Moving ISP

Hi,
I've had speed issues with my current provider and Think broadband BQM shows constant packet loss.
Same speed test site seconds after a test will drop speeds significantly 487 to 25Mbps. The real world is same, downloading test file from TBB, 1GB takes 1 hour.

Sky have said no issues and they can't see packet loss. They have allowed me to move without penalties.

I am going to have same physical fibre, any recommendations for an ISP that may get to bottom of issue?

AAISP. If they can't fix it they will allow you to leave. Simple as.

However if there is an issue there, they are unlikely not to be able to fix it. They are a proper techie ISP.

In reply to a post by Ahmedg:

The real world is same, downloading test file from TBB, 1GB takes 1 hour.

As you explained in great length in the previous topic you raised on the same issue.
https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/sky/t/4753861-file...

Your problems would get fixed a lot quicker if you stuck to one thread on this

In reply to a post by jpm:

Your problems would get fixed a lot quicker if you stuck to one thread on this

They cant fix it, SKY raised multiple times with their network team and other than giving me a MAC of a device that has authentication failures, there is nothing more they can do and its now either live with it as is or move, as they will allow me out of the contract.

Really not much more I can do as issue is on the line but neither OR or SKY can find an issue.

I suppose the other route is to stick it out with SKY, until around Oct time, as Cityfibre are now building, nothing for my road, one behind one network showing mid June permit. Th downside of that is, I have poor download speeds, had work IT install an application and it was showing over 1 hour for a 60GB file, he was shocked and ran a speed test whilst still downloading, that came back at 460. So Totally at a dead end now.

I am looking to move so need some one who may be more expensive but can fix it.

Edited by Ahmedg (Sat 06-Apr-24 12:09:25)

Did you post on the Sky forum about the problem? Have you spoken to any neighbours on the same pole as you?

Yes buddy.
Also sent them BQM of my current IP with packet losses, my old IP with no packet losses.
One of my neighbours BQM with packet losses. Both neighbours complained and covered in my interactions with them. Screen shots of Ookla speed tests with seconds apart speed variations with no network usage changes.
As far as they concerned no issues other than an IP address failing authentication.

At the end of the road, so just looking for an ISP that's better.

Have you tried your work laptop at your Brother's place and also what speeds is he getting ?

Yes buddy and his connection is 100 and was getting close to that.

Looking for a new ISP that is more techy savvy perhaps than SKY.

This is so confusing because in the other thread you said your brother has the same problems as you, and now you're saying he doesn't.

In reply to a post by jpm:

This is so confusing because in the other thread you said your brother has the same problems as you, and now you're saying he doesn't.

Same, i'm confused as hell. I believe its the OP's equipment. I say this even though he's had the olt issue. But we've not got a series of ethernet (not usb based ethernet) results. Also i suspect the work laptop is locked down, so we don't know any local policies and or av etc is causing the issues.

Thats why i asked about his brother's connection. I wanted to see if he was getting the same issue with another connection.

Edited by Taras (Tue 09-Apr-24 09:20:02)

In reply to a post by Taras:

Same, i'm confused as hell. I believe its the OP's equipment. I say this even though he's had the olt issue. But we've not got a series of ethernet (not usb based ethernet) results. Also i suspect the work laptop is locked down, so we don't know any local policies and or av etc is causing the issues.

Thats why i asked about his brother's connection. I wanted to see if he was getting the same issue with another connection.

Me too, I have watched this over multiple threads - I say watched rather than followed, because I have lost track of the details. We have a series of observations but no conclusions.

You were right to ask about his brother's connection, though I think this needs to go further. We have a known bad installation - OP's laptop on OP's fibre [using ethernet, I think]. What is needed now is a good PC on good fibre and shown to work well. OP then needs to use his PC on the good fibre and the good PC needs to be tried on OP's fibre. Does the problem follow the PC or stay on the fibre? Only then can OP make a decision.

