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Erratic download speed

Avatar Eric Jervis
I've been suffering very slow download speeds for some time now. It began about a month ago and slowed down to a snail's pace. I did nothing about it as I was about to go away for three weeks. When I came home it had speeded up again, with my daughter reporting that it had done so a week previously. After a few days of happy downloading from the iPlayer it slowed down again, to the extent that I couldn't stream a song on YouTube. Today I've downloaded a thirty minute programme in very short order. Before I fire off an offensive letter to Plusnet, could there possibly be any fault at my end?

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Mick Burrell
The fault is not likely to be at your end Eric but I would suspect the BT line (even if you don't use BT has your phone provider they own the copper) but your contact with them will be through Plus Net so they should be your first port of call.

If you haven't done so already you can test your download speed by going to the website www.mybroadbandspeed.co.uk and running the test. You may like to do this at various times of the day over the next few days to give you a pattern to report. There is a history tab which will show you your past results so you don't need to make a note of them anywhere.

In case you're not aware the most significant factor that affects your download speed is your distance from the exchange. It is never possible to achieve the theoretical maximum that your ISP quotes when you sign up for a particular package. So for example if you have signed up for an “up to" 8Mb service, you would need to be very close to the exchange to achieve a figure of 6000kbps in the above speed test. 4000kbps is very common but if you're a long way away you may only get 2000kbps. If you've signed up for an “up to" 2Mb service then the speed you are likely to get would be reduced accordingly.

One final point if you search for a postcode-based broadband speeds check, this will show you the theoretical maximum you can expect from your exchange. Using your postcode I think this will be 3.5Mb which would suggest that if your download speed shows a figure of 2000kbps, you're doing quite well.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Eric Jervis
Thanks Mick, I'll have a look at all that and let you know.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Euan Williams
Sometimes (only sometimes) your router may get slightly confused -- it happens to the best of us.

This has helped here on three occasions over the last year or so:
1. turn off Wireless on your Mac
2. turn off your router.
3. wait several minutes, maybe even ten.
4. restart your router. Wait until it has settled down to the connection.
5. turn wireless back on and see if the problem has cleared.

Here this e-Metic manoeuvre works unfailingly. Your experience may differ, but let us know.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Gordon Clyne
dont forget you are sharing some of the bandwidth with your neighbours. I pity the folks on my segment!

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Lionel Ogden
Just one or two further points to check. Chech that every phone socket that has anything plugged into it has an ADSL filter between the socket and the device. This includes telephones, sky boxes, oil tank remote sensors etc.

Also check with your telephone to hear whether you have a clear signal without crackles.

If your router is some distance from your computer check the quality of connections.

I know you have a Denovo style network setup, it may be worth while checking your connection with this disconnected and your computer connecting directly to the router.

Finally, fitting a BT iPlate to your Telephone Master socket can filter out any stray interference that is being picked up from within the house.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Euan Williams
If there are still problems, a useful article is here:

OSX Daily wifi article link

The article is short and pithy, and the discussions offer useful info too.

Have you a near-neighbour with a new router? If so maybe try to change the channel on your router .html setup page.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Mick Burrell
I think Eric is using Ethernet not Wi-Fi - Eric, can you confirm?

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Eric Jervis
Hallo Chaps,
I've been away for a bit, (at my own pleasure rather than Her Majesty's), and I've finally decided to sort this one out. Firstly; thank you all for your input: I don't use Wi-Fi, I'm on Leopard rather than Snow Leopard, I sorted all my sockets out about a year ago, The download speed varies enormously from not terribly good to absolute cr*p, I refuse to try to understand someone from far away who speaks English with a funny accent, and bearing in mind Dr Johnson's observation that nothing so wonderfully concentrates the mind as the prospect of being hanged in the morning, I went to the Plusnet site and typed in 'MAC number' and I found a phone number for people who are "Thinking of leaving us?". Well well well! I then went to MyBroadbandSpeed.com and found it to be Download 128kbps (16kB/s) and Upload 373 kbps (46.6 kB/s). I may do this test a few more times before I ring Plusnet to give them the death sentence. I'll keep you all informed.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Derek Wright
Have you reported the issue to PN, have they had a OpenWorld out o check the line and the exchange?

PN help desk is in Sheffield

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Mick Burrell
Eric, before you jump from Plus Net, do steel yourself to talking to BT. If I'm right and it's down to the line, your new ISP will (probably) start off with an improvement but then degrade to your existing speed and you'll be no further forward.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Eric Jervis
Thank you Derek and Mick;
I've just been onto BT's help line and spoken to someone with a very faint voice and an Indian accent who said that their testing equipment is currently U/S and they will call me back possibly by the end of today, (if I'm lucky). What a relief to know that there's somebody who really cares.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Thomas Maude
We are hooked Eric ! ......please don't be shy and tell us if they did .....and keep us updated with the story ......
Tom

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Derek Wright
Are you referring this issue to BT as a voice line problem or as a Broadband problem.
If it is a Broadband problem then they normally are approached by your ISP which I believe is PLusNet, even if they are owned by BT you only deal with BT at third hand until PlusNet formally introduce you to the BT engineers.

