Please help me understand this...

I'm getting results like this for the last 2 weeks at 1.8Mbps :-http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html?id=143935407510907241177

My ISP (Plusnet) has at last come back to me with their speed test results (tiff) which are what I am used to (5.9 Mbps).

Can anyone please explain the discrepancy? I use a Netgear DG834G v3 modem connected to my Apple Extreme n,g router via ethernet. All access is currently through the wireless n network an has bee for the last 4 years during which I've been getting up to 5 Mbps quite happily.
TiA TerryB

And what does this mean please? Tagged on to the results graphics from the ISP test:-

"The customer is currently within estimate, however, low FTR suggests potential EPP, sending ODC's"
thanks
TerryB

What does the PlusNet Portal say your IP profile is and what are the connection stats from the DG834 modem.

You also need to rule out wireless as an issue by connecting over Ethernet, but shape of speed test suggests a 2 Mbps cap has been applied to line e.g. stuck IP profile or banding. Is this a WBC ADSL2+ connection or an older up to 8 Mbps IPStream Max service?

Thanks for the reply.
I have run the BTwholesale speedtest as instructed by Plusnet and it produces a max of 3.42 with 2 different modems both via the test socket and through the Extreme

As you say, this appears to suggest that I am being throttled by Plusnet i.e. the "further Diagnostics" option of the speedtest shows a max speed of about 7Mbps BUT ends with "IP Profile for your line is - 3 Mbps".

I did ask if they were throttling but they never answered that!
TerryB

Plusnet have no control over your sync speed, and your sync speed sets the IP Profile. As they appear from your earlier post to have submitted a fault report to BT Wholesale, it seems unlikely they are throttling you .

What is odd that the BT Wholesale test reports above 3Mbps. Are you testing wired or wireless to the router?

If you run the test again it would be best wired, and for you to copy and paste the full contents of both the text boxes on the Further Diagnostics page.

Am I not correct in thinking that if you are testing with different routers you are continually disconnecting and not allowing sync to settle but simply arranging for exchange equipment to lower your sync in attempts to arrange a stable uninterrupted connection?

I'd guess you need to leave it alone for a couple of days to allow speed to recover

Edited by deleted (Wed 12-Aug-15 15:53:24)

You are not correct.

Power off the modem/router and leave it connected to the line for a short while. The modem utilises the "last gasp" and tells the DSLAM that power has been lost. DLM will then not intervene as it is a power issue and not a line or noise issue.

If you disconnect the line first then you can see intervention and that is the wrong way to do it.

To know if the 3 Mbps IP Profile is correct we need to see the stats from the modem.

NOTE: PlusNet may have you capped at 2 Mbps as they may be using a slightly out of date IP Profile, so not sure where in the PlusNet portal it is, but you can see what copy they are using.

In reply to a post by MHC:

You are not correct.

Power off the modem/router and leave it connected to the line for a short while. The modem utilises the "last gasp" and tells the DSLAM that power has been lost. DLM will then not intervene as it is a power issue and not a line or noise issue.

If you disconnect the line first then you can see intervention and that is the wrong way to do it.

I didn't suggest which way to do it, merely warned that continually interrupting the connection could result in lowered speeds

Thanks for the updates. How can I send you the outputs from the BT test? I have them as .tiff

TerryB

PS - looks like I'm going to have to learn a whole new set of jargon - DLAM DSLAM...

DSLAM is the DSL kit that lives in the exchange

Tiff images are terrible for sharing as they have a massive file size, JPG is best format.

Output from BT test is really of no interest, but the connection speed, attenuation and SNR margin (noise margin) as reported by the modem in your home are what are of interest as all the other settings are derived from this.

Pictures of the BT Wholesale output are a pain.

As I said earlier, if you copy and paste the contents of the two text boxes of results from the Further Diagnostics page, we have all the test figures we need. The "pretty graphics" are just depictions of that data.

Now, Isn't that interesting? Since I started complaining to Plusnet things have gone from from worse to better - .8 Mbps to this! I wonder why?

Today's results which I hope reveal summat?

