SYNC speed, what is it? Intermittent drop in speed.

[#1]

Hi all,

Just transferred from adsl to fttc. From john lewis plusnet, to plusnet 'proper'.

30 mbps option. Welcome email says guaranteed 30mb minimum. My house is 10 meters from the cabinet as the crow flies, the copper to my house is about 18 meters.

These might be dumb questions, but can someone explain sync speed to me, and where on my Plus1 router I can find it?

I know it might still be early days, as my firbre only went live in December, and a fault was found in a damp cable gulley only a few days ago. So maybe my speeds haven't stabilised fully yet.

For most of the time, I am getting over 36mb as reported on the BT wholesale test, and by other speed tests that I use a comparison. But quite a lot, it drops to below that, and averages about 21/22/23/24 mbps.

And it makes no difference if I am wifi, or if I do the test at the bt test socket, and the ethernet cable into the back of the router. When I notice a slowness in loading internet pages, I do a test on wifi, and then confirm it with ethernet. I get the same results.

I've enclosed a picture of advanced BT test.

And these are the stats from my router. Can some kind soul explain them to this novice?

1. Product name:	Plusnet Hub
2. Serial number:
3. Firmware version:	Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 Last updated Unknown
4. Board version:	Plusnet Hub One
5. DSL uptime:	6 days, 17:03:22
6. Data rate:	9999 / 39950
7. Maximum data rate:	32783 / 101832
8. Noise margin:	23.2 / 23.9
9. Line attenuation:	4.4 / 4.3
10. Signal attenuation:	5.4 / 4.3
11. Data sent/received:	8.0 GB / 69.8 GB
12. Broadband username:
13. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID:	PLUSNET-TP9K
14. 2.4 GHz Wireless connections:	Enabled (802.11 b/g/n (up to 144 Mb/s))
15. 2.4 GHz Wireless security:	WPA2
16. 2.4 GHz Wireless channel:	Automatic (Smart Wireless)
17. 5 GHz Wireless network/SSID:	PLUSNET-TP9K
18. 5 GHz Wireless connections:	Enabled (802.11 a/n/ac (up to 1300 Mb/s))
19. 5 GHz Wireless security:	WPA2
20. 5 GHz Wireless channel:	Automatic (Smart Wireless)
21. Firewall:	Default
22. MAC Address:	10:06:45:ea:a8:a2
23. Modulation:	G.993.2 Annex B
24. Software variant:	AA
25. Boot loader:	1.0.0

DSL line status.

Line state:	Connected
Connection time:	6 days, 17:04:41
Downstream:	39.95 Mbps
Upstream:	9.999 Mbps

[#2]

Sync speed is speed the modem is syncing with cabinet but it doesn't mean that is the speed Plusnet will give you or any ISP.

Some of the stats are quite self explanatory so I will go through some for you.

1. Brand Name of your modem/router
2. Self explanatory
3. The firmware your modem has installed.
4. Motherboard ID name.
5. How long you have been connected.
6. Speed in the following format upload/download.
7. Maximum your line can receive in the following format upload/download.
8. Noise ratio the amount of sound to noise ratio on your line (all lines have noise).
9. How long your copper line is to cabinet
10. Signal strength of your line.
11. Amount of data used so far in the following format upload/download.
12. Self explanatray.
13 - 20 all your wi-fi names, speed frequency and security used and channels.
21. Status of built in firewall in modem/router.
22. Your modem/router network ID (I'd ommit this if I was you).
23. The connection type for fiber.
24 - 25 modem/router software related.

Line state: self explanatory.
Connection time: selft explanatory.
Downstream: your download speed.
Upstream: your upload speed.

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): Post released from Auto Spam Filter.

[#3]

I tried to explain all to you but the reply was rejected by the system probs look like spam. I'm sure someone will respond using a better format than I tried.

[cOmp]

OK, thanks for trying to reply cOmp.

[#5]

@Slpj 

In short it indicates that you have a brilliant connection capable of well in excess of 80/20 Mbps but you are on the 40/10 service, which is running at this limit correctly. Your line has been up with no drops for nearly a week. In short there is nothing here to indicate that you have a problem.

How are you testing? are you connecting the DSL cable directly into the Test socket (apart from a filter), that's the one you access after taking the front off the master socket, with your computer directly connected to the hub via an Ethernet cable?

Also are you making sure that every other device is disconnected from the internet and nothing else is using it whilst you test?

[#6]

@Baldrick1 Is the SNR of any concern? Just that it looks high to me, but is that normal for a FTTC connection?

[#7]

@jab1 The OP says he's very close to the cab, so there's lots of headroom and margin adjustment doesn't come into play.

[#8]

Okay, @198kHz , understood. Don't forget I'm still on ADSL, so haven't learnt FTTC behaviour yet.😁

[#9]

---

@Slpj wrote:

Hi all,

I know it might still be early days, as my firbre only went live in December, and a fault was found in a damp cable gulley only a few days ago. So maybe my speeds haven't stabilised fully yet.

For most of the time, I am getting over 36mb as reported on the BT wholesale test, and by other speed tests that I use a comparison. But quite a lot, it drops to below that, and averages about 21/22/23/24 mbps

I'd agree with @Baldrick1 you're line stats are fine. As to what is eating your bandwidth when it drops to 24Mb, especially if using an ethernet cable - sounds like something is working in the background. Are you running Windows10 or anything else that might download something like a big update? I tend to find that W10 can be a hog of bandwidth unless one does the fix to restrict it.

This page is handy to see what you have been connected at - assuming it has caught up.

[#10]

Hi,

Yes connected to the bt test socket at all times. Yes using ethernet cable to confirm speed when I notice it is slow. Yes only one device connected when testing.

As per my original questions, what is sync speed and where is it shown on the router?

[#11]

Part 1 of requested link.

[#12]

Part 2 of requested link.

What do those results show?

[#13]

Thanks CoMP.

I'll digest that and come up with other questions that will hopefully make it all clear to me. Lol.

Basically, when I do a speed test with for example the btwholesale test site, I understand that is the speed to my computer, and sometimes that is below 30mbps. But I don't understand where to look on the router, to see that reflected in the router stats.

[#14]

I believe it not visible for end users who use plusnets modem/router. The easiest was to check what your sync speed is is visit https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Put your number in and enter captcha code and you will see what your line is capable of and a latest sync speed.

Don't post the results as it will contain your telephone number. If you must post a screen shot make sure you blank it out.

The other way is to use telnet but that's too advanced.

Oh forgot to add, since it's a new connection to FTTC your speeds will influcuate daily for about 2 weeks so the DLM finds a stable connection for you.

[#15]

@cOmp  You are missing the Help Desk tab in the OP's first post showing sync speed - an easier option than using the BTW check - which only gives sync speed when last tested - often months apart.

You cannot telnet into the PN Hub 1.

DLM takes about 24 hours to settle on an FTTC circuit, if that, another myth carried over from ADSL days.

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