New Router slower speed

[#1]

Hi hoping someone can offer help.

So I had a Technicolor router and when doing speed tests was getting around 15.8 Mbps.  However the line kept dropping connection so Plusnet sent me out a new Hub 0.  However when set up an doing speed tests was only getting around 11 Mbps.  No one seems to be able to explain why this is.  While speaking to tech support it was suggested that the Hub 1 (a rebadged BT Hub 5) might be better.  They wouldn't send me one so bought one on Ebay.

Arrived and when set up, once again only getting 11 Mbps.  If I put the Technicolor one back i Get over 15 Mbps.

I'm baffled by this.  Everything I have read is the BT Hub 5 (plusnet Hub 1) is a pretty good ISP router.  Yet no one seems to be able to suggest why it, and the Hub 0, give noticeably slower speeds.

I posted on thinkbroadband forums and someone suggested that perhaps the chipset in the router was incompatible with the exchange.  This seems a bit odd.  Surely these things conform to set standards and specs.

Can anyone offer any help with this strange issue?

Many thanks

[#2]

Different chipsets can make a difference, but not usually as large a difference as you are witnessing in my experience.

Technicolor TG582n and Plusnet Hub Zero 2704n use a broadcom chipset.

BT Home Hub 5 type A (Plusnet Hub One) uses a Lantiq chipset.  Type B uses broadcom.

If you log into each router, what line sync speed does each router report?  (On BT Home Hub 5, it can be found in 'Advanced Settings' -> 'Broadband' menu)

Just some other ideas:

How are the routers wired to the phone socket?

Have you tried connecting directly to the engineer's test socket to see if the results are any different?

http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/master-socket-guide.shtml

[#3]

Hi thanks for your reply.

On the Plusnet Hub One is the sync speed the same as downstream?  If so its showing as 18.56 Mbps.  Under Information for helpdesk agents it shows 

6. Data rate:	440 / 19004
7. Maximum data rate:	888 / 19036
8. Noise margin:	25.5 / 6.1
9. Line attenuation:	6.0 / 13.2
10. Signal attenuation:	6.0 / 11.5

not sure if anything there is of help.

[#4]

yes.

Have you performed the speed tests over a direct wired connection to your routers?

speed test results approaching 17 mbps should be possible, in theory.

[#5]

Yes the router is connected directly into the BT socket which was replaced recently so has the filter built in. It is then connected to my PC using g an Ethernet cable.

[#6]

Do you also see slower than expected speedtests from other wired or wireless devices?

[#7]

If I do a speed test on my phone it's pretty similar

[#8]

Which speed tester do you use?

[#9]

I use the BT wholesale speed checker, speed test.com and also thinkbroadband

[#10]

I doubt this may be an issue, but can I suggest you log into Plusnet Member's Centre and then go to this hidden plusnet page to reveal the 'Current Line Speed' setting for your line:

https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed

[#11]

I'm not at home atm but will tomorrow

[#12]

Im just unsure why there is such a big difference between the 3 routers on the same set up and connection

[#13]

The only other thought which might explain the widely differing speed test results, is if there is still a problem with the line.  If packets are being dropped, and so having to be resent to the connected router due to errors on the line, it could be responsible for the noticeably different speed tests when different routers (with different chipsets) are used.

As far as I am aware, none of the three routers you own, have the ability to provide detailed DSL line statistics so there is no way of knowing the severity of any errors.  An unlocked HG612 modem may be worth considering as monitoring tools are available. http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/hg612stats.htm

If there is a packet loss issue, you could take a look at trying this first:

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping

[#14]

Logging in to Plusnet says the line speed is 15.1 mbps. The last time I checked this last week it showed 18

[#15]

Plusnet can reset the PN profile back to 18mbps if it does not return to 18mbps on its  own over next few weeks.

If all three routers connect at over say 17 mbps line speed,  I would expect any speed test (thinkbroadband, speedtest.net) to return close to 15 mbps result, being capped by the current PN profile of 15.1 mbps.

I suspect there is a packet loss issue imho.