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Significant Speed Reduction

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Significant Speed Reduction

Good Morning All,

I'm very new to the forums, I've browsed a number of posts but I've never signed up until now. I'm hoping someone has some suggestions regarding my internet connection difficulties.

I renewed my contract around 19 months ago and was standing around 77~78Mbps down and a solid 20Mbps up. After renewing my contract I didn't pay much attention to the speeds as it had been that way for the previous 18 months but I noticed oddities whilst playing my games online such as sudden lag spikes and poor download speeds. I checked the router and noticed it was only connected at 46Mbps so I opened a call with plusnet, they advised initially that the line was banded, after further discussions they dispatched a trusty BT engineer to have a look and unband it if possible. The connection went back up to around 60Mbps and I was told it would settle in (this was around april this year but I can't remember exactly).

I raised a new call in September as the issue occurred again and a BT Engineer was dispatched he looked over everything and said it seems fine - ignoring the 35+% drop in down speeds. After a little while and in fairness as I hadn't paid attention to the notes the call was closed so I raised a new one in October. Again the BT Engineer was dispatched and told me everything was fine. I told him about the issues I am having working from home for the NHS such as my VPN connection dropping out, my work phone occassionally cuts out while I am talking to people and he just shrugged it off and said "I should have business broadband to work from home", is this correct? It's not just work related problems I experience though as I often talk to my friends whilst gaming using Discord and sometimes they'll get so far through a sentence and it just sounds like they've suddenly fallen down a well. (It pauses their speech and echoes the last bit until silent and eventually I start to hear them again) 


I argued with him and he suggested that it must just be my router that was old (at this point it was 4 years old) so I got onto plusnet and was told that I'd need to re-contract in order to get a new router as it was out of contract at this point. I recontracted and got a new router which I put in expecting the issue to be resolved however it is now standing at 48Mbps (at least I got one more Mbps Cheesy ). 

I'm largely frustrated as I feel I've been conned into renewing the contract and it's not solved my issue. I've tried leaving the router plugged into the test socket downstairs for 4 weeks but it didn't make a great deal of difference. I feel that there is an underlying issue with my line but I am at a loss as to what I can do about it. The last conversations I had with plusnet were along the lines of we're hitting your minimum guaranteed so go away but obviously I am unhappy with this. They were going to send the BT engineer again but I accidentally hit the close call button instead of "I need to add more details"

Please see the stats from my router (I tried a TP-Link router yesterday and this is why the up time is only 12 hours)

1. Product name:Plusnet Hub
2. Serial number:+081441+NQ02943575
3. Firmware version:Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 Last updated Unknown
4. Board version:Plusnet Hub One
5. DSL uptime:0 days, 15:59:02
6. Data rate:18017 / 48941
7. Maximum data rate:18018 / 60410
8. Noise margin:6.1 / 9.2
9. Line attenuation:20.1 / 16.2
10. Signal attenuation:19.6 / 16.3
11. Data sent/received:867.7 MB / 15.7 GB
12. Broadband username: 
13. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID: 
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:11
17. 5 GHz Wireless network/SSID: 
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
  
23. Modulation:G.993.2 Annex B
24. Software variant:AA
25. Boot loader:1.0.0



12 REPLIES 12
Mustrum
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,554
Thanks: 1,055
Fixes: 76
Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Hi and we;cpme to the forum.

What does the BTW DSL Checker say your line could deliver?

Post the results making sure you hide your phone number.

Is the line quiet? Dial 17070 option 2.

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Hi Mustrum,

Thanks for the response, the details come back as below. As for the quiet line test I'll need to get hold of a phone to give it a try as I don't have one. I'll get back to you tomorrow with that

Telephone Number  on Exchange CHESTERFIELD is served by Cabinet 78
Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Handback
Threshold(Mbps)
WBC FTTC Availability Date WBC SOGEA Availability Date Left in Jumper
High Low High Low        
VDSL Range A (Clean)  80 60.4 20 17.9 55 Available Available --
VDSL Range B (Impacted)  80 58.1 20 16.4 49.6 Available Available --
Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install Process
FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available --
ADSL Products Downstream Line Rate (Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) ADSL Availability Date WBC SOADSL Availability Date Left in Jumper
WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 3 -- 2 to 4 Available Available --
ADSL Max Up to 2 -- 1 to 3.5 Available Available --
WBC Fixed Rate 1 -- -- Available Available --
Fixed Rate 1 -- -- Available -- --
Observed Speeds VDSL
Max Observed Downstream Speed 48.99
Max Observed Upstream Speed 18.08
Observed Date 2020-10-12
Other Offerings Availability Date
VDSL Multicast Available
ADSL Multicast Available
Premise Environment Status
Bridge Tap N
VRI N
NTE FacePlate N
Last Test Date 17-12-2020
Exchange Product Restrictions Status
FTTP Priority Exchange N
WLR Withdrawal N
SOADSL Restriction Y
EmilyD
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 2,032
Thanks: 357
Fixes: 117
Registered: ‎26-03-2018

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Hi @McMinion,

 

Together with our network partners at Openreach we will try to provide you with the best speeds possible. If you feel this is not the case, please raise your speed fault online at faults.plus.net

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Emily D
 Plusnet Help Team
MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,575
Thanks: 5,411
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

@McMinion 

Ive tried leaving the router plugged into the test socket downstairs for 4 weeks but it didn't make a great deal of difference

Are those stats from the router when plugged into the test socket ?

