Kitz Forum
Broadband Related => ADSL Issues => Topic started by: mjuk on January 04, 2011, 06:39:06 PM
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Hi All,
This is my first post as I am hitting a brick wall with my ISP so thought someone else might be able to help as do not want to change ISP to have same problem.
After being continually frustrated with the speed of my internet, i started looking into why it was so slow and discovered the following after numerous internet searches and phone calls to my ISP.
I live approx 1.5km from the exchange and 1.6km by road. I have ADSL and ADSL MAX available in my area & should get up to 5.5-6.0 megs given where i live from exchange. When I do bb availability tests - it appears for my particular property that I am on a fixed ADSL and NOT ADLS MAX. My neighbours are on ADSL MAX (further away from exchange) and looking at people on same exchange and further away who are experiencing speeds from 3.4 - 6.3 megs.
I have done all the internal tests to ensure it is not at my end. My ISP has contacted BT wholesale who say my line is fixed at 512kbps for a 'specific reason' but they cant tell me why!! Their generic answer is ' the length & quality of the line' - why is it only my house and not my neighbours & further afield.This herein lies my frustration... as the rest of the road doesnt have this restriction on their line then to me that would indicate some sort of fault which would mean an engineer should come to check my line from road to my house?
But no - BT wholesale nor my ISP do not see this as a fault and that it is just tough and moving ISP (according to my ISP), I would end up with the the same problem. BT engineer will only come out if my speed falls below 99kbps!! I have been paying for a service which i thought could achieve speeds up to 8megs (well 5.5megs for my area) but turns out I am not even on ADSL MAX and only was brought to my attention after many phone calls!
I am reluctantly looking to move ISP as perhaps another ISP will be able to send out an engineer to investigate why my house can't achieve speeds as my ISP point blankly refuses to send an engineer so I am stuck at 0.5meg forever with them!!!! How can I ensure if I move ISP this will be the same issue - is it true that BT Wholesale do not listen unless your line is below 99kbps as my ISP has implied?? NO LLUS available in my area - only ADSL and ADSL MAX so stuck using BT lines.
If anyone can please shed any light or advise what steps I should take would be much appreciated??
My Stats are as follows:
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 576 kbps 288 kbps
Line Attenuation 24 db 6.5 db
Noise Margin 31 db 29 db
IP Profile 0.5meg
My ISP is Virgin Media
Thanks for reading!
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Hi and welcome,
Your stats indicate that you would have a much faster connection on ADSL Max. You should get the full 8128 kbps speed. The only proviso is that, maybe, there is some problem with the line which results in wild swings in the noise margin over time. You could check this out by installing Routerstats or Routerstats-Lite (http://www.vwlowen.co.uk/internet/files.htm) to monitor the downstream noise margin for a while. If the noise margin doesn't vary by more than a few dB over the day and night, then there should be no reason not to be regraded to a Max connection.
No engineer visit should be necessary unless there are big swings in the noise margin; the figures speak for themselves. If VM are unwilling to help, it looks as though a change of ISP is the only option.
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Thanks, Eric for your reply :)
This is why it is so confusing... as VM (or BT wholesale apparently) cannot tell me why I am not on ADSL MAX even though everyone else is (they had previously said I was)... I will download the routerstats and track my noise margin.
Could it have anything to do with my telephony provider or a previous ISP from previous owners? For example, if I moved everything to BT (telephony with TalkTalk) would this help?
Kirsty
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It's difficult to know how it happened, but there may have been stability problems with your line in the past. The really irritating thing (for you) is that your ISP isn't really trying to get it sorted.
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Hi Kirsty,
I don't think changing your phone provider would have much effect, and might confuse matters even more.
My approach would be to try the fault call again demanding to speak to a supervisor.
After that threaten to move your ISP after talking to accounts stating that their service is not fit for purpose.
If you do need to move you should probably try one of the more expensive ISPs on a 30 day contract such as Zen or AAISP.
I would ignore the statement that moving ISP will have no effect as your new ISP is bound to set up a new service which should force BT Openreach / Wholesale to reconfigure your service.
Kind regards,
Walter
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Thanks, Walter, for your advice & letting me know about the 30 day contract ISPs . I have yet to talk to a supervisor so will try that route although think might post on their forum &/or write letter as well as verbal communication has not helped to date.
Do you know if ISPs are more likely to take action when posted to the ISP's forum?
