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Change in BB speed

BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Change in BB speed

Last year and start of this I had speed of 3.3 which while not great was OK for here. Recently it has dropped to 2.7 consistently and I have no idea why! Nothing's changed re computer or configurations.

23 REPLIES 23
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
Thanks: 1,506
Fixes: 480
Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Change in BB speed

It looks like your speeds have been restricted due to errors on your line.

Can you run through the steps here and let us know how you get on?

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

Went through all the page said - rechecked speed - still 2.7.

Just remembered - a while back there was trouble with computer and router not talking to each other - nothing had been altered beforehand. Only solution was off/on of router. Maybe fault is in router?

MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
Thanks: 1,506
Fixes: 480
Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Change in BB speed

It may take some time for you too see a improvement.

I don't think the router is the cause at this stage.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
Townman
Superuser
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Posts: 22,922
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Change in BB speed

Please post the router stats.

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.

Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Change in BB speed

Hi there,

 

Checking your line it seems quite stable:

 

 
The line stats show that there are some errors on the download side and the mean time between errors is lower than ideal. This has caused the Dynamic Line Management equipment to band your line, increasing the SNR to try and combat those errors.
 
 
  Upstream DSL Link Information Downstream DSL Link Information
Loop Loss: 27.0 45.5
SNR Margin: 7.3 14.8
Errored Seconds: 0 4
HEC Errors: 0  
Cell Count: 140 213
Speed: 720 3072
 
Maximum Stable Rate (KBPS): 3424 Fault Threshold Rate (KBPS): 2739
Mean Time Between Retrains (Seconds): 86400 Mean Time Between Errors Upstream (Seconds): 2979
Indicative Line Quality: A Mean Time Between Errors Downstream (Seconds): 167

 

Is the router plugged in to the test socket?

Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

Thank you for testing the line. Sadly I don't really understand the information you've given as I have no comparison info and can't tell what's good or bad!

The house is old and doesn't have a 'test socket'. 30 (approx) years ago I wired a socket in to the telephone terminal in the loft and have been using it ever since. Nothing has changed as far as I know.

The house has three phone sockets, each with BB adapters permanently plugged in. At present the computer is using a wired connection to the router which is plugged in to one socket. I could plug the router into a different socket and try to connect the computer via wifi.

Suggestions for how to proceed would be welcome.

Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Change in BB speed

Hi Brian,

Oh all this sounds a bit grim.  Lets see if I can explain some of this in a way you can understand.

Chris wrote:

Hi there,

Checking your line it seems quite stable:

One would hope that the line is very stable with such a high SNRM!

@BrianEllsmore - When a line has difficulty maintaining connectivity, the equipment in the exchange (Known as DLM) will adjust the configuration in an attempt to achieve a stable connection - this is known as the TARGET SNRM, which is normally 6dB.  The lower the value the better the speed.  The higher the value, the lower the speed, but the less likely it is to disconnect.

If the line looks unstable, the DLM will adjust the TARGET SNRM in 3dB steps - 6, 9, 12, 15 etc.

Looking at the stats posted by PN, it rather looks like the DLM has set your target to 15, which is far from ideal.  We need now to find out why your TARGET is so far from the ideal.  Sadly all too often such profiles relate to the quality of the internal wiring and its susceptibility to electrical noise known as RFI or REIN.  The first thing to do is to eliminate the possibility that there is a problem with the voice side of your phone line.

Please perform a quiet line test - dial 17070 select option 2 using a corded phone plugged into the test socket behind the face plate of the master socket. It should be silent. A noisy phone line (or no dial tone) will have a marked adverse impact on the performance of broadband.

If the line is noisy or there is no dial tone, then a PHONE LINE fault needs to be raised with your phone provider. If this is PlusNet, you can report a fault on line using the button below.


Next, given that you have identified the nature of your phone wiring, can you please provide some more details about it.  From the first socket on the incoming line, how is / are the wire/s to the other phone sockets run?

  • Daisy-chained A to B, B to C, C to D or star A to B, A to C, A to D?
  • What kind of wire has been used - twisted pairs - old fashioned phone wires - D section phone extensions?  Often the colour(s) of the insulation identifies the cable type if you do not know
  • How many cores are connected - just 2 (terminals 2 & 5) - or 3 or 4 (including terminal 3)?

Looking at the speed issues thread (link below) might also be of some help, especially the guidance on identifying your master socket type.

Again sadly, so often people say "nothing has changed in the home" not knowing / being aware that the ubiquitous power "brick" so often hides a poor quality switched current transformer which can start emitting RFI whilst still appearing to function normally ... such RFI can be a real killer where broadband connectivity is concerned.  Hopefully we will not need to explore that possibility.

Can you advise which router (model number) you are using please.

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.

BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

Answers to the questions:

Connections to each phone socket from incoming two wires is star.

Wire is old-fashioned GPO four twisted pairs.

Only two wires are connected - terminals 2/5

Router is Sagemcom 2704N as supplied by Plusnet

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Change in BB speed

Star wiring is not ideal!

"old-fashioned GPO 4 twisted pair" not convinced that twisted pairs existed in GPO days - are the wires colour+white-trace / white+colour-trace?

What was the result of the QLT?

Can you please post the full router stats?

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.

BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

Thought it was GPO - definitely > 20 yrs old, wires single stranded as you describe. very loosely twisted!

QLT had very faint buzz, not sure if silent really means truly utterly silent.

With some difficulty the star could be change to series by using one pair to go down to socket and another pair to come back up and connect to a pair going down to next socket etc. Would that help?

Sorry, don't know what 'full router stats' are.

EDIT: found out about it, I think:

1 - Product name: Plusnet Router
2 - Serial number: N7150781B012723 
3 - Firmware version: 7.275.2_F2704N_Plusnet
4 - Board version: F@ST2704N
5 - Mode ADSL
6 - Uptime: 0 days 02:28:18
7 - Data rate: 744/3072
8 - Maximum data rate: 972/6080
9 - Noise margin: 5.9/17.7
10 - Line attenuation: 25.6/45.0
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,922
Thanks: 9,538
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Change in BB speed

Suggest you raise a BB fault report using the link below.

The (full) stats you provided indicate that the line ought to deliver 5+Mbps ... the line state needs further investigation.

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.

BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

BB fault report raised.

BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

Strange thing afoot! This morning when I switched on the PC I was getting download speed of 4.0/4.1 and this afternoon it's still at that speed. I wonder how long this will last. I was just at the point of ripping out the phone wiring so am glad I didn't. I have actually done nothing to anything yet. Maybe someone else who sucks bandwidth has gone away for the weekend.

BrianEllsmore
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎10-04-2017

Re: Change in BB speed

Well, I thought it wouldn't last and it hasn't. Today we are down to 3.3 maximum. I guess whoever went away has come back. At least it's not down at 2.7 - yet. I have no idea what is going on but I cannot say that I am this year's happiest Easter bunny.