Speed DROP by 25%

[#1]

I usually check speed every day on FTTC connection

Normally 10 ms response       UP    38 Mbps  Down   10 Mbps

Today      Response 10 ms ..    UP    28 Mbps  Down   10 Mbps

A download drop from 38 to 28 

Tested several times this morning 21st Oct 2019. 

Nothing changed at my end, same config for months. 

[#2]

Hi there, I've just tested your line and I'm not seeing any obvious causes for the issue at all so it would be best to try following some troubleshooting as your next step: https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/connection-troubleshooting/ if that doesn't resolve it you can report a fault online at http://faults.plus.net

Please let us know how you get on. 

[#3]

Tuesday 22nd Oct 2019  1400 ish

Speed now 37% below the 40 Mbps expected. 

Ok I normally get 38 Mbps and it has slowly dropped over the last few days to around 25 Mbps. 

[#4]

Hi @OldRaft 

Are you able to let us know if you have looked at the info Adam provided above? 

Could you also set up in your Test Socket as per the info here  and run a fresh Wired Speed Test with your Wireless devices either not connected or turned off? 

Thanks, 

MoR

[#5]

I watched the video, not of the points relevant, nothing changed at my end.

I have turned of both firewall and anti-virus (makes less then 0.5 Mbps difference)

I have only a Master socket with separate sockets for RJ11 and phone connector.

I have filled in the complete questionnaire on the PN site.

I have tested without a phone (the single phone we have) connected.  This happens to be connected through a filter although strictly not needed.   As I understand that the only reason for removing the face plate to access the "test socket" is to disconnect all other phone sockets, this may not be relevant as I don't have anything connected to the master socket, i.e. not extensions master socket only (MK3).

In the past twenty five years of problems with the phone line I have had everything from the green box in the road replaced...

• Twisted pair from the telegraph pole (swapped to a different pair) 
• Cable from pole to house
• Cable from mounting point on outside of house to master socket (single only socket)
• I have also replaced the DECT phone at least once.

Majority of errors were found to be the twisted pair from the telegraph pole to the cabinet, found when phone got noisy yet again when engineer accessing the manhole adjacent to the telegraph pole. This was found purely by chance when we noticed the phone line was noisy whilst the guy was fixing another problem. The fifth or six visit by OR then fixed the problem. 

A few months ago upload speed changed from 11  to  1 Mbps, (just before or after a "major outage" can't remember which now) detailed report on the ticket (not seen this report this time?) listed "interference" but I could never get a straight answer on if this was outside or inside the premises).

Checked lots of things that could be causing interference, microwave, DECT phones close to the modem and router, noise from other things like central heating thermostat, noise from LED lights, replaced the RH11 cable with twisted pair etc. etc. no change then mysteriously UP speed increased again to 10 Mbps.

As noted in the PN ticket, nothing has changed at my end, also modem reset with zero change.

I have checked the speed every few hours for the past two days it is constantly around 25 Mbps EVERY time I test it, the upload remaining at 10.5 ish every time without fail. 

One thing that may have some bearing is that the local roundabout is being converted (at a cost of £20 million) to a sort of "through-about" the preparatory work involves lots of "ground works"  digging holes with large augers etc. lifting manhole covers and poking about as noted two days ago.  Our cables run underneath/through this roundabout. 

[#6]

Test with WiFi off,  Anti-Virus off, Firewall off

BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test

Broadband Speed Test Results

Download Speed (Mbps): 24.40

Upload Speed (Mbps) : 11.31

Ping Latency (ms): 25

[#7]

Thanks for your post, @OldRaft.

As the speed is still below the MGALS for the line (which is 32.4mbps), I've just raised the issue to BT Wholesale for further investigation.

We'd now expect their response within the next 3 working days and will update you directly as soon as we get any news.

Please let us know if you need anything further in the meantime.

[#8]

The speed on my line has also dropped from 37mbps to 25mbps! My router also keeps losing connection 3-4 times a night (possible more as I'm not in during the day so wouldn't know if it drops). Not a happy customer

[#9]

One reset by the ISP usually in the early hours isn't unusual, as this is when the ISP assumes there is less chance of disrupting a customer.

I have not checked my routers logs but normally it sends me an Email to say something has been reset and I have not seen any of these for a week, since I reset the modem (separate modem and router).

