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Intermittent Slow Speeds

jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Intermittent Slow Speeds

Hi,

 

My Fibre speed seems to drop intermittently, often during the day. I've just run a check on Ookla and get this:

My router is connected directly to the test socket using only the filter and cable provided. No phone connected. I've previously checked as per the instructions via the BT line checker and the line should manage 80mb. Most times my download is around 51mb but drops regularly without any pattern and I'm wondering if everything's set up correctly. Any help much appreciated!

17 REPLIES 17
jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

5972009214.png

DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

If you're testing via Wifi, try Ethernet instead.

What type of master socket is it? Post a pic if you're unsure

What speed is given here - http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/ - (follow the instructions carefully)

Using the above tester, if you end up going through 3 tests, these are logged with Plusnet

 

It might be worth waiting for somebody from Plusnet to post a reply here too.

jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

 

Hey, thanks for the reply - I appreciate it. I am testing on Ethernet, not via WiFi. Nobody else connected at the time of the test.

The BT result (I ran three tests) is Download 2.51 to 3.88 Mbps, Upload 3.99 to 7.56 Mbps, Ping 20.50 to 35.75ms. 

If I go to 'further diagnostics' it tells me the IP profile for my line is 53.17Mbps (upstream 20 Mbps)

The master socket is one of these...


Image00001.jpg












It's been pretty good so far this year, but dropped out completely today and came back slower than the ADSL that I upgraded from. 

DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

Right, when you get the BT speed test results with the two bars (in your case probably red) there is another test that needs to be completed - you will need to change the routers broadband username.

It's these results that get logged with PN

Is that the only socket?

 

edit. Just in case, make a note of the BB username

 

jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

It's the only socket on this line. I live in an ex-commercial building which has a number of other lines which aren't connected. This one is as close to the incoming BT cable as possible.

I'll have to do the BT test (ie. changing the login away from PN) tomorrow as a couple of my housemates are home and using the connection. No doubt by then it'll have all gone back to 51 Mbps d/l and 8 Mbps u/l as it is most of the time. But I'd really like to know why it drops to such terrible speeds on a regular basis.

Thanks again for your help, really appreciate it.

DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

Ok Smiley

If you can carry out the tests at say , morning, mid afternoon and evening it should help PN.

(The 3rd part of the test will drop everyone and everything connected, so yep when they're out is best!!)

 

Hopefully PN forum staff will jump on this thread before too long, though I believe these forums will be offline between 10pm tonight and 8am tomorrow

jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

Well... this morning I checked it via Ookla and I was back to 51 Mbps d/l and 8.5 Mbps u/l.

However, this afternoon I've booted everyone off and done a check on BT using an ethernet cable. 

Disappointing. Three tests, approx 4.3 Mbps d/l, 8.5 Mbps u/l and 20 ms ping over the three tests.

BT wholesale tests 4.45 Mbps d/l, 8.68 Mbps u/l. IP profile of my line is 53.17 Mbps and upstream rate 20 Mbps.

Then I changed the router username and went to try the further test on the BT site. It ran through the progress bar, which said something about TAP 3. But both times I got a blank screen and the following message: "Your speed test has completed and the results are shown above, however during the test an error occurred while trying to retrieve additional details regarding your service. As a result we are unable to determine if the speed you received during the test is acceptable for your service. Please re-run the test if you require this additional information.". So I re-ran the test and got exactly the same error message. 

Not sure what to do now. Would be nice to see PlusNet respond to this. You've been very helpful DS, but this service hasn't worked without regularly dropping to sub-ADSL speeds since I 'upgraded' to fibre and I'm wondering why I bothered doing so and got stuck in an 18-month contract for a sub-standard service.

MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
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Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

Sorry to hear you're having issues.

Our tests aren't showing any obvious issues so I'd recommend raising this here

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

Thanks Matthew, will do.

DS
Seasoned Champion
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

And as if by magic, PN are here!! Smiley

 

I often get the same error message on that tester, which when you need it most it's ruddy frustrating!!!!

Having said that, I normally use Firefox which I found used to clash with the tester, so use IE only for that speed tester - it does still fall over at times though.

 

My first thoughts were going in the direction of congestion, but if PN aren't seeing anything wrong, then I'm not sure where to go from here atm.

You can see what the upper and lower speeds should be by going here but if you do decide to post any of it up, make sure you remove your landline phone before you do;)

Use the link given above (edit not the one of this post, the one on message #9), whilst you're waiting you could use a phone (corded if possible) and dial 17070, carry out option 2 - quiet line test (QLT) - any cracking etc?

Also, get a dial tone and then carry out a speed test, any improvement?

 

jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

Hi again. It's been pretty slow (3-4Mbps) all afternoon, went back to 51Mbps about 30 minutes ago, and I'm currently suffering an infuriating 0.97Mbps d/l (1.85Mbps u/l). I raised this on the BT site as Matthew suggested. Not heard anything back from them yet. 

Here is a load of stuff I don't understand Smiley


2017-01-18_183654.jpg

Will go and find the phone and go and do those tests. It's the same line that I had my ADSL from PN on, and that worked very well. This also works well (Unlimited Fibre) a lot of the time, but at the times it doesn't it's about the speed of dialup. 

Thanks again for your help!

DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

It basically means that if your physical connection from the phone socket to the exchange was great then you could get 80 down / 20 up, but if your line had some permanent issues around 40 down / 10 up.

So you could go for PN's 80/20 (with an increase in price) or 40/10 40/2 fibre deal.

 

I don't know if any Plusnet staff (coughs Matt) can take a look whilst you're waiting to hear back from them Wink

 

edit. incorrect deal suggested, now corrected.

DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
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Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

I must correct myself in the post above Shocked although I mentioned 40/10, they no longer do this!!

You would be on a 40/2 package.

 

Anyhow, having checked my speed a moment or so ago, it appears you're not alone with a s-l-o-w speed Knuppel

 

jameshanner
Dabbler
Posts: 16
Registered: ‎26-11-2016

Re: Intermittent Slow Speeds

I'm on Unlimited Fibre Extra, which I believe is the fastest product PN do. Or it should be. 

 

What I'm really struggling to understand is why it's fine a lot of the time, but then goes down to speeds that are completely unacceptable at seemingly random times. It doesn't seem to be governed by time of day. I'd maybe expect it to be a fraction slower in the evening when more people in the area have come home from work and are online. But quite often it slows down during the day. It doesn't seem to make any difference how many people in this (shared) house are using it. To go from a reliable 51Mbps to 3.8Mbps is a hell of a drop. 

So I'm thinking it has to be something to do with either BT, or the router. Neither or which I can do anything about.

Current download speed 0.48Mbps. But my upload speed is 8.78Mbps. How does that work? Am I better at making data than PlusNet? I'm so incredibly bored of spending all my time running tests and trying to get online to chat to a helpful person who doesn't work for PlusNet (thank you again DS). But I'd *really* like some help from PlusNet.