Zen - Not exactly unhappy - puzzled !

For more years than I can count we've had between 6.5 and 7.5 Mbps on our DSL/ADSL , way above the estimate from current and previous ISPs .

For 5 days last week we were mostly below 256 Kbps - often as low as 16 Kbps ( TestMy.net figures ) . Needless to say , webpage browsing was a no - no , gmail and google search just about loaded , but often nothing !

For 5 hours one day we had no phone connection either . BT can't explain why not and won't comment about broadband issues .

Zen tech have been , generally brilliant . Our account was reset and the speeds have gradually built up until they are stabilised at around 4.2 Mbps .

That's now it , as far as Zen are concerned , we're getting what they reckon we should in terms of through-put . 4.2 throughput on a 5-5.0 rated line . But what of the previous good speeds ?

Heaven forfend there's a conspiracy going on to wean us off ADSL and onto Fibre , but 4.2 isn't going to get us HD streaming ..... Or is this still a case that it'd take a few weeks yet before the line is back to what I would term ' normal ' ....

Please can you post the full stats from your router? The most important are the sync/connection speeds, attenuation and noise margin/SNRM, but anything else such as error stats and other info in the output is often very useful.

Also if you run the BT Wholesale Performance Test, without bothering with rebooting the router, ignore the first results page but click the Further diagnostics at the bottom. Then please copy and pasted the full contents of the down and up text boxes . We don't need to see the fancy graphic.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Please can you post the full stats from your router? The most important are the sync/connection speeds, attenuation and noise margin/SNRM, but anything else such as error stats and other info in the output is often very useful.

Also if you run the BT Wholesale Performance Test, without bothering with rebooting the router, ignore the first results page but click the Further diagnostics at the bottom. Then please copy and pasted the full contents of the down and up text boxes . We don't need to see the fancy graphic.

Router stats ...

Funny the router's never turned off

DSL Link Status
up

DSL Uptime 0 days 16 hours 53 minute(s) 18 seconds
DSL modulation
ITU G.992.1(G.DMT)
TCM(Trellis Coded Modulation)
1
Line Stats Downstream Upstream
SNR 11.0 dB 21.0 dB
Line Attenuation 41.5 dB 17.0 dB
Path Mode
Interleaved

Interleaved
Interleave Depth 32 4
Data Rate 7008 kbps 448 kbps
MAX Rate 7392 1088
POWER 19.5 dbm 12.0 dbm
CRC
0

0


Interesting results from the BT test ...

Download speed achieved during the test was - 4.36 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 0.6 Mbps-7.15 Mbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :7.01 Mbps(DOWN-STREAM), 0.45 Mbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 4.5 Mbps


Overall these figures don't seem to suggest anything 'wrong' - maybe it's a perception issue , or perhaps the line is still suffering from the account reset which could take up to 10 days ?


BT Test figures mirror those of Zen speedtest , TestMy.net and TB's test - all around 4.0-4.5 ball-park . So why were we , once , getting more ?
Same figures , too , whether wired or wireless .

Router and phone still connected into the BT test socket .

Slow because looks to be an old IPStream Max service which has a slower IP Profile system, i.e. takes up to 5 days for it to recover from a slow connection speed, so you might see a jump to a higher speed in the next few days if the modem can stay connected at current high speeds.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Slow because looks to be an old IPStream Max service which has a slower IP Profile system, i.e. takes up to 5 days for it to recover from a slow connection speed, so you might see a jump to a higher speed in the next few days if the modem can stay connected at current high speeds.

Thanks - since I posted that set of results Zen have requested a router re-boot following another tweek
of the profile ...

Good to have an independent view on the figures , though - many thanks .....

Your 7008kbps allied to an SNR of 11dB looks like either you need to reconnect (well inside daylight hours) and will get a slightly higher connection speed, or DLM has capped your line.

I think I would try a single reboot of the router - preferably by switching it off and leaving it off for 30 minutes before turning it back on. The wait can help in certain circumstances.

I'm not primarily suggesting you do this to get a possibly higher data rate, but because your IP Profile is your major problem. As far as I'm concerned another nail in the coffin of my once high regard for Zen support. With your Connection Rate as shown by the BT test and your data rate, your IP Profile should be 6Mbps, not 4.5. That is why you are getting low speed - end of!

The switch off and wait, then on again, may trigger an update of it. However, the bad news is that the update by the automatic system (DLM) is likely to take 4-5 days for what in your case would be a very small change in connection speed. This is assuming you are on a system called IP Connect. I'm having to make assumptions about that. What exchange is it please? That will help answer that question.

There is a slight possibility that you are currently in one of the 4-5 day periods. Have you forced a reconnection recently, without switching off?

The alternative is that a "rather puzzled" customer (you) asks why the IP Profile isn't 6Mbps, given that connection speed. They may say it is in the 4-5 days, or they may say something stupid. In the former case, if it doesn't rise by the end of 5 days, call them again and insist a rest is done to fix it. They may call it a DLM reset, or an SNR reset, or whatever - we are talking an old system here and BT Wholesale may have change the procedure name since I last came across this.

In the latter case, again - you need that reset. More information about IP Profiles. You appear to be on the Original system - which is why I want to know the exchange, to see if that is all you can have.

Andrew's and your posts happened while I was drafting my lengthy reply . I hope the background I've given helps you understand what is going on.

Chuckles - often happens !

Thanks for the information - some of it is a bit over my old head - I'm afraid .

I'll do a router off for at least an hour shortly after lunch ( dog walking ! ) .

Exchange is Tarves Aberdeenshire . We're about 1-1.5 mile from main exchange , though there's a relay box ( presumably that's what it is ) and fibre box at 1 mile .

Ok, you don't have faster ADSLx available, but does this checker mention FTTC above the ADSL estimate?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Ok, you don't have faster ADSLx available, but does this checker mention FTTC above the ADSL estimate?

On cabinet 1 .... FTTC available ... on all products.