Orange/EE Speed dropped to 10%

Hi all,
During mid September my 2.1ish Mbps (Download) internet dropped to 0.25Mbps. I was hoping this was just a quick blip but its stayed like this since. The upload is about 0.8Mbps.

BT Speed test

I've tried al lthe usual things like turning Antivirus off/Wi-fi off, checking its in the master socket, phone filters, testing at different times of the day, putting the line directly into the master socket, changing the router back to my N speed Netgear but to no avail.

I phoned Orange technical support and I did a reset on the router and changed my channel on the settings page and was told to wait a day for the changes to happen but its still the same.

Any ideas? as I don't enjoy the very slow one way conversation I have with tech support.

Thanks for any help

Will

What are the router stats, i.e. actual connection speed, attenuation and noise margin figures

Finding out your router stats might have saved you all that messing about/changes.

If the router stats are correspondingly low, then your PC and wireless do not come into it.

BTW: That's not the BT Speed test; try here instead BT Speed Tester

In reply to a post by aceooo2:

changing the router back to my N speed Netgear but to no avail.

Thanks for any help
Will

If you have the Orange Bright Box router, to find your router stats go� advanced set-up -> [accept] -> system
-> adsl status

Copy and paste the page

My Bright Box router stats

ADSL Status
This page shows information about your ADSL connection if applicable.
Status:
Configured Current
Line Status --- SHOWTIME
Link Type --- Fast Path
Operation Mode Automatic G992.5(ADSL2+)
Data Rate Information:
Stream Type Actual Data Rate
Upstream 1080 (Kbps.)
Downstream 9727 (Kbps.)
Defect/Failure Indication:
Operation Data Upstream Downstream
Noise Margin 9.8 dB 9.4 dB
Line Attenuation 15.8 dB 29.5 dB

Indicator Name Near End Indicator Far End Indicator
Output Power 12.9 dBm 0.0 dBm
Fast Path FEC Correction 0 0
Interleaved Path FEC Correction NA NA
Fast Path CRC Error 2033 2108
Interleaved Path CRC Error NA NA
Loss of Signal Defect 1 0
Fast Path HEC Error STR 3095 3587
Interleaved Path HEC Error NA NA
Error Seconds 422 513
Statistics:
Received Cells 2130033
Transmitted Cells 610170

Edited by deleted (Sun 28-Oct-12 01:13:03)

Excellent, thank you all for your help. Here are my stats below:-

ADSL Status
This page shows information about your ADSL connection if applicable.
Status:
Configured Current
Line Status --- SHOWTIME
Link Type --- Interleaved Path
Operation Mode Automatic G992.5(ADSL2+)
Data Rate Information:
Stream Type Actual Data Rate
Upstream 805 (Kbps.)
Downstream 283 (Kbps.)
Defect/Failure Indication:
Operation Data Upstream Downstream
Noise Margin 6.3 dB 7.5 dB
Line Attenuation 37.6 dB 64.5 dB

Indicator Name Near End Indicator Far End Indicator
Output Power 12.6 dBm 0.0 dBm
Fast Path FEC Correction NA NA
Interleaved Path FEC Correction 1926 19
Fast Path CRC Error NA NA
Interleaved Path CRC Error 0 2
Loss of Signal Defect 0 0
Fast Path HEC Error STR NA NA
Interleaved Path HEC Error 0 2
Error Seconds 420 2
Statistics:
Received Cells 80628
Transmitted Cells 15220

The BT Test was:-

Download speedachieved during the test was - 0.22 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 0.1 Mbps-0.25 Mbps.
IP Profile for your line is - 0.25 Mbps

Upload speed achieved during the test was - 0.8Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 0.83 Mbps


Will

In reply to a post by aceooo2:

Downstream 283 (Kbps.)

There's your problem. You should be getting about 2 Meg.

Most likely home wiring issue. Are you plugged into master socket? How many extensions? All phones filtered? Removed ring wire?