Even then you should report back to PN if the BT visit fails to give an improvement.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Mick Burrell
I've had moderate success talking to BT on behalf of people with a painfully slow connection.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Eric Jervis
Sadly, Thomas, I have to report that they did not.
And this has led me to two alternative and equally painful conclusions:
1/ BT's Indian branch do not truly care about my problem, or
2/ The line between Redruth and Uttar Pradesh is down.
The good news is that my download speed is now 40kB/s. I shall give BT another call tomorrow, when I've plucked up the courage and I've a few idle hours to while away. Derek, I've reported it as a voice problem, as I've got one of those as well, and I suspect the two are related, i.e. that they are two facets of the same problem. I imagine that I shall eventually have to talk to Plusnet's Indian branch but I'm putting off the evil hour.
Mick, I know the feeling; you talk to some dopey bimbo who makes it obvious that she personally does not give a damn. I had this experience when I had a print shop in Truro's Lemon Street Market. I was being continually persecuted by a traffic wardeness who was in the habit of walking through the Market. I put a large sign up in my window saying, "Why suffer with PMT when you can be a traffic warden and punish the world?" She wasn't quite so vicious after that.
I'll keep you all posted!

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Eric Jervis
Now that's more like it!
I've had no communication from India, but my download speed at 0938 hrs Sunday is 172kB/s, upload is a mere 46kB/s but I don't care about that.
Yippee!

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar John Surtees
We have similar problems with lack of speed and even at times, maintaining connection. We were with Demon for broadband and TalkTalk for phone. Both have indian based help? desks.

We are now with MacAce for both phone and Tel. The service from the help desk is from Cornwall and is fantastic. But to be brutally honest, our broadband speed is not as good or as consistent. With Demon we got a consistent 1.4Mbps, but with MacAce we only get 0.9Mbps and during late afternoon and early evening feel lucky if we can maintain a connection. But at least with MacAce you talk to people that at least sound interested in your problem.

As our speed problem is basically down to the distance from the exchange, I recently wrote to our MP in desperation. He in turn got in touch with Ofcom who it seems just repeat BT press releases and basically reiterated that the problem is the distance from the exchange. Yeh, well thanks for that. I wrote a second letter to my MP, who said he would look into it.

I don't know how hard he looked, or whether it's a coincidence, but I have now been told that our exchange will be in the next batch to be going to fibre to cabinet. So by this time next year, I'll probably be moaning that the fibre only got to certain cabinets, and not the one up the road that serves us.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Derek Wright
re FTC You will have to ensure that your local worthies do not object to the size and location of the larger cabinets that the process will require. This has happened in some of the more precious parts of the country.

WE are supposed to be going FTC next year - any planning permission hassle here and I will volunteer part of our front garden for a cabinet to be installed. Planning issues are not likely to occur as we live in an area of unnatural ugliness.

Re: Erratic download speed

Avatar Mick Burrell
Eric, my advice is don't give up regardless of what you read or are told! If I recount one experience I've had it may explain what I mean.

I was contacted by somebody who lives on the outskirts of Winchester and who was getting what they thought was a slow broadband service. Testing the download speed gave us a figure of around 230. using a postcode checker gave a theoretical maximum of 500. Obviously the difference between the two would not be that significant in everyday use but of course any increase would be better than none. I telephoned the BT helpdesk from their house. I had to follow BT's set procedure and was running around the house swapping ADSL filters and sockets. This of course did not improve the situation which is what I was expecting. The BT helpdesk lady I was speaking to said she would speak to her supervisor and put me on hold. When she came back she said that the supervisor could find nothing wrong and she could find nothing wrong but could I just test the speed again? I asked what this would achieve as neither BT or I had made any changes but she suggested I do it anyway. Fully expecting to say “I told you so" I did the test. Stunned! The download speed was now 2500. That's 10 times their initial download speed and five times what the BT website says their exchange is capable of. She still denied BT had done anything to effect this change.

The saga continues as the speed gradually dropped back to its original value. Another call resulted in an engineer visit. He could find nothing wrong but miraculously the speed went up again afterwards but then once again dropped. A second engineer has visited and has announced that there is some faulty equipment in the exchange. We await the outcome of replacing this faulty equipment.

My point in all of this is that if we had achieved a speed approaching 500 I would not have gone any further believing that that was all the speed they could expect but by persevering with BT I have high hopes of exceeding that by some margin hence my original suggestion that you don't give up.
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