Daytime problems

I am on an Unlimited FTTC product from an ISP that I'd rather not name.
My exchange isn't 21CN.

During the evening, I get a solid 75Mbit/s or over on every download speed test I've tried.

Here's an example wholesale speed test result from just now:

Download speed achieved during the test was - 77.77 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 40 Mbps-77.42 Mbps .
Additional Information: IP Profile for your line is - 77.42 Mbps

Upload speed is about 13Mbit/sec and does not slow during the day -- it is pretty constant (IP Profile is 20Mbps according to the BT wholesale test)


Here's the problem:
During the day, from around 10am to 5pm, speeds plummet, down to 2 or 3Mbit/sec at times, though today it has been more like 30Mbit/sec.

I don't care about these slowdowns really. What I do care about is what seems to packet loss or at least a latency increase at the same time as things slow down. When using ssh my connection is laggy. VoIP is usable but only just, with nasty juddery audio. Using MTR I see packet loss on every single hop, right after the router.

The TBB BQM typically looks like this:

example loss

My ISP (who are a BT wholesale customer) says there is no problem on their network and there are no issues on my line. They are blaming my equipment.

Is my problem likely to be congestion somewhere? I'd love some expert opinions on this.

It is highly unlikely to be electrical interference - we are in a residential neighbourhood with no industrial anything anywhere near, and not anywhere near the path the phone line takes to the cabinet.

Besides, the upload is unaffected, and although I appreciate it uses different frequencies to the download, they aren't that different, are they? I mean it would have to be something pumping out noise at a very specific frequency to affect only download and not upload?

If congestion the tbbx1 speed test line will wobble around, but the HTTPx6 should be a lot better

Thanks Andrew.

Here's one I did a while ago when it was quite bad:

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html...

It kind of wobbles

Here's another not good one:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html...

And this is what it looks like at a weekend (same in the evenings or mornings)

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html...

So, evenings, weekends and mornings are normally OK?

Which exchange are you on?

Do you have a TBB ping monitor running, that may help to show what's going on, also an unlocked HG612 modem to get stats from.

Similar experiences have been mentioned on here before. Just because you're in a residential area doesn't mean that there won't be any electrical or radio noise.

Looks most likely to be congestion.

I have seen a similar effect sometimes in the prelude to the recent BT Wholesale congestion issues.

There's a link to the BQM in my first post showing the issues. Yes, evenings, weekends are fine. Just working hours sort of thing that's the problem.

I forgot to mention that I'm an EBE connection as well

It is a small exchange in north wales - roughly 4000 lines according to samknows.

I'm peripherally aware of the BT Wholesale congestion issues - but don't remember the details? Has it been resolved?

As Mr S says, it looks like congestion.

However, I wonder if there is a nearby small trading estate or factory which may be creating a lot of electrical noise during working hours?

People have stopped complaining so looks likely.

If the peak is in the 3 to 5pm area, then its likely that ISP has a high small home business and kids returning from school at making it their peak time. For the more residential Sky/TalkTalk peak tends to climb until midnight.

If I remember correctly, the issues continue on bank holidays, even though nothing much closes.

I found the article I was thinking about regarding congestion, I presume? http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/6360-no-sign-yet-... -- I had been searching the forums and found nothing except my own post

But wouldn't we expect that to affect peak times (e.g. evenings) rather than working hours?