Horrendously slow download speeds in evenings

[#1]

I have the 80/20 Mb/s package and until a week ago I'd never had any issues with it. However, on the two evenings during the last week when I actually used my home internet connection, my download speeds were 1-2 Mb/s. I checked the router and the sync speed was as expected (75 Mb/s down, 20 Mb/s up). I disabled WiFi on the router and ran speed tests on two separate desktops (connected via Ethernet) and both showed horrendously slow speeds.

What's going on here? The first time I saw the problem (26/08/2016) it went away after a couple of hours and normal speeds were resumed. I assumed it was just a one-off but clearly not. I've attached an example speed test from last night: 1.6 Mb/s down and 15.4 Mb/s up. The upload speed is quite a bit below where it should be (considering it's synced at the full 20 Mb/s) but the download speed is nowhere near the 75 Mb/s sync speed!

[#2]

I refer you to this thread https://community.plus.net/t5/Fibre-Broadband/High-packet-loss-and-other-DNS-issues/td-p/1354749

It may affect you if you have been switched to the new Plusnet network. If you do not have a static IP address and the gateway name shown at http://users.plus.net/@gateway/ includes the text "-IR" then you are on the new network.

[#3]

I'll check when I get home but my IP starts with 87 so I assume I'm on the old network.

[#4]

The gateway checker says:

"You are currently connected to gateway pcl-ag06.

This is located in City Lifeline House."

Exactly the same problem this evening: upload speed is fine but download speed is ~3 Mb/s!!

[#5]

That's the old network you're connected through.

Looks like you have another issue to contend with.

Have you checked your phone line for noise, try the quiet line test

Can you hear/have you heard any audible noise on the line - crackles etc.? Use the Quiet Line Test 17070 option 2 if need be. Use a corded phone if possible from the phone master socket.

It;'s always best to discount the phone line issues first. The Phone line trouble shooter is here for Plusnet supplied phone lines https://www.plus.net/help/phone/phone-line-troubleshooting/

If no issues with the phone line, then I would start with the FTTC fault guide at https://community.plus.net/t5/Fibre-Broadband/Fibre-Fault-Guides/m-p/1156188#U1156188

[#6]

A quiet line test would be difficult as I have no landline phone.

Just called Plusnet though and got them to run a line test and they confirmed there's a fault. Hopefully it'll be fixed by Monday and speeds will be back to normal. We'll see I guess.

[#7]

Let us know if it's still bad after the line fault is fixed.

[#8]

Had a BT engineer call me today saying he was looking at my line. I told him the symptoms but I have no idea what progress he made, if any. Speeds have been OK most of this evening but currently down to ~15 Mb/s. It'll probably keep dropping as before.

[#9]

OK so I reset my router tonight as I was told to do. It made no difference - both before and after my sync download speed was 75 Mb/s and a speed test showed the actual download speed as 60 Mb/s. This was at 18:30. At 20:30, download speeds had dropped to 15 Mb/s. At 21:10 they are now 12 Mb/s.

So clearly not fixed yet!

[#10]

It sounds more like congestion at cabinet/exchange level rather than a line fault as the speeds are only dropping during peak times. I can see you've replied to the fault ticket, can you do a BT Speedtest, ensuring you do the further diagnostics test after the first one completes. This stores the results on the supplier system and allows us to use this to report the fault. This would be good if you can run it when the speed is low.

[#11]

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@Chris wrote:

It sounds more like congestion at cabinet/exchange level rather than a line fault as the speeds are only dropping during peak times. I can see you've replied to the fault ticket, can you do a BT Speedtest, ensuring you do the further diagnostics test after the first one completes. This stores the results on the supplier system and allows us to use this to report the fault. This would be good if you can run it when the speed is low.

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I have run that test several times. I attached a screenshot of the worst one in my opening post...

I called Plusnet yesterday (40 minute wait times!!) and was told that the first engineer wasn't able to fix the problem and that a second engineer visit had been booked. The person I spoke to couldn't explain the technical aspects of the problem but suggested it was to do with an mistake being made when someone else in the area signed up to a FTTC package with Plusnet.

More waiting I guess.

[#12]

It's peak time again and tonight download speeds are 69 Mb/s so it looks like the issue is sorted. My router is reporting the maximum sync rate as 78 Mb/s too, which is bit higher than the previous peak I've seen since we moved here (75 Mb/s). In our old place our maximum sync speed was nearly 120 Mb/s, if only there was a package that fast!

I will keep an eye on it over the next week or so but hopefully the fix is permanent.