Neighbour has higher broadband speed than me!

[drmrbrewer]

I've been stuck on 0.5Mb performance for a while, and am having no joy with my ISP (Virgin).  I've posted here before about it. 

What has me puzzled now is this.  I plug in my details to http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php and I get :

BT Line Speed Estimation 

Fixed ADSL:  512 kbps (0.5 Mb) 
DSL Max:   500 kbps (0.5 Mb) 

Then I plug in the details for my *neighbour* (literally the next house along) and I get:

BT Line Speed Estimation 

Fixed ADSL:  2048 kbps (2 Mb) 
DSL Max:   5000 kbps (5 Mb) 

So what is going on here?  It is showing both of us on the same exchange., yet our speed is much lower.  How can that be?

Thanks,

Mike






 
 

[waltergmw]

Hello Mike and welcome back,

The estimator collects its data from BT's records. If your line has been unde-performing you will get a slower speed as that is what has been recorded for your line.
These figures are only approximate.

By far the best way is for you to do a BT Speedtest and record ALL the values it provides.
http://www.speedtester.bt.com/

After that you should get your modem statistics and post them here for discussion.

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.php

Don't be disheartened yet, we'll probably be able to suggest method for improvement starting with :-

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/socket.htm

Kind regards,
Walter

[jeffbb]

Hi
No panic , I had same problem the BT data base is NOT an actual check on the line . If there is a connection and that is XKbps that is what it reports . I had the same prblem when I upgraded to 8max with Tiscali , they made mess and ended with a o.5 Mbps connection the over a period of a few days the Bt database went from an estimated 5000Kbps to 500 Kbps. whilst my neighbours still showed 5000Kbps. Even after getting my synch rate sorted to ~7000Kbps the bt database took weeks to register it.

If you are having problems can you post your line stats .

Regards Jeff

edi Walter beat me to it post anyway

[drmrbrewer]

Hi guys.  Thanks for the replies.

http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ gives me:

Download speedachieved during the test was - 271 Kbps
 For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 50-500 Kbps.
 Additional Information:
 Your DSL Connection Rate :576 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 256 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
 IP Profile for your line is - 500 Kbps


From my router:
   
System Up Time 365:01:18
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 1180041 1396924 0 731 2098 185:50:33
LAN 10M/100M 3710876 4603998 0 1704 3006 365:01:10
WLAN 11M/54M 3097138 1777062 0 2918 170 365:01:01
 
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 576 kbps 256 kbps
Line Attenuation 18.0 db 9.0 db
Noise Margin 30.3 db 30.0 db
 

Thanks,

Mike

[waltergmw]

Hi again Mike,

Can you do a 17070 option 2 quiet line test and tell us if you hear anything ?

Kind regards,
Walter

[waltergmw]

Hi yet again Mike,

You will see at
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/max_speed_calc.php
that you should be on a maximum ADSL1 speed.

It is likely that you have something wrong with the noise values as they are not normally identical.

Have you investigated your house wiring and checked that all devices including Sky boxes have good filters.

EDIT to Add Have you put a filter and just the modem into the test socket behind the master socket ?

Kind regards,
Walter

[drmrbrewer]

Interesting re noise.  What would be more "normal"?

17070 option 2 quiet line test : can't hear anything much on that.

All devices have filters -- we have a sky box but it's not plugged in to the phone socket -- but I'm not admitting that ;-)

Mike

Edit P.S. I never did find any test socket the last time I looked.  This house was built in the 1960s and the wiring generally seems quite quirky.

[roseway]

Actually, the connection speeds look like a fixed 512 kbps connection. Mike, check with Virgin to see if they have put you on a fixed speed service. You should be on an adaptive rate service.

[drmrbrewer]

Hi

They have previously said something along the lines that they had to fix the speed due to unpredictable line performance; they claimed that this was for the overall benefit of the connection, because attempting to connect at higher speeds was leading to drop-outs or something like that.  Should this (dodgy line) be apparent from my router stats?

Mike

[jeffbb]

Hi

As Roseway said you should be on rate adaptive service .
your stats 
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 576 kbps 256 kbps   =  0.5 meg connection
Line Attenuation 18.0 db 9.0 db      with this attenuation you should be able to synch at 8128 Kbps with no problem
Noise Margin 30.3 db 30.0 db    :      shows  there is plenty of Spare  SNR margin to enable 8max connection.

quote Should this (dodgy line) be apparent from my router stats?
try routerstats  [/url. to see the state of your connection. This will monitor the SNR ,synch etc statistics in a graphical format .
Regards Jeff
 

[HPsauce]

Actually, the connection speeds look like a fixed 512 kbps connection.

Exactly. It is.

[drmrbrewer]

Problem is that everyone I speak to just says that's how it has to be (fixed low speed) due to my line.  I think I spoke to someone from BT (wholesale?) who are responsible for the exchange, and they said that the fix is necessary to maintain a robust service.  Really not sure what else to do, if my router is telling me a different story.

Mike

[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

Download speedachieved during the test was - 271 Kbps
 For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 50-500 Kbps.
 Additional Information:
 Your DSL Connection Rate :576 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 256 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
 IP Profile for your line is - 500 Kbps

Unless I'm mistaken, the BT Speedtest seems to suggest it's still on a rate adaptive service as it quotes an IP profile at 500.

I think when a rate-adaptive line that was capped last year, the BT speedtest said:-

... you have downloaded a 1.7 Mb file at a speed of 457 kilo bits per second ... and then mentions IP address and speed ranges.
There was no mention of an IP Profile as I understood that disappeared when the line was no longer rate-adaptive.

Kind regards,
Walter

[waltergmw]

@ Mike,

If there is a possibility of a noise problem running Routerstats Lite for a couple of days should illustrate the problem.

Kind regards,
Walter

[waltergmw]

@ Mike,

Edit P.S. I never did find any test socket the last time I looked.  This house was built in the 1960s and the wiring generally seems quite quirky.

The secret to overcome this problem is to find where the drop wire enters the house and get a NTE 5 or equivalent box fitted there, with all extension wiring connected via the front faceplate.
Removing the faceplate and using the test socket will then isolate the birds nest. N.B. It's more difficult to have a demarcation point between BT's line, which should not be touched, and your own internal wiring which is your property. If you can find an excuse to get BT O out, almost certainly they will fit an NTE for that reason.

Kind regards,
Walter