Can you repeat these stats with router plugged into hidden test socket behind master socket faceplate (no phone)?

Edited by XRaySpeX (Sun 28-Oct-12 01:29:05)

Yeah Pre-sept it was 2Meg so I don't understand why it suddenly dropped.

It's plugged into master (after going through two rooms) with two phone filters on the phones. I've tried it staright in.

I will have to try the hidden test socket tomorrow

Will

Post deleted by XRaySpeX

In reply to a post by aceooo2:

It's plugged into master (after going through two rooms)

Prob too long ADSL cable. Can you plug in nearer master and get stats from test socket?

Sorry maybe I should explain that we are in a region which can only get 2 Meg. Its been like that for the last 2 years 2011+ 2012 ( and then 1 Meg for the previous 5 2006-2010). Its because we are 5k away from nearest exchange.

So actualy 2 Meg is really good for us so this sudden drop is very annoying!

Post deleted by XRaySpeX

Sorry, I misread your router stats . Yes, you can get only about 2 Meg.

No problem

That's the weird thing why it should drop from 2 to 0.2Meg

In reply to a post by aceooo2:

Excellent, thank you all for your help. Here are my stats below:-

ADSL Status
This page shows information about your ADSL connection if applicable.
Status:
Configured Current
Line Status --- SHOWTIME
Link Type --- Interleaved Path
Operation Mode Automatic G992.5(ADSL2+)
Data Rate Information:
Stream Type Actual Data Rate
Upstream 805 (Kbps.)
Downstream 283 (Kbps.)
Defect/Failure Indication:
Operation Data Upstream Downstream
Noise Margin 6.3 dB 7.5 dB
Line Attenuation 37.6 dB 64.5 dB

Indicator Name Near End Indicator Far End Indicator
Output Power 12.6 dBm 0.0 dBm
Fast Path FEC Correction NA NA
Interleaved Path FEC Correction 1926 19
Fast Path CRC Error NA NA
Interleaved Path CRC Error 0 2
Loss of Signal Defect 0 0
Fast Path HEC Error STR NA NA
Interleaved Path HEC Error 0 2
Error Seconds 420 2
Statistics:
Received Cells 80628
Transmitted Cells 15220

The BT Test was:-

Download speedachieved during the test was - 0.22 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 0.1 Mbps-0.25 Mbps.
IP Profile for your line is - 0.25 Mbps

Upload speed achieved during the test was - 0.8Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 0.83 Mbps


Will

From your router stats the most critical reading the (Downstream Line Attenuation 64.5dB) is a very high reading, indicating your connection is very sick or you have a very long line or both.
You have to reduced this reading to increase your connection speed and to maintain line stability.

Check the internal wiring to the phone sockets, disconnect wire connection number 3 at each socket, only connections 2 and 5 required now. Connection number 3 is the old electro-mechanical bell wire and can cause interference with your ADSL broadband connection.

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/wiring_info.htm

http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephon...

http://www.rob-r.co.uk/other/UKphonecatwiring.htm

Thanks, I'll attempt that

Will

Hi again
I've tried your suggestion E7, and there is no bell wire number 3 in the master socket. I've also changed the phone filters to completely new but to no avail.
I connected the router straight into the socket and tested my laptop but the speed was still the same.

I think I've tried everything I know so it will have to be a phone call. Any other suggestions?

Thanks for all your help.

Will

We suffered the same thing, coinciding with the installation of the new cabinets and main cables throughout our village.
We used to typically get 0.6MB download, now down to 0.2MB and barely navigable in the graphic-intense software environment of the current internet.

I've spoken to Orange and BT about this and each refer me to the other for the cause and resolution. Of course, the new cabinets and the slower speeds also coincided with the marketeering of the new BB packages (with higher prices). I quizzed one BT salesman about what speeds we would typically be getting under their proposed package (of up to 16MB) and I was given the runaround with the same old excuses of 'you could get up to 16MB per second'. When I asked what we would get on average, based on our current connection, he mumbled around 'distance from exchange' until he finally admitted that we would only a maximum of 2MB.