In reply to a post by DFScale:

In reply to a post by Taras:

Same, i'm confused as hell. I believe its the OP's equipment. I say this even though he's had the olt issue. But we've not got a series of ethernet (not usb based ethernet) results. Also i suspect the work laptop is locked down, so we don't know any local policies and or av etc is causing the issues.

Thats why i asked about his brother's connection. I wanted to see if he was getting the same issue with another connection.

Me too, I have watched this over multiple threads - I say watched rather than followed, because I have lost track of the details. We have a series of observations but no conclusions.

You were right to ask about his brother's connection, though I think this needs to go further. We have a known bad installation - OP's laptop on OP's fibre [using ethernet, I think]. What is needed now is a good PC on good fibre and shown to work well. OP then needs to use his PC on the good fibre and the good PC needs to be tried on OP's fibre. Does the problem follow the PC or stay on the fibre? Only then can OP make a decision.

I think i understand what you are suggesting and its what we need to be done. Hes using ethernet via usb - whilst that should be ok, its a work laptop and we don't know if the local group policy is in effect which could limit things (i don't think theres anything in the policy editor to do that but i'm not putting my hand on my heart and doing a pinky promise), also we don't know whats on that laptop to cause any issues.

Ideally we need a pc/mac/linux box that has an ethernet port, which has proven to be working fine, preferably on another pon, i believe his brother and him are on the same pon, so that might mean the same olt issue, with a tbb speed link.

we then need that same box/laptop on his brother's and his own line with results.

Ofcourse he can skip some of this but i kinda don't want him to because, we need to have him to isolate the issue, because if he moves isp, which he's intending to do, the problem will likely still exist, and if its shown to be his network at fault he may be charged.

Also we really don't need another thread to confuse us even more because we don't know whats resolved and what isn't

brevity of reply, when I did a speed test it was close to that, I didnt go through every server, he has erratic speed as nephew who works from home was experiencing them.

His suffering packet loss like I am and other neighbour who I dont know if he is suffering PL or not has erratic speeds.

I have tried with a laptop with a dedicated Ethernet port plugged directly into the router, and issue was same, yoyo speed tests.

I will try at my brothers house. I would test directly into the ONT but that's not possible with SKY. When I did it with VF, it was erratic speeds.

In reply to a post by Ahmedg:

I have tried with a laptop with a dedicated Ethernet port plugged directly into the router, and issue was same, yoyo speed tests.

I will try at my brothers house. I would test directly into the ONT but that's not possible with SKY. When I did it with VF, it was erratic speeds.

The problem with "brevity of reply" is that it's missing large amounts of detail that people need to be able to try and help you.

This laptop with the dedicated ethernet port, is it a work laptop? It might get repetitive but you have to say every single time what device you are testing with and how it's connected.

Edited by jpm (Tue 09-Apr-24 20:50:41)

You've been posting about this issue for what seems like months and months now.

I apologise for saying this but you don't come across as a very logical person, you seem to pick and choose the questions you want to answer which doesn't get you very far with the mass of people on here trying to help you.

No offence taken.
This thread was never intended for help other than finding an ISP.

In terms of what I have done.

I have tested the speed with two different USB dongles connected directly to the Router and speeds yioyo on work laptop.
Tested none work laptop connected directly to the ONT but not with SKY and speeds yoyo.
Tested with none work laptop to router via dedicated port on the laptop, speeds yoyo.
Tested the laptop at another property with GB Virgin line, tested fine.
Setup BQM when someone suggested and constant packet loss.
Tested BQM with LAN cables pulled out and than no LAN or WIFI enabled and constant packet loss.
Setup BQM for my brothers IP and also constant packet loss.

Not sure what else I can do to eliminate doubt that issue is at my end?

This is going of topic so will post in SKY forum.

Thanks

Edited by Ahmedg (Wed 10-Apr-24 07:15:45)

To answer your question, AAISP, I would have also suggested Aquiss but I have seen them turned down other people who have continually posted on here about broadband issues, Martin reads a lot of the comments on here and it will cost an ISP to sort your issue.

