Turning off Router slows ADSL speed over time

OK, I know it sounds crazy but that's what I've just been told by my ISP's, Vivaciti, engineer. I'm very happy with Vivaciti, they've been great but in the last week or so youtube and many sites seemed to be getting really slow. I did "think broadband's" speed test and it reported 4MB down. I used to get more like 11MB. The engineer said I'm right next to the exchange and my router downstream says over 16MB.

I called Vivaciti who took a look at my connection and said it showed regular "port problems" at around 10pm each evening. After some quick questions it emerged that's usually when I turn off my router every night. BT take this to be a "problem" and drop the line speed to try to "balance" the line?? Can they really be that dumb?

I've never heard of anything like this. So if you switch off your router routinely to save electricity and help the environment, BT will drop your line speed gradually?? Anyone else come across this? I've been told to leave it on permanently from now on and in a few days they'll contact BT and ask them to raise my profile if its been dropped.

This all sounds Kapfa-esque to me.

if the router says goodbye nicely it shouldn't be an issue turning it off at night (or any other time).

Can you try to find and post your line stats from the router? See here for help. The results from a BT Performance Test might be useful as well.

As yarwell says - turning the router off at night should not cause any trouble. In fact it shouldn't even if it doesn't send a "last gasp" signal to say that's what is happening.

Which vivaciti package are you on? And this vivaciti engineer? On the phone, or a visit?

Hi Roberto, you've helped me out before

My stats are:

Connection Speed: Down 16632kbps; Up 888kbps
Line Attenuation: Down 16.5db; Up 11.0db
Noise margin: Down 13.3db; Up 7.8db

I can't use the BT Performance Test, I had trouble with that a few months back, something to do with me being on LLU Unbundled if I remember?

I just did a second speed test using this sites tool and its even worse, 3.2MB down speed.

In which case BT will not be doing any slowing down of the line .

Which package though? I don't think you have said in earlier threads. Was this a phone conversation with vivaciti support? "Engineer" is an unusual term here unless referring to a BT one.

Oh - um, now I'm completely confused. So why am I getting under 4MB down then?

Yes it was a Vivaciti tech support representative, "Engineer" was my word. My package is listed as "Murphx LLU - CW - ADSL2+ Home Up to 24Mb LLU Broadband" in my control panel. It should be unlimited so there's no capping going on in theory.

If its LLU then no IP profile, the trick is to check the connection speed perhaps 3 or 4 times a day, and for one or two days do a speedtest every few hours and see at what times it starts to slow down.

In reply to a post by edwinbradford:

My package is listed as "Murphx LLU - CW - ADSL2+ Home Up to 24Mb LLU Broadband" in my control panel.

That's a bit odd - CW is only up to 16Mb

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

CW is only up to 16Mb

C & W?

But where do you get that 16Mbps from? If xilo/uno website, the (vivaciti-equivalent) Pro 16 ones are up to 24 Mbps.

That's clear nomenclature for you .

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

CW is only up to 16Mb

C & W?

But where do you get that 16Mbps from? If xilo/uno website, the (vivaciti-equivalent) Pro 16 ones are up to 24 Mbps.

That's clear nomenclature for you .

Check his router stats - should be 21Megs. When I was on Bulldog, it was 16Mb.