Another cry for help!!

The kit... Broadband with BT, Line solely for Broadband connection (no extensions), "new" socket, Vigor 2800 router, half metre from socket to router, half metre from router to new "fast" computer. location 6km from exchange. Mcaffee updates most days. No spyware or anything "nasty" running in the background.

From the router I can see connection at 3700000ish with S/N of 6 to 7 and attn of 53... so far so good.....

Speed tests in the past have achieved 2.6mb to 2.8mb, but over the past few weeks this has reduced to 1.8mb.

Speaking to this "off shore" person at BT's tech help desk he suggested that I am getting 1.8 instead of 3.7 due to problems in my router/computer. He suggested that contention had nothing to do with it and any tests are not affected by contention.

I have asked to have the issue escalated but am not hopeful.

Since my communication with him I now see the max connection speed reduced to 3200000 with a S/N of 10.5. Rebooting the router has no effect.

Any comments?

"any tests are not affected by contention" best joke of the day.

What does http://www.speedtester.bt.com say your IP Profile currently is?

Thanks for the comment!

Here are the results of the test

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 2500 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 3296 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 2079 kbps

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/faq/sections/radsl.html#225 shows the IP profile to Sync speed lookup and you can see you are losing a fair bit of speed due to your current sync, just another 200Kbps of sync would get you a 3Mbps profile.

1.8Mbps from a 2.5Mbps while not amazing is not bad either, i.e. a good average.

Sounds like the BT response was to increase the target noise margin going by the 10dB you mentioned

Andrew,

Thanks for the info, just a couple of questions/comments....

While talking to the "offshore" chap he suggested the 3.7 I was connecting at (from the BT tester and my router) was not actually correct and he could see a connection speed of 3.1 which when challenged as to where I could see this figure he suggested it was only available to him!

Having been able to "shoot him down" on every count with regard to my hardware causing the slow speed (long cable runs in the house, none. Unused extensions, none. Sky box, none and background programs running, none) he then suggested it was because I was on BT's Option One and I would get much better speed if I moved to Option Two or greater. I suggested I had moved to Option One at BT suggestion as I dont download the likes of "Eastenders" and anyhow the different options change your download volume limit not your speed!

Lastly you suggest that the reason I am now getting less than the 3.7 I have had for ages is that "they" have increased the "target noise margin" which I now see at 10.0 most of the time. Am I to assume this "offshore" chap, having had all his statements shot down in flames could then change the "target noise margin" to get his own back? I hope not!!

Requests to raise the target noise margin can be made, but there are automatic systems that can do this also.

Andrew,

Does "raising the target" you mention result in reducing the speed. In our case the SNR was near to 10 with a speed of 3392000 this morning.

We are on a four day test ("offshore" chaps words) with the filter plugged into the test socket (half of front cover removed). Were asked not to turn the router off during this time.

To give it "the best shot" I thought I would unplug the phone which is plugged into the filter but by mistake unplugged the router (smacked wrists).

Unplugging the phone and replugging in the router results in a connected speed of 3840000 and a SNR of 7.0, which I am sure will result in the speed being knocked back this evening as the SNR reduces.

Am I doing the best I can to perhaps increase the IP profile above the present 2500 kbps?

Yet again appreciate your far greater technical knowledge than mine!

Yes raising target noise margin has effect of reducing sync speed and improving stability.

THere is a trade off between sync speed and stability.

If unplugging the phone improves sync speeds then phone/filter/wiring is at issue and the 9dB target margin looks less like.

That sync speed if it is held will get a higher IP profile, but this will lower if you sync at a lower speed again, this follows a pattern which in time you will get used to.