Monthly variation in download speed

I have notice quite a dip in the download speed from about 70mbs to 20mbs

Why does this occur on such a regular basis.
See graph from the Samknows report

http://www.w9259.co.uk/miscpics/downstream%20speed.png

Thanks for any comments or reasons

Edited by DRW (Sun 01-Jun-14 10:51:44)

In reply to a post by DRW:

I have notice quite a dip in the download speed from about 70mbs to 20mbs

Interesting graph.

Sadly Samknows doesn't capture SYNC speed from your modem/router as well. So its very hard to tell where the issue is, it could be:

* Between your modem and FTTC cabinet - Openreach copper
* Between FTTC cabinet and exchange - Openreach fibre
* Between Openreach GEA and BT Wholesale WBC network
* Between BT Wholesale WBC platform and PlusNet
* Inside PlusNet network
* Between PlusNet and the undisclosed sites that Samknows is using for tests

FWIW, I have a graph from my Samknows box for my BT Infinity connection - although I'm due to move to Plusnet on Tuesday.

http://postimg.org/image/u29084ib9/full/

Interesting, I wonder if the problem is being caused by the SamKnows box itself. This happened to me recently (see here) and was cured by powering the SamKnows box off and on. I reported it to Plusnet before I twigged what was causing it and then reported it to SamKnows, who suggested my box might be faulty and offered to replace it, but as it's only happened once and I am alerted to the possibility, I have not bothered. Perhaps your box really is faulty.

Edit: the increase in speeds after the fault was due to interleaving being removed, no connection with the fault AFAIK.

Edited by kasg (Sun 01-Jun-14 15:38:01)

Thanks for your comments, the Samknows box (in fact all the boxes in the local network) were switched off for an hour in the last 10 days or so as we were having thunderstorms and I disconnect from the telephone line and the power supply when storms occur.

No comment from the Plusnet reps.

In the past the awareness of the Samknows facility by the PN reps has been pretty low.

I would have thought it was a useful diagnostic aid.

Have you ruled out the SamKnows box as the reason for the drops, e.g. their system is just as likely to see variations due to server conditions as any other speed test really.

How can I rule out the Samknows server apart from running speed tests every few hours to see how it compares.

Samknows really should show and average line that a group of users in the same area are experiencing on the same graph perhaps.

Also if the Samknows service is not very good then what value is their reports to the EU or who ever they are reporting to.

SamKnows only has 2,000 boxes across the whole UK to monitor all the providers, technologies and locations, so you are likely to be the only one in your exchange area.

Not saying their results are wrong, but like any other speed test they are just one test to help judge things by.

Thanks for the insight - I did not know that it was such a small sample.

No wonder they get stroppy when I go away for a week or more and switch off all the modems and routers and disconnect the incoming data line.

In reply to a post by DRW:

How can I rule out the Samknows server apart from running speed tests every few hours to see how it compares.

In my case it was easy - with the box (I presume that's what you meant by "server") in circuit, speeds were drastically reduced; with it bypassed they were back to normal. Your situation seems more complex, but if you just bypass the box for a while (maybe a day or two) and see whether the effect continues, you should have a pretty good idea whether it has anything to do with it.

In reply to a post by kasg:

In my case it was easy - with the box (I presume that's what you meant by "server") in circuit, speeds were drastically reduced; with it bypassed they were back to normal. Your situation seems more complex, but if you just bypass the box for a while (maybe a day or two) and see whether the effect continues, you should have a pretty good idea whether it has anything to do with it.

Depends how you have it connected.

Mine is plugged in to a port on my router. Its on a 100megabit device (the older Cisco/Linksys unit) and so its possible if i was doing a maxed out download for long enough that I would get poor results. Since I hardly ever do that, its reports seem very consistent with those I get from other speed test sites such as thinkbroadband. I find the other reports quite interesting.

I don't think there is any capacity issue at the samknows end, as I assumed (?) the box would be programmed to use a lot of different sites, to find out how good an ISP is generally, not how good an ISP is at getting to server X.

Obviously the method is confidential, but the trial is open for new panel members.

In reply to a post by DRW:

Thanks for your comments, the Samknows box (in fact all the boxes in the local network) were switched off for an hour in the last 10 days or so as we were having thunderstorms and I disconnect from the telephone line and the power supply when storms occur.

I never turn off openreach modem on the bt master socket during thunderstorms as it still connection ongoing since February. We had about three or four times storms and it doesan't affect it.

Edited by adslmax (Sat 07-Jun-14 10:40:00)

I have had one thunder strike (albeit many years ago) the strike was seen to follow along the telephone cable to the house. Fortunately we only lost a burglar alarm PIR sensor. This was long before the days of modems and internet.

Ever since I have been doubly cautious over the potential damage a thunder strike could cause to the various electronic "toys" in the house.
AT the first sign of a thunder rumble, the computers are all powered off, Modems disconnected from the telephone lines, aerial leads removed, Hifi disconnected from the mains.


Of course you could argue that lightning does not strike twice. <g>

In reply to a post by DRW:

the strike was seen to follow along the telephone cable to the house.

Thankfully all my wires are underground. I should disconnect the TV antenna and Sky Dish cables though, but never do !