Broadband Speeds

I live in a rural area where my local exchamge is BT ADSL configured (no LLU yet) and this serves 978 residential properties and 73 non residential premises. Broadband max ADSL was established in March 2006. I am with BT Total Broadband and my house is 282 metres from the exchange and I regularly receive an average of 5 Mb - sometimes as high as 7.2Mb but never less than 3.5Mb. Two of my friends who live each side, and next to, the exchange and are with TalkTalk never manage more than 2.2Mb at any time and often are close to dial up speed. Another friend living 300 metres away and who is with ToucanSurf never gets more than 2.5Mb and a further user using Supanet seldom gets more than 2.5Mb either.
In the light of this can anyone confirm that BT suppresses speed to other ISP's where they have a monoply or is there another reason for such a marked difference between the various suppliers? This has long been a puzzle to me.

lillylbry

I think it more likely that the ISPs you mention oversubscribe their networks. The good ISPs tend to perform better than BT Broadband, the not so good ISPs tend to perform worse.

Many things affect speeds, including the phone wiring within the home. See here. It is also very important that everything that connects to the phone line does so through a filter - including Sky boxes and XBoxes. All extensions. Phone-connected burglar alarms.

Any increase in connection speed resulting from a wiring fix could take up to 5 days to be reflected in download speed.

I wasn't aware that TalkTalk supplied the BT IPStream service, but perhaps they do as they own AOL who do. What is the exchange?

There is a huge difference between connection speed and downloads speed. You seem to be talking about download speeds. The full results from the BT speed tester would be very useful.

In addition for any proper diagnosis we need the line stats from the modems/routers - see here or here, including the connection/sync speed, attenuation and Noise Margin in particular.

I think we can be fairly sure BT do not throttle other suppliers. There would have been a huge outcry long ago.

The speeds you mention, are these connection speeds reported by the modem, or the result of speed tests?
TalkTalk tends to connect using Home 2000 in areas where it does not have its LLU - this is their own choice.

Speeds vary from provider to provider depending on how much capacity they buy, and what line access product they use, e.g. if a provider has left people on Home 1000 while millions are on the up to 8Meg products, then the Home 1000 person is probably going to get slower than many others.

In reply to:

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is there another reason for such a marked difference between the various suppliers

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Talk Talk only used fixed speed services of 0.5, 1 or 2M where they don't have LLU, this is despite advertising it as "up to 8M ". If they were to use BT's MaxDSL wholesale product it could have the same line speed as you. If they believe they were sold something faster than 2M please get them to report Talk Talk to Trading Standards.

Toucan resell Tiscali which is famous for oversubscribed networks to achieve low prices.

The physical line affects the speed the modem connects to the exchange, the data throughput is more dependent on the particular ISP.

The tests were made using thinkbroadband's own speed tester!

Okay so not actual connection speeds, but throughput tests.

You need to go back and get people to look at their connection speed, e.g. if the Talk Talk people are connecting at only 2272Kbps, then this is Talk Talks own choice and how they deliver up to 8Meg in non-llu areas.

As for the other variations, time of day and actual connection speed of your line which can vary greatly depending on the state of the wiring in a home are a big factor.

Certainly when looking at speedtest results overall there is no sign that BT is giving its own retail ISP priority, with the amount of data we have this would be easy to see.

The exchange in question is CROPREDY, Oxfordshire.

No hard skin or athletes foot there then !

That exchange had noting but BT IPstream, definately no TalkTalk LLU so that is a TT over IPStream capped to 2meg offering you are seeing.