Fluctuating speed

Hi, can't get my head around this problem. I have a windows7 laptop with an i5 chip.It is very slow and speedtests - when I can get then to work - show downloads such as 0.1mbs, occasionally up to 15 which is where it should be with plusnet Fibre to a cabinet.. Been at 15 or so until 4 days ago. I also have a netbook which shows similar but not so serious slow speed of 6 to 9 mbs but this is when it is next to the laptop and running the same speedtest at the same time. Should I be considering possible hardware frailties in the machines or tackling Plusnet re the line speed?

First, are you testing wired or wireless?

Second, a speed test by definition tries to use the full capacity of your line. Running two speed tests simultaneously cannot add up to more than running just one, unless they are single-stream tests in which case their usefulness is highly suspect anyway.

What speed tester(s) are you using?

Hi, thanks for replying. I take the point re line capacity. I use wireless, router is about 10ft away but has always worked well throughout house. This morning I connected with cable with the same results. As I can't get BTwholesale to load up or is busy I have been using the Thinkbroadbad tester. This has shown some improvement up to 9 for download but mostly much less, sometimes below 1. Funny thing is that as I look at the bt box one light is flashing steadily but the plusnet router has all it lights flashing in some sort of sequence and it carries on even when I am not doing anything. No other person in the house is using broadband. However, have just looked at usage on the plusnet site and find that there is a huge amounts of 'other' as against web. I guess I'd better chat to plusnet tomorrow to query this aspect. Any theories would be welcome.

Hang on!

BT Box and Plusnet router.

I missed that you are on Plusnet Fibre.

Has it just happened? Does the phone work? If it doesn't, one wire of your pair is disconnected somewhere between the master socket and the cabinet.

If it does work, then remove the faceplate and the VDSL filter plate, see this page, and see how you FTTC is by using the test socket and a dangly filter. (I assume you still have one).

Edited by RobertoS (Sun 30-Mar-14 20:40:31)

Thanks again. The phone is fine. I will do the test you describe but first another angle has appeared. I have borrowed a windows 8 desktop with i7 chip and ssid. Using this in another room gives lightning results and when BTwholeale test runs without problem I get download 17.38, upload 0.71 and ping 41.50!! This is the max I knew was possible when I took fibre. So I am wondering if there is a software angle here. The problem started about 5 or so days ago and the only things that involved fresh software into the laptop was on 26/3 a windows update and an update to a complex taxation software that I use - like you I am semi-retired but my help goes to many small traders who can't manage accounts. So is there a clue there? Alternatively is the hardware that deals with the internet not able to handle things all of a sudden. The laptop acts just as badly when in the desktop (off) room!

What virus checker are you running? Some are known to cause issues with speed checkers.

Hi, I use Avast. I gave up on AVG years ago. Also had trouble with Zone Alarm. Speedcheckers apart the reality is that I sit here waiting forever for something to load and really only need numbers so I can tell people about the situation. The Windows 8 m/c i've borrowed has avast as well.

There are some download files available from "Tools" on the TBB homepage. What sort of speeds get reported if you download one of those?