Peak Time slowdown

[#1]

As I can't get through on chat at the moment and can't speak at the moment  I'm resorting to the forums in the hope that one of the nice members of staff can raise a ticket on my behalf.

I'm having some issues with peak time performance.

The internet is fine during the day but in the evening the performance can be diabolical and there doesn't seem to be any logic, for example:

6:38PM - 8.64 Mbps.

6:40PM - 37 Mbps.

6:41PM - 10.93 Mbps

Sync speed is OK and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the line at the moment so I'm wondering if it's congestion and if anything can be done.

[#2]

Hi @Nom_D_Plume,

I'm sorry to hear you're having intermittent speed issues and have had trouble trying to get through to our webchat.
We're more than happy to look into any issues you are having via these Community Forums and my findings after looking into your connection are below:

Test Outcome	Pass
Test Outcome Code	GTC_FTTC_SERVICE_0000
Description	GEA service test completed and no fault found .
Main Fault Location	OK
Sync Status	In Sync
Downstream Speed	40.0 Mbps
Upstream Speed	10.0 Mbps
Appointment Required	N
Fault Report Advised	N
NTE Power Status	PowerOn
Voice Line Test Result	Pass
Bridge Tap	Not Detected
Radio Frequency Ingress	Not Detected
Repetitive Electrical Impulse Noise	Not Detected
Cross Talk	Not Detected
Estimated Line Length In Metres	444.1
Upstream Rate Assessment	Very Good
Downstream Rate Assessment	Very Good
Interference Pattern	Not Detected
Service Impact	No Impact Observed
Home Wiring Problem	Not Detected
Downstream Policing Discard Rate	0.0
Customer Traffic Level	Upstream and Downstream Traffic Detected
Technology	VDSL
Profile Name	0.128M-40M Downstream, Retransmission Low - 0.128M-10M Upstream, Error Protection Off
Time Stamp	2018-10-27T14:15:00

Parameters	MIN	MAX	AVG
Down Stream Line Rate	39.9 Mbps	39.9 Mbps	39.9 Mbps
Up Stream Line Rate	9.9 Mbps	9.9 Mbps	9.9 Mbps
Up Time	766.0 Sec	900.0 Sec	899.7 Sec
Retrains	0.0	1.0	0.0

Current and Last 15 Minute Bin Performance
Parameters	Last Traffic Count(Upto 15 mins)	Current Traffic Count(Upto 15 mins)
Start Time Stamp	2018-11-09T13:42:16Z	2018-11-09T13:57:16Z
Ingress Code Violation	0	0
Egress Code Violation	0	0
Errored Seconds	0	0
Severely Errored Seconds	0	0
Unavailable Seconds	0	0

Everything in terms of testing is looking fine with the sync speed with no signs of errors or issues.
I've also tested for congestion and overheating of equipment however that's coming through all clear also:

Date	HOT VLAN(Yes/No)	Action	Fix Date
09-11-2018	NO
08-11-2018	NO
07-11-2018	NO
06-11-2018	NO
05-11-2018	NO
04-11-2018	NO
03-11-2018	NO

Can I ask then, are you seeing these intermittent speeds over solely wireless devices or wired also? As it could be wireless interference behind the intermittent speed you're seeing and if so we can advise on how best to optimise your wireless settings to suite the property.
Have you noticed the intermittent speeds across more than 1 device? And when testing the speeds was there anything running in the background? Streaming/downloading etc...?

We look forwards to your reply so we can investigate this issue further.

[#3]

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the test results. 

Testing was done with an Ethernet connection direct into the router with no other downloads running. Slow downs have been noticed on multiple devices.

The slow downs seem to happen between 15:00 and 19:00 (roughly) I was wondering if it was when the kids got out of school hence why I thought it might be congestion. Outside of these times the connection is spot on.

Any chance it's weather related? We've had problems with moisture in the lines before but I'd expect that to show up as errors in the line and be all day rather than at peak times.

With respect to your offer regarding wireless connectivity, I'll take any advice you have on this to rule it out. (It's an old stone property so optimisation hints welcomed).

Thanks for the help.

[#4]

Hi @Nom_D_Plume,

Please run a speed test via an Ethernet cable and Internet Explorer / Microsoft Edge. If the speed is lower than the estimated speed during the times mentioned, please click further diagnostics then enter your telephone number and run the diagnostics to send this information to us.

Along side this, please raise a fault and let us know when you have completed it.

Usually when the service has been effected by weather conditions we would see a drop in sync speed but after all our testing the sync speed has been at 40Mbps.

As you have run speed tests when connected via Ethernet there is no reason to believe it is a wireless connectivity issue however, if you would like to see how to improve wireless connectivity I have crated a ticket on your account.

Thank you.

[#5 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the information.

Running the BT Wholesale test gives me 39 Mbps which is what you'd expect but the ookla speedtest gives 21.

So it's possible that I'm experiencing congestion but not on the PlusNet network so it's out of scope.

I'll keep the information you've given me and if I get problems at peak times next week and the bt tests don't work I'll raise a fault as suggested.

Thanks for all the assistance.

[#6]

No problem at all. If you continue to have issues, please let us know.