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Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Hi.

Just moved from BT Infinity Business, 40/10 service. 9 days now on Plusnet. Migration seamless.

Interested in why BT DSL checker is reporting speeds seen as 60Mbps but Plusnet reports 40Mbps?

Plusnet started at 40 and hasn't changed. BT has consistently risen as the line settles after migration, presumably upshifting from previous capped rate.

Currently still using ECI modem and Draytek 2850. Suspecting Draytek is limiting routing performance maybe.

Anyone seen similar? If anyone from Plusnet is reading where does your number come from?

Thanks all.

 

17 REPLIES 17
RichardB
Seasoned Champion
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Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Hi @ste71

The BT DSL checker is reporting your connection speed between the router and the Fibre cabinet.

The BT IP profile is few Mbps below that (due to overheads).

It can be seen at:

https://www.speedtest.btwholesale.com/

Run the basic speed test, then press "additional diagnostic" button.

Select the Telephone number option and enter your telephone number.

After a while it will report the upstream and downstream speeds and the upstream and downstream IP profiles.

I believe Plusnet base their current speed  on the BT IP profile.

How do the BT speedtest results compare to the Plusnet current line speed?

Regards

Richard

Browni
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Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

The DSL Checker reports what the line is capable of, the other BT report is presumably a speed tester which reports what the line is currently connected at i.e the current throuhput.

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Thanks for the info. Can the BT IP Profile become "stuck"? (My previous BT service was capped)

 

BT speedtest shows IP Profile for the line is 40.53 Mbps

BT Wholesale broadband check shows "Max Observed Downstream Speed 60.73" on 02/12/20

Plusnet "Current Line Speed (Download): 40.6Mbps"

 

So as you say Plusnet use BT IP Profile. So thanks for answering that question.

 

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Thanks Browni - I should have clairified that I'm just looking at "Observed Speeds" in the DSL checker, specifically "Max Observed Downstream Speed"

RichardB
Seasoned Champion
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Registered: ‎19-11-2008

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Hi @ste71
I beleive a BT IP profile can become stuck.
I have also seen my observed speed become stuck with old data.
It would be good to see the modem sync speeds but as you are using an ECI modem I doubt these can be obtained.
I think it would be worth one reboot of the modem, to see if it updates either the BT IP profile and/or the observed speeds.
Regards
Richard
ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Yes modem seems decent enough but lack of stats is annoying. However when on BT capped service I never saw observed speeds above 44Mbps, typically around 40Mbps so I think the modem is doing it's job now and is syncing at a much higher speed.

I have previously tried a reboot so I think I have enough to open a ticket now. I'll post back with results. Thanks again for your help.

MisterW
Superuser
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Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

@ste71 

Currently still using ECI modem and Draytek 2850. Suspecting Draytek is limiting routing performance maybe.

I'm confused here as to why you are still using the ECI modem. According to this https://www.draytek.co.uk/products/legacy/vigor-2850 the 2850 has a built-in VDSL modem see here for connecting to FTTC https://www.draytek.co.uk/archive/kb/kb_vigor_v2850_setup.html

That way you'll be able to see the dsl stats, albeit maybe only via telnet to the Draytek CLI. Whilst the Draytek is not the worlds best for VDSL modem performance it's probably as good as or better than the ECI modem

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.

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

Hi the Draytek VDSL modem in the 2850 only worked on the very first FTTC iteration, even then barely worked. Later BT SINs meant it was not compatible. That's why the 2850 was replaced so quickly with the 2860. The ECI modem is a newer bit of kit and is still valid as far as I know. Used the first iteration of the Huawei modem initially but that was the one that overheated, it was replaced with the ECI which has been fine - except for the lack of stats! 🙂

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

And if you're really interested here (see 2.3.2 for pretty pictures of ECI and Huawei modems)

 

https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/helpandsupport/sins/sins/downloads/SIN498v7p7.pdf

MisterW
Superuser
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Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

I thought I hadn't seen much about the 2850! that explains why.

TBH I didn't think the ECI modem was much better https://kitz.co.uk/adsl/retransmission.htm

Which modems aren't G.INP compatible or unable to perform upstream retransmission?

We maintain a list of these modems on the forums. Broadly speaking most of the modern VDSL modem/ routers are fully G.INP compatible and capable of both downstream and upstream Retransmission. 
The main exceptions are BT HomeHub Type 5A, Openreach ECI modem and Draytech Vigor 2850 series.

I'd be tempted to try and get hold of a later Huawei HG612 modem (unlocked) or maybe the TP link 9970 ( in Bridge mode ).

To start to understand where if any your performance problems are , you first need to get the dsl stats to see at what speed you're synching

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.

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

I've actually configured up a BT Business Hub 5A in bridge mode, it's ready to go in. I would have simply used the Plusnet router but no bridge mode support but I believe the Business Hub 5 is essentially identical?

 

In this case though I don't think we can blame the ECI. I've watched the max observed rate in the DSL checker every day since the service went live. It initially dropped because I did a hard reset of everything after changing PPPoE login details in the Draytek. So it started around 36Mbps and has climbed every day now steadily through the 40s, 50s and now into the 60s which is about as good as my line can support.

 

Believe me the ECI modem is a hell of a lot more stable than the Draytek 2850 VDSL modem ever was! I'm not attached to it and as I say will look to use the Business Hub 5 but I'd like to go one step at a time and also understand if this is a IP Profile problem first.

 

Both the ECI modems and Huawei modem are now end of life and will not get further updates so I will move on from them:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/09/openreach-uk-end-firmware-updates-for-vdsl2-broadband-...

MisterW
Superuser
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Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

I've watched the max observed rate in the DSL checker every day since the service went live. It initially dropped because I did a hard reset of everything after changing PPPoE login details in the Draytek. So it started around 36Mbps and has climbed every day now steadily through the 40s, 50s and now into the 60s which is about as good as my line can support.

TBH I'm not sure where the DSL checker gets the Max observed rate, mine says 68.72 down and 17.91 up which is very clever of it, since I've always been on a 40/10 product and so the synch is limited by the 40/10 cap!. My VDSL stats show (and always have) a downstream synch of 39999 and upstream 9999.

As far as I'm aware the BT profile is pretty good at following the synch speed. It's contolled by the DSLAM and should be 96.8% of the synch. The Plusnet profile is not so good at following the BT one though, it can get stuck and also can get set incorrectly at a product change. The only good news is that it has no effect UNLESS you have a static IP.

There's really no substitute for a set of DSL stats , since they will also show the SNR margin and error counts which potentially can have a significant effect on throughput.

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.

ste71
Dabbler
Posts: 10
Registered: ‎02-12-2020

Re: Which is right - BT DSL checker or Plusnet speed report?

As I say my observed rate never went above 44 previously (capped BT Infinity Business). Now it is over 60 since moving to Plusnet.