Eric - I have logged my router stats at different times and have been perfectly constant...but guess the explanation would be that at the low IP profile 500kbps it should be perfectly stable? I get the impression that for BT Openreach/Wholesale (or rather VM?!) to 'fix' the issue (whatever that may be) is not worth the money.
I have read somewhere that our line is due to upgrade to ADSL +2 in March 2011 - would this help my situation?
Kirsty
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Eric - I have logged my router stats at different times and have been perfectly constant...but guess the explanation would be that at the low IP profile 500kbps it should be perfectly stable?
Certainly you would expect the connection to be very stable, but if your downstream noise margin stays high at all times then your connection would definitely benefit from regrading to Max.
I have read somewhere that our line is due to upgrade to ADSL +2 in March 2011 - would this help my situation?
You should get speeds up to about 18 Mbps with ADSL2+, but your present problem seems to be bureaucratic rather than technical, so there might be difficulty getting upgraded to ADSL2+. I think your best option is to nag your ISP as Walter suggested, and if that fails, then consider changing to a more helpful ISP.
I don't have a lot of faith in ISP's forums as ways of solving this sort of problem, but it wouldn't do any harm to post a message on the VM forum.
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Thanks, Eric.
In theory, would my Noise margin remain unchanged regardless of what IP profile I am on?
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There's a slight confusion of terms here. The IP profile is part of ADSL Max (and BT's implementation of ADSL2+), and is set automatically by BT's systems, based on the connection speed. What you have isn't an IP profile, it's a fixed speed connection.
The noise margin varies inversely with the connection speed. So if you regrade to ADSL Max, your speed will increase and the noise margin will decrease. With Max and ADSL2+ a target noise margin is set (initially 6 dB on BT systems) and the router connects at the highest speed it can without causing the noise margin to fall below the target.
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Thanks for the clarification. It took me a while to get my ISP to admit I wasn't even on ADLS MAX even when asked directly thus adding to my confusion over the IP profile as there was a lot of talk of IP Profiles.
Would my current stats influence the speeds I can achieve on ADSL MAX or is the fixed ADSL stats (ie attentuation and noise margin) totally unrelated? If this is the case then I would have room to move upwards on speed to come to my stable state/IP Profile on MAX? As VM are so convinced that I cannot get ADSL MAX on my isolated line regardless of the rest of the exchange.
Is 6db the lowest margin to support ADSL MAX? Apologies if these are novice questions but just trying to get a better understanding...
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Is 6db the lowest margin to support ADSL MAX?
When you're running via BT equipment, effectively yes.
But the phrase is not "to support" it's "set as a target on".
My LLU ADSL2+ line has a target SNRM of 3dB and runs happily at over 20mbps. It's maybe just 200 metres shorter than yours. :o
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I just spoke with VM and spoke with someone that sort of tried to explain why I am fixed at 576kbps and said it was the noise back from my router to them. He said the target noise margin is between 6-15db and at 31db this is double which indicates too much noise so my line has been fixed to prevent it going even slower... they can/will only request the cap to be lifted if the noise levels reduce. Whilst i was on the phone he saw a 327db (?) for a milisecond but that didn't register on my stats at my end?!
He suggested to try a new router as a starter to check that my router isn't faulty (have Netgear DG834G) and the only way I can log a potential fault on my copper wire is to go via my phone provider as it is to them I pay line rental..
Still irate that I have been unknowingly capped and this fact had not been communicated!!
Any other suggestions/input appreciated?
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Any other suggestions/input appreciated?
With VM its like :wall:
So I would have thought a request for a mac code is the answer and go as Walter has said with a knowledgeable isp on a monthly contract.
A few I would put into that category are
www.idnet.com
www.zen.co.uk
www.newnet.co.uk
www.aaisp.com
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He said the target noise margin is between 6-15db and at 31db this is double which indicates too much noise so my line has been fixed to prevent it going even slower
That is just so much total bo***cks! >:D
Firstly, it's a logarithmic scale so 31dB is NOT twice 15dB.
The actual ratio with those numbers is more like 40 to 1!
And it's the other way round, so a 31dB noise margin means a VERY VERY VERY low level of noise. Which is GOOD. ;D
Compared to my 3dB it's actually about one thousandth of my (relative) noise level.
(and 327dB would just mean the noise had effectively disappeared briefly, hardly a problem!)
Get thee to a decent ISP ASAP! :graduate:
PS With a fixed speed line there's no such thing as a target so more drivel being spoken there!