Avg TBB D/L 4.49 Mbps Avg HTPP x6 D/L 4.37 Mbps Avg TBB U/L 0.37 Mbps

Burst TBB 4.74 Mbps Burst HTTP x6 5.23 Mbps Burst U/L 0.41 Mbps

Avg TCP Latency 96 ms
ISP Plusnet
speedtest4.thinkbroadband.com
15/08/2015 06:01 GMT

BT Wholesale Speed test:-

D/L Speed 4.97 Mbps
U/L speed 0.38 Mbps
Ping Latency (m/s) 47.75


1. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.

Download Speed
4.85 Mbps

0 Mbps 7.15 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Download speedachieved during the test was - 4.85 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 0.6 Mbps-7.15 Mbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :6.14 Mbps(DOWN-STREAM), 0.45 Mbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 5 Mbps

I notice, going through the test run by PLUSnet this little item at the bottom -

CLT - failed with Unbalanced cable
Raise fault to OR

what does that mean please? Circuit Loop Test?

TiA
TerryB

Ahhh I think I found what you were asking for...

KBD
xDSL Status Check
Circuit ID:
CBUK16509617
Service ID:
BBIP16465938
Telephone NO.:
[removed]
Test Executed On:
11-08-2015 15:32:06
xDSL Status Test Summary
Sync Status:
Circuit In Sync
General Information
NTE Status:
In Service
NTE Power Status:
NTE Power On
Bypass Status:
Bypass Not Activated


Upstream DSL Link Information
Downstream DSL Link Information
Loop Loss:
21
39.5
SNR Margin:
23
9
Errored Seconds:
0
1
HEC Errors:
0
0
Cell Count:
42463
536719
Speed:
448
5984

Maximum Stable Rate (KBPS):
416
Fault Threshold Rate (KBPS):
332
Mean Time Between Retrains (Seconds):
4558
Mean Time Between Errors Upstream (Seconds):
776
Indicative Line Quality:
S
Mean Time Between Errors Downstream (Seconds):
947

cheers,
TerryB

Edited by MrSaffron (Sat 15-Aug-15 11:27:48)

When you've signed into the PN portal this link should take you to the page showing the current line speed for your connection.

Edit your phone number out of that post.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 15-Aug-15 09:45:21)

Post deleted by RobertoS

Removed the phone number for the poster, but this was actually useful as confirms they are on IPStream Max with ADSL all that is available at the exchange.

Cabinet is fibre enabled but giving speed estimates of 3 to 10 Mbps, so might or might not be faster than ADSL.

The connection speed on the ADSL at 5984 Kbps seems to match what the poster mentions from the past, and I suspect the problem is actually that the line dropped speed at some point and you are seeing the slow IP Profile recovery period that the old IPStream Max product has (i.e. can take 5 days for speeds to recover).

FTTC does not have this problem, so even if download speeds are the same you might have a better time with the connection and upload speeds will probably be a little better.

Well....!
Boy I'm learning a lot here - thank you!
TerryB

Success!

Thanks to all who have helped me through this I am now running at up to 5mbps (IP setting but apparently capable of 6+).

If anyone is interested, after checking and establishing that there was a phase mismatch caused by one section of the line being longer than the other(?).

Openreach changed out the line from the pole to my house and installed a new main socket.
There was some discussion about whether the line that I was running from the main socket was causing this problem but it apparently made no difference.

The process has been fraught and.to me, opens up many other questions about whether broadband can be defined in the UK as a Utility, as in other countries; not least of which is that I do not expect (e.g.) electricity to arbitrarily just drop my voltage as they see fit without notifying me. Am I wrong to think this? I have an email from Plusnet explaining all this which I intend to put on our village notice board for others who are suffering similarly and would be glad to publish it here if that would be OK?
cheers,
TerryB

In reply to a post by wdg:

If anyone is interested, after checking and establishing that there was a phase mismatch caused by one section of the line being longer than the other(?).

One section of line being longer than the other? How would that cause a phase mismatch?

Or do you mean one leg being longer than the other? Even then it would need to be significant amount and not just a few centimetres.

Well you may have gathered that, in this case, B******t does beat brains? But since I'm no expert who was I to argue - the engineer (who did a good job really) was backed up by his supervisor who came in (I think!) to find out why the job was taking so long.
cheers,
TerryB