Help - Download rate dropped by more than 50%

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone could advise on a big problem I've encountered with download rate.

First things first:

I usually sync at between high 7000's and 8128.
SNR between 6db and 8db.
Router connected to filtered faceplate.
I have tried different routers and different computers connect directly to the router (ie no network or extensions)

My download rate has been at or about where it should be, ie above 6000 as indicated by tbbMeter and BitMeter (IP PRofile 7000).


Briefly:
At the end of April the download rate suddenly dropped to about 3000 and has stayed there ever since.
Beginning of June there was a line fault, which has been fixed.

The problem:
After download rate drop:
Speedtest result at 10AM indicated IP Profile of 6500, sync = 7936, downrate = 3111. (48%)
After line fault was repaired:
Speedtest result at 9AM indicated IP Profile of 6000, sync = 7072, downrate = 2307 (38%)

The sync has dropped as the snr has increased, which I am not concerned about, but the download rate has remained a long way off the IP Profile

(40-50%)

It 'feels' like the connection is throttled or restricted in some way.
The connection behaves as it did before,
ie when using UseNet download rate climbs quickly to max and stays there, only now the max is around 3000 not high 6000's.

ISP has indicated 2 things:

1. that there could be congestion at the exchange.

There was no gradual drop in rate. One day normal, next day poor.
This speed restriction is a constant feature, it does no worse at any particular time of day.

I find hard to believe that my exchange would become congested 24/7 almost overnight.

2. BT have said speed is acceptable and refuse to do anything.
Well they would, it's easier to do nothing.
And the ISP don't appear prepared to do anything either.


The advice needed:

Why has my download rate suddenly dropped by 50-60%?
How can a degradation in service of this magnitude possibly be considered acceptable?
Surely there is a problem if the datarate is so far from the IP Profile?
Is it normal for such a large and permanent drop when everything else is as before (sync,snr,IP Profile)

If I had always received this download rate I wouldn't be bothering you but this is a huge drop in service level.

Sorry it went on a bit, any help or advice would be most gratefully received.

Regards

Which ISP?

So the sync has always been about the same even during fault period?

Some ISP's track the IP Profile, and can miss the odd event, i.e. have not seen it improve and thus are limiting your throughput based on an out of date number.

If Plusnet this is the most likely scenario

ISP is XILO.

For most of the fault period my router was disconnected, but did try connecting twice and got sync at 736 and around 1000.
Fault repaired yesterday (07 June). IP Profile fell to 512 but this has risen to 6000 overnight.

I have pointed out the discrepancy between throughput and Profile to Xilo, but they don't seem inclined to do anything.

Ask them what they think your IP Profile is?

ISP's receive a delta report as it changes, and if their records show it as not the same as the BT Speedtest, then they need to manually update it.

Xilo say they are not able to 'see' what my IP Profile is.
They state that there is no traffic management within their network.

This is going round in circles:
Xilo have said speed is acceptable, but have asked for another speedtest.
My contention is still that a greater than 50% drop in thoughput is not acceptable.

Depends on who xilo is buying your service from, they may not be being passed the IP Profile, but ISPs see it for sure. As you can login into accounts and see the figure on various providers

From finding the ticket in question, this line isn't showing any rate.

There is also no delta report data for this circuit. KBD isn't also giving anything as explained to the user in the ticket.

We have seen a number of lines this past week or so have very odd problems with BT profiling (i.e all magically reset to 2000k) which BT are having to fix manually on a case by case basis.

Matt

It is a BT IP Stream) package.
From BTw I assume as they (Xilo) have often mentioned passing the fault/issue back to BT, and

We do not see this the OST check any more as BT removed this a few months back

Is it usual to see such a discrepancy between IP Profile and throughput?
Can you think of anything else that could suddenly start restricting throughput?

I don't think I'm being unreasonable, my service level has dropped by 50% and no one seems prepared to do anything about it.

It is labeled a 'best effort' service but for the past 6 weeks it has seemed like a make no effort service.

And the ISP don't appear prepared to do anything either.

If I am looking at the only ticket of a similar problem, that's a little unfair, don't you think? and could not be further from the truth

The line from what I can see had a recent PSTN issue but since that was fixed, we've had no further tests completed by yourself.

Whilst it is frustrating, BT do not deem the results are you seeing as unacceptable. This has been sent to them several times with their stock response of "no problem here 'guv", send an engineer - which as it stands will not be of much use and will likely result in a charge - which we are not prepared to let any customer risk.

We have even requested this be reviewed by HLE (high level escalations) within BT, who gave the same response because the results are more than acceptable.

As per your own suggestion, we would wait until the line was fixed to review this, which you informed us today at 11:09:28 AM was done - and as yet, we've not seen any new results from you.

To reiterate the ticket response this morning - nce we have a new test result, we can then review and proceed from there:, so if you could please update that, we'd really appreciate it.

Matt

In reply to a post by langestange:

Is it usual to see such a discrepancy between IP Profile and throughput?

On lines that may suffer from congestion, or even a fault (yet undetermined due to previous on-going PSTN fault), somtimes.

Matt