You have already had the same broadband issue on both VF and Sky so its not going to be an ISP issue, very likely an Openreach issue as I have said before make sure you're using an IPv4 address for your BQM as IPv6 can cause all sorts of BQM issues if its using the wrong address. I'm basing this on the poor packet loss not the speed issue as I believe they are linked so you need to fix the packet loss issue first.

Edited by PCJM40 (Wed 10-Apr-24 09:24:37)

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

I would have also suggested Aquiss but I have seen them turned down other people who have continually posted on here about broadband issues, Martin reads a lot of the comments on here

Huh? *scratches my head*

In reply to a post by aquiss:

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

I would have also suggested Aquiss but I have seen them turned down other people who have continually posted on here about broadband issues, Martin reads a lot of the comments on here

Huh? *scratches my head*

Do you not remember Keef (nick hk11) from Sheerness who you turned down?

Ahmedg - if Aquiss (Martin) are happy to look into this for you then I would strongly recommend them too.

Edited by PCJM40 (Wed 10-Apr-24 12:25:51)

Thanks @PCJM40.

I've updated my thread in SKY forum with latest as had OR engineer out today.

PCJM40, whilst i don't know what happened with him and Aquiss, but if its the same hk11 that i think it is, he basically took zero attention to what we were saying. I went in circle with the guy.

Another vote, for aquiss.

It looks as if its his equipment that has a fault. I don't know if its his router or laptop. I asked him to use another pc to negate it being the work laptop but hey ho he didn't listen.

Sky have every right to charge him for the visit.

In reply to a post by Taras:

It looks as if its his equipment that has a fault. I don't know if its his router or laptop. I asked him to use another pc to negate it being the work laptop but hey ho he didn't listen.

Sky have every right to charge him for the visit.

Doesn't account for the poor BQM (assuming his using IPv4 for that)

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by Taras:

It looks as if its his equipment that has a fault. I don't know if its his router or laptop. I asked him to use another pc to negate it being the work laptop but hey ho he didn't listen.

Sky have every right to charge him for the visit.

Doesn't account for the poor BQM (assuming his using IPv4 for that)

True, but congestion at any part of the sky network could cause that and you can't diagnose that without traceroutes.

In reply to a post by Taras:

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by Taras:

It looks as if its his equipment that has a fault. I don't know if its his router or laptop. I asked him to use another pc to negate it being the work laptop but hey ho he didn't listen.

Sky have every right to charge him for the visit.

Doesn't account for the poor BQM (assuming his using IPv4 for that)

True, but congestion at any part of the sky network could cause that and you can't diagnose that without traceroutes.

I know what your saying but it isn't congestion in my humble opinion, If I was to guess I would say its an obscure issue with the Openreach bit, but we all have very little to go on.

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by Taras:

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

... nested quotes trimmed ...

Doesn't account for the poor BQM (assuming his using IPv4 for that)

True, but congestion at any part of the sky network could cause that and you can't diagnose that without traceroutes.

I know what your saying but it isn't congestion in my humble opinion, If I was to guess I would say its an obscure issue with the Openreach bit, but we all have very little to go on.

I basically don't want to see the OP charged. Two OR visits are now saying the line is ok, and that may be true at the time they were there. what he need to do was show a slow download after the OR download attempt.

I keep on coming back to this laptop, we know that Gbe nics are common place and been around for a good 20 years on pcs. the op needs to use a spare known good router and a known good pc to test on his line.

I don't understand the issue around his laptop because the information is soo sparse. If he's brother is on the same pon and thus same olt port at the exchange then he will have same issues and that can be raised in tandom to his own line issue.

Until we see more information, the issue remains at his laptop.

Only just joined this thread and haven't read the whole saga.

Has it been established if the work laptop that is showing poor tests has any VPN running on it to the work network? If it did then the speed tests would be the slowest of the local internet connection and the companies internet connection. If the work connection is seeing high usage then it could be the bottleneck for speed tests - that work connection could also be using other technologies such as proxy servers that could also result in varying speed tests. Using a work device unless it is a vanilla build may not give good results as it could have any number of different technologies in play that would impact on the overall speed test.