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I was just about to say the same, but HP got there first. VM are talking absolute drivel.
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UncleUB - you hit the nail on the head! It seems I get the same story but different explanation everytime I call - well at least I got more of an explanaton this time albeit an incorrect prognosis!
HPsauce & Eric - Thank you! I thought I was going loopy when talking to him as he totally contradicted my logic on it as well but I am just learning all about it so had to take his word for it... that is the final straw - I keep being nice and giving them more chances. To be clear is the SNR same as the noise margin? I was also confused about his point regarding target dbs when I am on fixed not MAX & pointed this out to him as well but again he went on how much noise 31db noise margin was!
If I change providers, will I turn up as still fixed or will they automatically upgrade to ADSL MAX as is available?
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how much noise 31db noise margin was!
Almost no noise at all, less than 1 part in 1000.
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To be clear is the SNR same as the noise margin?
Not quite the same, but closely related. SNR is signal-to-noise ratio, i.e the signal level divided by the noise level. Noise margin is the difference between the actual SNR and a standard SNR determined by the router manufacturer. This standard SNR is the level of SNR at which the error rate reaches a certain specified level.
Sorry if this sounds a bit vague, but broadly speaking, the standard SNR is the level at which the router is likely to drop the connection; so if the noise margin drops to 0 dB (so the actual SNR equals the standard SNR), the router will probably re-sync. This varies quite a bit in actual practice.
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I'm not specifically a BT broadband fan, although for the past year or so I've posted avidly on the technical help forum on BT Care. ::)
During that time several instances of customers having a fixed rate connection have arisen ... and apart from one time, those connections were shifted successfully over to adslMax ... and some with excellent results. Once those particular connections were reported to the BT moderators on the forum, the relevant escalation process to BTw saw successful results to same. The only one that didn't was a connection in a rural location using a very old aluminium line, and not very condusive to xdsl.
If you can make the connection as good as possible, using a SSFP perhaps, and keeping home impulse noise at bay, DSLAM should try to negotiate the standard 6db noise margin during line training ... and if the line is indeed noise free, should benefit from the maximum line rate that the downstream attenuation permits.
6db margin is the preferred level to achieve maximum rate, which should happen if bitloading is good. Clearly you would have to go to BT for both line and broadband, but I do know that they are proactive in giving you what sounds to be perfectly feasible. It's my opinion that a lot of the fixed line products were just left-overs from days before line adaptive adsl became fully established, and the way BTw set the fault threshold rate for the line and product.
Line IP profiles are strictly for BT line adaptive products on both Max and 21CN, and the IP profile is set at the radius server, according to the line rate you are connected at, and not by any exchange based dslam/msan. Once the line has achieved its connection according to line loop loss and noise margin, which is set for INP, impulse noise protection, the line IP is set at the BRAS, and you get what's left after ATM overhead is catered for.
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It's all starting to fall into place...you have all been a great help (& patient) in getting my understanding up to speed (even if somewhat still limited)!
I will definitely be getting my MAC code from VM as seems they have absolutely no idea and you have helped to re-confirm this.
Billy171 - thanks for your feedback on BT... sounds promising that my issue can possibly be rectified with the right ISP. You have now thrown a spanner in the works as was happy to go for broadband only package but now not so sure. Seems easier to get help if have both line rental and broadband together?
I am currently considering O2 for this reason as may move my telephone over to them in the next 6 months... I had a phone call from a rather helpful O2 salesperson this evening who seemed to understand or at least listened to my issues and was shocked at the lack of support from VM (she is trying to sell O2 so guess this can be expected) - apparently they have dedicated O2 engineers who would come as first port of call and can diagnose whether BT engineer is required. She seemed confident that I would be able to get on the ADSL MAX on my line & if there were any issues , an engineer would come out and have 30 days to cancel worse case scenario?
Guess whoever I go with will be better to what I have now so got nothing to lose! Going to sleep on it and look into the ISP options tomorrow which UncleUB & Walter sent through as well.
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Billy171 - thanks for your feedback on BT... sounds promising
BT support is Indian based and is awful,that was the reason I left BT BB.
I am currently considering O2
As you state there is no LLU enabled isp's in your exchange then you would go onto O2 Access which does get very bad press.Its like chalk and cheese compared to O2 LLU(which I am on).
ISP's are like most things in life...........you get what you pay for,just don't jump out of the frying pan and into the fire for the sake of a few £'s a month.
