BT unable to improve speed

I live in a rural location around 9.5 km from my local exchange so I don't expect to get a high speed on my line. However, in January this year my speed, which had crept up to around 420 kpbs over the previous few months, dropped to under 250. I reported this to BT and had an engineer visit on Feb 8th. The day after that my dowload speed went up to between 650 and 700 hbps, the best I've ever seen here. Sadly it then dropped back to around 420 after a couple of days, and soon after that dropped further to 320. Since then I have had at least 4 more visits, with another one planned for tomorrow, with no significant success. My speed has varied between 120 and 320 kbps and is currently 222 with the IP Profile set at 250.

The engineers have so far replaced everything from the junction at the road to the pole, from the pole to the house, the main socket and the router (I now have a HomeHub2). On the last visit the engineer was able to get 576 kpbs at the road and at the pole but could only get 288 kpbs at the house. This is very frustrating and I'm hoping that someone from BT will see this and perhaps take it up on my behalf.

9.5km from youer local exchange you are lucky you are getting the speesd you are!!!!!!!

After two engineers spent several hours here yesterday, including replacing the cable from the pole to the master socket with 0.9 mm core, my download speed has crept up to around 320 kbps. Here's what my HomeHub says :


ADSL line status
Connection Information
Line state Connected
Connection time 0 days, 15:26:31
Downstream 448 Kbps
Upstream 416 Kbps

ADSL Settings
VPI/VCI 0/38
Type PPPoA
Modulation G.992.1 Annex A
Latency type Fast
Noise margin (Down/Up) 6.9 dB / 8.0 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up) 75.7 dB / 31.5 dB
Output power (Down/Up) 0.6 dBm / 0.8 dBm
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote) 0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote) 0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote) 0 / 0
FEC Errors (Down/Up) 0 / 3
CRC Errors (Down/Up) 11540 / 207
HEC Errors (Down/Up) 2223 / 3
Error Seconds (Local/Remote) 11453 / 161

I realise that these are generally pretty poor figures but I have had consistently faster download speeds (aboout 100 kbps more) in the past as well as a brief spell more than twice as fast as my current speed. Does anyone think it's worthwhile to keep pushing BT for an increase or should I give up and focus on trying to get them to reduce the amount that I'm charged for a sub-standard service?

In reply to a post by AndyGr:

After two engineers spent several hours here yesterday, including replacing the cable from the pole to the master socket with 0.9 mm core, my download speed has crept up to around 320 kbps. Here's what my HomeHub says :


ADSL line status
Connection Information
Line state Connected
Connection time 0 days, 15:26:31
Downstream 448 Kbps
Upstream 416 Kbps

ADSL Settings
VPI/VCI 0/38
Type PPPoA
Modulation G.992.1 Annex A
Latency type Fast
Noise margin (Down/Up) 6.9 dB / 8.0 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up) 75.7 dB / 31.5 dB
Output power (Down/Up) 0.6 dBm / 0.8 dBm
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote) 0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote) 0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote) 0 / 0
FEC Errors (Down/Up) 0 / 3
CRC Errors (Down/Up) 11540 / 207
HEC Errors (Down/Up) 2223 / 3
Error Seconds (Local/Remote) 11453 / 161

I realise that these are generally pretty poor figures but I have had consistently faster download speeds (aboout 100 kbps more) in the past as well as a brief spell more than twice as fast as my current speed. Does anyone think it's worthwhile to keep pushing BT for an increase or should I give up and focus on trying to get them to reduce the amount that I'm charged for a sub-standard service?

How is it a sub standard service? With your attenuation you're very lucky to be getting DSL at all!
I wish that I could get my dropwire replaced/rerouted!

Three further comments ...

The upstream attenuation in probably nearer 50 or 55 dB as 31.5 is probably the maximum number the system stores.
The power levels indicated are wrong ... 0.6/0.8 dBm They would normally be up at 19.5/12.0 dBm
There is still 6.0 / 8.0 dB of noise margin which suggests the line is very little interference and that will be one of the reasons that some level of service is being achieved.


It is definitely not a "sub-standard" service, it is what the chosen location of the OP can support. Maybe BT should charge him double the line rental as he has a lot more wire than most other and thus a higher cost to install and maintain.

it has to be said that you are doing very well to get a connection at all with those stats.

As for getting a reduction in your charges i would say that bt's stance is they are providing you with a broadband service, granted not a very fast one but at least you have it.