Several resets and most? nights makes it look as if something is going wrong and the systems is trying to fix it and not succeeding. 

(PS  A charity where I look after a few things had a couple of faults on the phone line, this caused noise, this slowed the (Plusnet) link from 10 to 1 Mbps.  It took two calls (the first was never booked) to have the line reset. Can't remember the term but it was a reset that in the past the ISP wasn't able to make and needed an Engineer visit.   After this second call which was booked, the line went immediately to 8 and over the next couple of days back to its normal 10. ) 

[#10]

Hi @OldRaft,

I have updated the fault ticket on your account. Please click here to view my response.

Let us know on this thread once you've replied back to the fault ticket to make sure it gets picked up as soon as possible.

[#11]

Hi @LisaR84, sorry to hear you're having broadband issues.

I can see that one of my colleagues has replied back to you on your thread.

[#12]

Engineer visit Thursday 28th Oct afternoon.  

Young helpful guy, but limited by the oldest piece of test kit I have ever seen. One step up from the ancient Hawk.

His speed test agreed with mine, around 25 Mbps and obviously connected direct to test socket, i.e. eliminating any problem on the three modems and two PCs I had used.

One modem was the original PN which gave EXACTLY the same speed as ALL the other tests.  This speed I get any time of the day, any day of the week, ODD? 

OK so what was he able to see and fix?

Not trained for work in manholes but was for work up poles and obviously in green boxes.

Found.

Two joins in the cable (Copper not Aluminium 🙂 )  between my house and the green cabinet, this is possibly 600 metres.

Bad (screw) connection  in the green box. These "screw"  connections are ancient 

Errors but no outside the normal expected 

Could not check in manholes.

RESULT  (Good and Bad, mostly bad) 

Using the PN supplied modem still 25/26 Mbps almost exactly as before.

Using my Billion 8800NL R2 stats today below...

Line Coding (Trellis)	On	On
SNR Margin (dB)	5.4	6.3
Attenuation (dB)	20.5	0.0
Output Power (dBm)	13.0	7.3
Attainable Rate (Kbps)	48608	11817
Rate (Kbps)	42242	11821

The SNR Margin had dropped significantly from 10.5 to 5.4

Attainable Rate increased to 35,000 ish now better at 46608 ! 

Rate increased a little, has subsequently increased as above to 42,242 

HOWEVER the actual rate on the Engineers measurement matched mine (maybe a tad better) at 25/26 Mbps.

----------------

From Billion support the "Rate"  is not an actual measure rate but a figure agreed on between the Exchange equipment and my modem, this is where the problem seems to be.

Rate 42 Mbps  (higher than the quoted rate of Max 40?  is significantly higher than the actual rate we both get including that with the original PN modem.

It is now Sat 2nd Nov 2019 17:42 hours and after 48 hours no update from PN.

Yes I can exit with no penalty (Although PN say that their {remote) measurement increased from or is 32.x which is the cancellation lower limit) but another ISP would be using the same circuit all the way back to the Exchange so little point in that. 

But a graph shown on the Engineers phone shows the drop with the speeds I was getting.

There has not been a reset of the whole line (can never remember the name of this) it has never been suggested or if already done they didn't tell me.

[#13]

PS.  The BT tests seem different and LOWER than the Which magazine test I use all the time.

Ping (response time) after the Engineer visit has doubled! 

Often the BT test (faster and possibly less thorough) show upload speed as 0.00 as it did when the Eng was here.

The response time has been 10 to 11 ms for months, odd that it suddenly increases by 100 % 

[#14 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the in depth overview @OldRaft 

Engineer notes we've received don't mention anything apart from no fault was found however we can see your sync speed had increased from 33mbps before the visit to 49mbps. I've updated a profile on your account to reflect this improved speed, if you can reboot your router you should see a higher download speed/throughput.

Let us know how it goes.

[#15]

I had seen the router reporting some faster Attainable Rate and Rate, the profile reset seems to have done the trick. 

Powered off and on rather than just a soft reset,  speed back and seems to be benefiting from the remaking last Thursday of the bad joints (obsolete screw type joints found in the green cabinet).   These houses were built before the second world war and twisted wiring although at least copper, is OLD, as it appears is the kit in the cabinets. 

Thanks !  

One happy customer again !