ADSL2 sudden dramatic download speed increase?

I've been with Talk Talk for years (up to 8Mbps package) and all of this time my download speed has been a steady 5.5 to 6. Over the last week, my download speed has started to increase, albeit erratically. I've seen it hit over 9 at times and even an amazing 15 on one test. Anyone heard of this happening or even why it is occuring? My cabinet number is 60 and my postcode is SL3 6QB. I've checked and although my exchange is fibre enabled, our cabinet apparently will not get fibre, due to a problem getting power to it. I am about 150 yards from the *old style* cabinet.

I am not technical, so please try to keep it simple
I would really appreciate any feedback and thanks in advance.

ps, I use the standard Talk Talk modem/router and only 1 wired ethernet connection, plus a few laptops on Wi-Fi. There is only a single phone connection and I've not changed anything.,

Nothing to do with FTTC. Probably just upgraded from ADSL to ADSL2+

In reply to a post by Rontom:

I've been with Talk Talk for years (up to 8Mbps package) and all of this time my download speed has been a steady 5.5 to 6. Over the last week, my download speed has started to increase, albeit erratically. I've seen it hit over 9 at times and even an amazing 15 on one test. Anyone heard of this happening or even why it is occuring? My cabinet number is 60 and my postcode is SL3 6QB. I've checked and although my exchange is fibre enabled, our cabinet apparently will not get fibre, due to a problem getting power to it. I am about 150 yards from the *old style* cabinet.

I am not technical, so please try to keep it simple
I would really appreciate any feedback and thanks in advance.

ps, I use the standard Talk Talk modem/router and only 1 wired ethernet connection, plus a few laptops on Wi-Fi. There is only a single phone connection and I've not changed anything.,

Are you still on an "up to 8Mbps" service? I also know your area reasonably well, and a speed of maybe 8+ Mbps might be possible if the route is fairly direct however 15Mbps is way too fast considering the exchange distance. There will be another explanation for what has happened.

Are you running tests wired or wireless?

Do you have any AV software running?

Which speed testing programme are you using?

Can you post the router stats - SNR and attenuation figures? http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.php will tell you how.

Thanks for the reply.
I will try to get the router stats
I am still on the *up to 8Mbps.
All of the erratic and speed increases have been happening on Wi-Fi,
I've just ran a few tests on the wired computer and they seem to show around the usual stable 6.5 download speeds. (Hmm, seems to be Wi-Fi related).
I am running AVG A/Virus.
Using the Speedtest.net tester.
I have been on ADSL2+ for a long time (years).
Thanks again, your help is appreciated.

Based on postcode we estimate a speed of 14.5 Mbps if ADSL2+ was available on the line (2.5km to the exchange)

Checking connection speed in the ADSL modem is the key to the puzzle.

The speedtest.net tester can with WiFi give some burst speeds beyond connection speed, we have worked to try and reduce this effect on our speed tester at http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html plus by letting you see the graphs after you can judge if it looked like a spike or whether speed was sustained i.e. more likely to be real.

In reply to a post by Rontom:

Thanks for the reply.
I will try to get the router stats
I am still on the *up to 8Mbps.
All of the erratic and speed increases have been happening on Wi-Fi,
I've just ran a few tests on the wired computer and they seem to show around the usual stable 6.5 download speeds. (Hmm, seems to be Wi-Fi related).
I am running AVG A/Virus.
Using the Speedtest.net tester.
I have been on ADSL2+ for a long time (years).
Thanks again, your help is appreciated.

Are you on that small residential park tucked away off the Langley Park Road ? And the cabinet is at the entrance to the park?

You say still up to 8Mbps but on ADSL2+. Is it just that you have a package that caps you at 8Mbps? 2+ will provide a lot faster - if your line can support it and even if capped I would expect it to deliver closer to 8Mbps.

Speedtest.net is not the best to use, use the TBB one, l,ink at bottom of page, and post a direct link.

Edited by MHC (Fri 16-May-14 10:48:13)

I don't seem to be able to get into my router stats. I entered the username and password that I'd written down before. I know that these are correct because I've entered them before and gained access....very strange. I tried 4 times.

I did the test on the link you said http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html.
I don't know how to post the screenshot of that test to this forum, sorry about that.

BTW, I'd love to be able to get the speed of 14.5Mbps that you said could be possible.

Sorry, but I'm not much help,
but thanks again for your trouble.

On the result page there are links to share the images, i.e. we host a copy

Or you can use the copy to clipboard button and this gives you a link to the results page which can be shared

e.g. http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html...

Here is the link from the BBST:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html...

Good result - as shown by the two download test lines almost hiding each other.

Is pretty much the full speed you would expect from an up to 8 Mbps connection.

The 0.8 Mbps upload and TalkTalk as the ISP suggests it is LLU and may actually be an ADSL2+ based but you have an up to 8Meg cap on the product. TalkTalk do not charge more for ADSL2+ compared to ADSL, unless you are on some very good price deal and do not want to migrate to a newer product.