Orange speed problems

Hi all. For a few years now I have been getting a stable 2.5 meg download (around 320kbps) and around 0.5 meg upload (around 50-60kbps). Now these speeds are pretty terrible themselves, but they've dropped.

I noticed BT workmen ripping up the road all along my villages main street, with what looked like coaxial cable in coils. When I got home, I spoke to my friend (who is on o2 or sky, can't remember which) who told me that his download speed, which was slightly worse than mine, at around 280kbps, had shot up to around 480kbps, with an upload of around 250kbps. This was last Thursday and it has not budged.
I decided to run a speed test, and my speed has dropped from the above speeds to 1.6mbps download and 0.3mbps upload. After months of complaining it seems I've been rewarded with a worse connection than I already had.

I'm think about complaining to Orange or BT or whoever, but my friend who knows quite a lot about this stuff says that they will just type my postcode in a speedchecker and it will come up saying the max my line can support is 2mb. This obviously isn't true, but he says they won't do anything about it.

What can I do about this? I honestly don't think it will fix itself. I dont pay £17.50 for these crappy speeds.

JT.

Post your router stats. See http://www.dslzoneuk.net/adsl_line_stats.php

If possible get them from the test socket within the BT master socket. See http://www.dslzoneuk.net/socket.php

ADSL firmware version : A2pBT009c1.d17d
Connection mode : ADSL2+
Type : Fast
Noise margin (dB) : 10.4
Attenuation (dB) : 61.5
Attainable download rate (kbps) : 2053
ADSL status : Connected [0]

Downstream Upstream
Rate (kbps) 2030 605

WAN IP address : 91.105.113.70
Gateway : 91.105.64.1
Primary DNS server : 193.36.79.100
Secondary DNS server : 80.10.246.1

Internet protocol : pppoa
Encapsulation : VC-Mux
VP : 0
VC : 38
Broadband Username :
Mode : Permanent [1--1]

These aren't from the test socket, but I have done this from there before and there seemed to be no difference.

Also, I installed an I-plate a few months back and my speed did not increase at all.

JT

Perhaps a kind (or unkind, I'm not fussed) mod will edit out your WAN IP address.

Might be a good idea. Thanks for noticing that.

JT

The sync rate looks about right given your 10.4 noise margin. If you restarted your router it might sync higher with a lower margin.

I'll give it a shot and report back with the stats. Thanks.

JT

Here we go.

ADSL firmware version : A2pBT009c1.d17d
Connection mode : ADSL2+
Type : Fast
Noise margin (dB) : 10.3
Attenuation (dB) : 61.5
Attainable download rate (kbps) : 2634
ADSL status : Connected [0]

Downstream Upstream
Rate (kbps) 2616 605

WAN IP address :
Gateway : 91.104.224.1
Primary DNS server : 193.36.79.100
Secondary DNS server : 80.10.246.1

Internet protocol : pppoa
Encapsulation : VC-Mux
VP : 0
VC : 38
Broadband Username :
Mode : Permanent [1--1]

Slightly better. Has anyone else unbundled your exchange? Be/O2 for instance would give a possible better service for a lower price.

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php

Yes Be and o2 do that for my exchange. The only problem is I don't know what's going on with Orange. I have been with them since the Freeserve years for the same price, £17.50. They have never contacted me to ask if I want to continue the contract past the 12 months or whatever. I tried ringing them up about a year ago asking to pay a more reasonable montly price, like less then £10 which is what new customers get. They rejected that. I also asked if I could leave the service and they said no because I'm under contract... Surely they can't continue my contract non stop with the same fee for 7-8 years.

JT

There's no way you can still be "under contract"; you must have passed the min. term of 12 months years ago if you started with Freeserve. You should insist on speaking to their Retention Dept. and ask what deals they can offer you to stay with them. I've been on 8 Meg BB Plus for under £10 on 12 month contract with 3 months free for last 2 years.

Alternatively you can ask for your MAC and go elsewhere, but you won't get much better speeds as you are getting around the best for your attenuation.

Well, they have been taking £17.50 out of my account every month for years and I've never been disconnected for more than a day so I don't know what's going on.

They probably automatically roll over the contract, i.e. they'll keep charging until you tell them to stop (by completely canceling broadband or by migrating away after getting your MAC).

Yes, that's because you've never cancelled the service and never entered a new contract for a lesser amount. You were always on your initial contract but beyond the Minimum Period and so were subject to giving 1 month (or more) notice of ceasing or migration (which you never did).