Thank you ian, and of course what i was hinting at, except my brain wasn't saying "proxy server/vpn tunnels" etc.

We have no idea as to how the work laptop is configured.

I've carried out speed tests with a borrowed laptop and a dedicated GB ethernet port on it and the results are the same as with the USB dongle.

I did listen and posted on the other thread.

The worktop has a VPN, IIRC someone in one of the other threads mentioned not to run speed tests with this enabled and it is always turned off.

I have run speed tests with a borrowed laptop and a dedicated port.

When the OR engineer was around, the light test was fine, and his other line tests passed.

With the engineer there, all cables were pulled out of the router, the laptop with the dedicated port and not a work laptop, was plugged directly into the router, ran a speed test, came back at 470, reran to the same server and came back at 15. He asked to run to Fast.com, first time came back at 17mb, then 270. He took pics and was going to attach to the ticket

he was flummoxed as to the cause and was going to ask his mate to check the "headend" and "clean connections" , he could not think of anything else that could be the cause of the issue. I am not sure if this was done as he promised to call and let me know when done, never got the call and didn't lose connection after he went so possibly not cables were pulled out for checking?

I am happy to redo things if there is a particular sequence that is required to eliminate everything.

As for the BQM, I have left that running and on one occasion even removed all internal LAN cables, and the phone jack as well as disabling the WIFI as someone suggested it might ping to something on the internal network. 6 hours with no LAN connected and another 2 and half with the WIFI disabled as well and packet loss was there.

Edited by Ahmedg (Thu 11-Apr-24 11:14:02)

Firstly an apology from me, i simply don't want you to get charged in the first place for these OR call-outs, because you can be. Secondly i want you to have a service that you paid for. So if you feel unhappy with what i have said in the past i'm sorry if it came out in the wrong way.

what router are you using and was it used between isps ?

All good.

I appreciate everyone help in getting to the bottom of this.

I am using the router supplied by SKY, think it's model SR203.

I did try borrow another router, an Asus AX58U V2 and that was also same, thought wth dozen or so connected devices that might be an issue, though not all are using net at same time.

The only thing I could not resolve, SKY gave a MAC address of a device that was failing authentication, I could never see it on the network and don't know how to find it, did check logs but could not see it.. I googled the MAC address and nothing came up. When I asked SKY to double check, said was an apple watch, DTR has one, when asked to power down, it' had been off for a month!!! Approached SKY again to double check, they weren't particularly concerned about it now..

Looking to buy router for long term check and will see how that goes.

Any speed test that is too be treated as reliable needs to be wired (preferably directly via an RJ45 socket and not via a USB dongle). Speed tests via WiFi aren't reliable due to the variable nature of WiFi.
Speed tests should also be conducted without any VPN or proxy enabled.

In an ideal world you would run a speed test using a live Linux ISO.
Basically you stick a live Linux ISO on a USB stick, pop it in the laptop/PC and boot from the USB.
This starts the laptop with a fresh Linux OS, ruling out all software as a cause of the issue (anything from anti virus software, firewalls, anti malware etc and also any malware/virus infections the device may have on Windows).

The most important thing though is that speed tests are wired and without your VPN connected.

People are picking you up on this point for your own benefit to help you pin point the issue.

I did try borrow another router, an Asus AX58U

This would be an excellent method of ruling out everything in the home (including any laptop/PC) as Asus routers have a speed test built in to the webUI allowing you to run a speed test with nothing at all connected.

Have you replaced the ethernet cable between the ONT and router as part of your troubleshooting?

I've only run speed tests wired. There was a user who picked up on OOKLA showed a WIFI type icon next to the speed test but they were 100% wired and someone else on the forum confirmed they had same icon when running OOKLA test. Also VPN is turned off.

I've got a ASUS router coming Wednesday and will test further.

Will have a look at the Linux ISO route as well.

@staff can this please be merged into the SKY forum or moved?