session to drop but I would not expect them to cause a modem resync. That just sounds like a DLM parameter adjustment apart from being later than normal (I thought DLM only acted between 3am and 6am). It is certainly not possible for a change of network routing to modify your current DLM settings so we know that the new network is not the reason for the lower sync.

So all we can conclude I think is that something local to you caused your modem to resync and for some reason it did so at a lower connection speed. Possibly DLM was due to apply that change soon anyway and the glitch made it act sooner.

southerner
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

That's strange. I remember just noticing a PPP drop in the early hours when they did mine.

I remember reading those on ADSL getting a DSL drop and finding their connection attributes had been reset but not those on Fibre.

Maybe someone from Plusnet will comment later on.
danludlow
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

I'm currently connected to ptn-bng02 in Telehouse North, can I switch to a new gateway? If so what are the advantages?

danludlow
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

Very oddly, my connection was re-set again today at 07:00, similar to yesterday. I have checked settings on my ASUS DSL-AC68U and nothing is set to restart/reboot automatically although it appears that there is a facility to do this.

My SNR down has increased to 12.4dB, it sat below 6.0dB for some weeks, I wonder about line alterations?

Downlink Speed has dropped to 40Mbps from 47Mbps, Connected Maximum Speed has increased from 59Mbps to 65Mbps (according to my Router's Log) Up is shown as 15Mbps on both connected and Maximum.

My speed is fixed on my package to 40Mbps Down if that has a bearing.

I worry that my service may be slowed by DLM.

Any thoughts?

Oldjim
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

If you were on the 40/2 package then the downlink speed would be fixed at 40 but if you were on the 40/20 then it isn't fixed but is limited by the Plusnet Current Line Speed

Why the downlink speed has dropped I have no idea but the reported increase of noise margin combined with the drop in speed is what would be expected if the speed was now being limited by the BT system as opposed to being by the Plusnet system

danludlow
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

Thanks Oldjim. If the speed is limited by PlusNet, they are (as I suspected) paying for an 80/20 service for me, and seemingly covering with what I pay. Obviously not as profitably as buying a cheaper 40/2 service from BTW, hence its demise. It would not cost them a penny to increase to 80/20 for a long term loyal customer with a Legacy product (if I continue to pay for McAfee -Free with "Extra").

Has anyone got the power to do this at PlusNet I wonder? Who should I haggle with? ^-)

Am continuing to watch speeds and puzzling myself!

Oldjim
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Re: Have I been put on a new Server?

a quick answer is to check the uplink speed

there are three options up to 2, up to 10, up to 20

the BT speed test further diagnostics will confirm which it is