BT slow speeds

So I have just joined by and the speeds i am getting are slower than what i am paying. I pay for the 500mbps package but at the moment i am only getting around 200/300. I did a chat and they sent an engineer out but he just hooked his laptop up and said it looks fine to me then left. He says there’s only an issue if the box ring changes to another colour. Any idea what I should do?

In reply to a post by Ryan1506:

So I have just joined bt and the speeds i am getting are slower than what i am paying. I pay for the 500mbps package but at the moment i am only getting around 200/300. I did a chat and they sent an engineer out but he just hooked his laptop up and said it looks fine to me then left. He says there’s only an issue if the box ring changes to another colour. Any idea what I should do?

How are you testing the speed? are you directly connected to the router or via wifi?

I tested in a few devices like laptop and phone but this is all wirelessly not via ethernet But shouldn’t the speed be abit higher at least via wireless. I am also doing the tests in the room with the router and some directly next to the router

In reply to a post by Ryan1506:

I tested in a few devices like laptop and phone but this is all wirelessly not via ethernet

Then your testing is irrelevant

with my old provider, I did the tests wirelessly and i was reaching close to and exactly the speeds I was paying for. Not 100/200mbps off

What was your old provider, and what speeds were you getting, and what router were you using?

In reply to a post by Ryan1506:

with my old provider, I did the tests wirelessly and i was reaching close to and exactly the speeds I was paying for. Not 100/200mbps off

Best plug a computer in via ethernet and test as that will give you a more realistic result, most people here will not take wifi test seriously for so many good reasons.

It was a business provider called Unicom. Prices weren’t the best but the broadband was. Paid for 330mbps and got around 300/310. I was using their provided box at first then switched to my own and they both worked great.It was a technicolour router then a TP LINK router

Ok, so you paid for 300Mbps and you got 300Mbps over Wi-Fi, and now you pay for 500Mbps and you get 300Mbps over Wi-Fi.

It would appear that your limitation is the Wi-Fi.

As a polite point, you really aren't helping yourself here. This is a fairly technical forum, when you're asked what router you're using people need a model number which then allows them to look at the wireless radio specs of that device, saying "it's a TP Link" is no help.

Edited by jpm (Sat 04-Nov-23 12:23:56)

Every single reply to your question is right, perhapps a bit blunt. I will try and explain why we prefer ethernet speed test results.

All modern computers in the last 10 years have gigabit ethernet, this is 1gbit bidirectional (before over heads) 98% of consumer internet services are 1gbit or below. It means with low latency and a consistent connection, testing should be problem free.

Coming to wireless, there are various standards, which limit speeds, you have hit one of them with your devices, 300mbits is the max, even if the router could do more wirelessly your devices are hitting that.

Secondly baring downloads and uploads - otherwise known as ftp(yes i know you can download via http/s) (not to be confused with fttp) with be the only service that would push the 500mbits service. hdr 4k won't, gaming (minus downloads) won't, browsing won't, etc etc. No mobile app needs 100mbits plus.

when you have these speeds its not about the single device doing xxx mbits but being able to use multiple devices at very fast speeds.

I am glad I am not the only one that saw the replies as blunt.

In reply to a post by Ryan1506:

It was a business provider called Unicom. Prices weren’t the best but the broadband was. Paid for 330mbps and got around 300/310. I was using their provided box at first then switched to my own and they both worked great.It was a technicolour router then a TP LINK router

Is it a TP-link you are using now? They are normally pretty good, but there are a few cheaper ones have lower spec Wi-Fi, so if you can post what model you have, that would be of use

As others have said, Wi-Fi is not great for doing speed tests, so many different versions in different devices and also many things can affect Wi-fi, need to use Ethernet.

I have a TP-link router, if I use my Mac on Wi-Fi, I can get around 480Mb/s, but if I use my phone in the same place I may get 100Mb/s if I am lucky.

In reply to a post by jpm:

In reply to a post by Ryan1506:

I tested in a few devices like laptop and phone but this is all wirelessly not via ethernet

Then your testing is irrelevant

With the correct hardware installed you CAN get the max speed from you're provider BT.

I am also with BT on their 900-110 package and reaching max speeds without issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuTf9yF5hwk

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I am glad I am not the only one that saw the replies as blunt.

May be some of them were but not all of them.

I've not said that it's not possible to get 900Mbps over Wi-Fi with the correct equipment and environmental conditions, I said that you can't run a speed test over Wi-Fi and use that to be sure you have a problem with your fibre connection.

In reply to a post by jpm:

a problem with your fibre connection.

"higher speed" would be worth adding in that sentance, since many providers sell 150 and 250 or 300 speed services over FTTP.