I've also quizzed the engineers, who were installling the cabinets, about the sudden reduction in speed and they reacted much in the same way as those dodgy car mechanics who don't want to explain why they're charging you for work not done/needed, and dismissed it as 'it depends on how far away you are from the cabinet', as they quickly walked away.

Yesterday, I looked into BT's and EE's current packages for ASDL broadband and neither will be able to offer the speeds they're selling; in fact, based upon a 2MB connection (which seems to be the limit for a lot of people), the leeway within the smallprint ('may be between 1.5 and 2MB higher or lower than your estimated speed') shows that they're trying to tempt people into buying packages that will not be delivered, and that based on a current 2MB connection, you're not likely to get above 0.5MB based on their current delivery.

To be honest, I think the speeds were purposely lowered to encourage customers to buy costlier packages that they'll never receive.
So, my suggestion is that we're being scammed - as simple as that.

Edited by deleted (Fri 16-Nov-12 05:35:25)

Are you talking in Mega bits per second or Mega Bytes per second?

The ADSL modem will tell all, so if a provider is playing fast and loose it is easy to see this.

If you are talking of the move up to 8Mbps ADSL to up to 16 Mbps ADSL2+ then yes distance to the exchange is still very much the limiting factor, and some people do go slower with ADSL2+ because of a variety of reasons, most of which can be solved by forcing the modem to use ADSL only mode, or a decent ISP support team. ADSL2+ can go slower if your extension wiring in the home is not 100% ideal for DSL broadband.

The advertised headline speed providers were forced to lower them in April 2012 by the ASA and BCAP

You should be able to get a better idea of speeds you can get if you put your phone no. in here: http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome

Better still give us your router stats and we will tell you.

You keep talking about speeds in terms of Bytes ("B"). BB speeds are measured in bits ("b"), Which did you mean?

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

You should be able to get a better idea of speeds you can get if you put your phone no. in here: http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome

Better still give us your router stats and we will tell you.

You keep talking about speeds in terms of Bytes ("B"). BB speeds are measured in bits ("b"), Which did you mean?

if anyone looks for speed to report on forums, normally taken from a router or speed tester. Are these likely to be in different formats, unlikely.
Take as face value, many, like me, just type in Upper or Lower case. Meaning the same to us.

In reply to a post by flippery:

Take as face value, many, like me, just type in Upper or Lower case. Meaning the same to us.

Not if you actually wish to communicate!

You keep talking about speeds in terms of Bytes ("B"). BB speeds are measured in bits ("b"), Which did you mean?

My apologies. I typed for a visual clarity (not my usual style). But, since we know what we're talking about, we know what we're talking about.

Testwise, I've done all that I've been previously advised to do, to no avail. The cabinets (we've got 2, now, since the old one is still there) are only about 200 metres away and my reported speeds do not vary with time-of-day and the differences in traffic one would expect with that.

So, we're still stuck with the question of why typical speeds should drop overnight, from 0.6Mbps to 0.2Mbps, with no changes on my part?

Router stats will help answer that Q.

Hey everyone.
Well after phoning Orange a third time and getting the same speed results they sent an engineer out the next day (on Thursday). He went to the local cabinet at the end of our road and our wire wasn't in great condition so he worked his magic and the IP profile instantly went up to 4.7Mb.

He said the download speeds would shortly follow during the 10 day testing period, and after 2 days they are still climbing and we are getting 4Mb. Twice the speed than what we had earlier this year and it seems constant.

I would like to thank everyone on this thread for there help and wisdom.

Will

If the issue is speedtests slowing down, then welcome to the world contention from the ISP is an issue.

If the router stats are the same when things are slow - then that tells us your line is fine, and probably looking at an ISP issue.