If so, then you are synching below the MGALS (Downstream Handback) and so should raise a speed fault.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Good Morning All,

Thank you for all the replies.

Mostrum - I dialled that number for the quiet line test and it sounds fine, there was not a peep.

Emily - I may have to go down that route again, I've already had 3 opened with regards to this.

MisterW - The speed ultimately was unchanged but those stats are based off a BT installed extension into my office - using the Powerline adapters was occassionally painful haha. The minimum guaranteed according to the email I received was 47.8Mbps which I do get (Albeit Just)

I'll ask the neighbours and see if they're having any issues.


MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,575
Thanks: 5,411
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

@McMinion 

MisterW - The speed ultimately was unchanged but those stats are based off a BT installed extension into my office - using the Powerline adapters was occassionally painful haha.

The effective speed (IP profile) will take a long time (if at all!) to adjust to an increased sync speed without a DLM reset. It would be useful to see the stats from the master socket compared with those from the extension. If they are significantly different then that would indicate that the extension cabling is having an effect.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Re: Significant Speed Reduction


@MisterW wrote:

@McMinion 

MisterW - The speed ultimately was unchanged but those stats are based off a BT installed extension into my office - using the Powerline adapters was occassionally painful haha.

The effective speed (IP profile) will take a long time (if at all!) to adjust to an increased sync speed without a DLM reset. It would be useful to see the stats from the master socket compared with those from the extension. If they are significantly different then that would indicate that the extension cabling is having an effect.


Hi MisterW,

I was under the impression that it would take around 5 days for the banding to try and change but that was just based on some googling. The connection seemed to disconnected and re-establish itself after 11 days, I left it in situ for three of those events and there was no change in the speed. 

MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,575
Thanks: 5,411
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

@McMinion that was true for the ADSL DLM but I'm not sure anyone (apart from Openreach maybe!) understands how the FTTC DLM really works. There was a good description here https://community.plus.net/t5/Library/FTTC-DLM-What-it-is-How-it-works/ba-p/1322799 but it is quite old and doesn't really cover stability profiles and how caution counters work in practice.

Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that the DLM is reluctant to remove 'banding', once applied, without a DLM reset.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Mustrum
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,554
Thanks: 1,055
Fixes: 76
Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Could we see the router stats with it connected to the test socket?

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Hi MisterW,

That's an interesting read thanks. I've never learned so much about VDSL since having these problems haha. 

It's probably not great practice and I'm ashamed to admit it but I've got a few numbers for my direct neighbours from the BT Phonebook and put them into the link that Mustrum gave me to find that they are also getting results below the "HandBack Threshold". 

I then got some from a street adjacent to us to see they are getting results far greater than this threshold and are going to the same cab. It seems logical to assume that there is a fault with the wiring providing my street? 

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Good Morning Mustrum,

I've opened a call with Plusnet and they're looking to see if the line is banded. In the meantime I've put the router back on the test socket so have the stats you asked for previously:

1. Product name: Plusnet Hub
2. Serial number: +081441+NQ02943575
3. Firmware version: Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 Last updated Unknown
4. Board version: Plusnet Hub One
5. DSL uptime: 1 days, 18:41:34
6. Data rate: 18563 / 48941
7. Maximum data rate: 18563 / 57578
8. Noise margin: 6.1 / 8.7
9. Line attenuation: 19.6 / 15.7
10. Signal attenuation: 19.3 / 15.7
11. Data sent/received: 1.7 GB / 34.6 GB
12. Broadband username:  
13. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID:  
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: 11
17. 5 GHz Wireless network/SSID:  
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:  
23. Modulation: G.993.2 Annex B
24. Software variant: AA
25. Boot loader: 1.0.0


Sorry it took so long, it's a ball ache of a process as all my work kit and my personal computer is upstairs and the test socket is downstairs and there's no power near the test socket yada yada :).

McMinion
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎29-12-2020

Re: Significant Speed Reduction

Just keeping this updated in case anyone else comes across this same problem.

My downstream speed dipped down to 42Mbps on the test socket and the BT Engineer has been out today. He's tested the line end to end and there are no faults. He has advised that the cause of my performance issues relates to the number of people who have taken up VDSL in the area and that there is insufficient cabling in the ground to handle this. There is a high amount of cross talk which is the main factor in my problems.

Regrettably as there is no fault and there is no anticipation of further houses being built where I am the issue will remain as they will not put additional lines in unless there is a physical fault or more houses are built (and he was unwilling to go and ram a shovel through them for me).

Thank you for your responses but I guess I'm simply stuck with poor performance.