And as most top ISP's have 30 day contract's you are free to move without heavy penalties after that period.
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As you state there is no LLU enabled isp's in your exchange then you would go onto O2 Access which does get very bad press.
Absolutely! Avoid O2 Access like the plague.
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Hey and welcome to the forum,
There is 1 of 2 things wrong with this. You are on BT ADSL max but capped to half a meg or you are on a fix line rate of half a meg so no profile changing or 10 day training period. If the case may be where you are on a fixed line rate what VM need to do is regrade you to a max circuit which can be done in the space of 24 hours using BTW systems (done it 1000 times for customers). If it is the first problem then VM need to log this over to BTW and request the cap to be lifted this can take a little longer cause it can be a pain to get BTW to do anything for you. Your line stats prove that you are well and truly able to get the full 8 Mb.
Regards
Gary
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He said the target noise margin is between 6-15db and at 31db this is double which indicates too much noise so my line has been fixed to prevent it going even slower
The obvious has already been pointed out about the 'double'.. aside from the fact that fixed rate lines dont have any target noise margin.
Target SRNM is used on RADSL (dsl max and adsl 2+) to set your speed at the time of sync.
Fixed rate lines dont need one.. it either syncs at the capped rate.. or it doesnt.
he saw a 327db (?) for a milisecond but that didn't register on my stats at my end?!
327dB!!!!!!!!!!!
If hes talking about the SNR.. then surely would be good, not bad.
If hes talking negative.. then that sort of blip would also knock out a fixed rate line.
A variation of that much would affect radsl and fixed rate.
That aside, adsl can sustain a few variations before the line is knocked out totally.
The router would first go through a series of 'Alarm states'. These would show on your router as errors.. there are various errors and alarm states before the line loses sync
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/linestats_errors.htm
Im sorry but I dont believe who you were speaking to and it sounds like he was making stuff up as he went along. :(
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It occasionally happens that a bad period can cause an adsl max line to be automatically shifted by the DLM to a capped rate line. The product is still officially dsl max, but for all intents and purposes it looks like one of the old fixed rate lines.
Theres very few lines still on fixed rate as nearly all ISPs have moved over to the BTw product set which has the capped rate.
A decent ISP would be able to identify a line that has been shifted to capped rate 'by mistake' by looking at the current stats and contacting the right dept in BTw to get it moved back. Weve seen a few ISP reps on this forum do just that for their customers (Zen and Plusnet are ones that spring to mind).
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(Zen and Plusnet are ones that spring to mind).
BT do it for there customers aswell especially on a line like this one first thing i would of done was check for a cap on the line then lift it or check to make sure it is a DSL max circuit. I could check to see what type of circuit it is but only on the agreement of the person having the issues. It should show me on eco repair.
Regards
Gary
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OK, thanks for heads up! Decision made - will avoid O2 until we are LLU enabled & go on 30 day contract until then.
If I do go with one of the 30 day contract ISPs for broadband only, are they willing to help if I don't pay line rental to them and there ends up being an issue with the BT line?
Where do VM employ their tech support from!??!
Gary - herein lies the confusion! I have been told both on various different calls that 1) I am on 'ADSL MAX and fixed/capped IP profile' as well as 2) 'no you are not on ADSL MAX but on a fixed rate' even though I thought all this time that I was paying for ADSL MAX!
I tend to believe the latter as when I look at my availability on samknows etc, it has crosses against Standard ADSL at 1 & 2MB but my line can support up to 5.5meg on ADSL MAX. As you know, last VM guy, spoke to told me the noise levels had to 'reduce' before they will request upgrade to ADSL MAX... which is the first time implied he could activate something himself - but wouldn't! Even better, I had to run out and buy new router, new filter and unplug telephone for two days...etc as it was my onus to 'fix' the noise! grrrrrr...this is after I questioned him on his logic but figured he had to know more than me given that is what he does for a living.
Another one went to 2nd line support forever and came back and said BTw wouldn't do anything and it was bad luck but stuck (as did majority of the others except no clarity on what issue actually was as apparently BTw is a secret society (that is my take from what VM said) who don't tell their customers (VM) & ultimately me any detail).
Kitz - he was definitely talking about SNR as I was trying to get him to explain it to me... but just went on about the target SNR which in my limited knowledge knew this was related to adaptive MAX...and he definitely said 'double' which now you have all pointed out makes no sense. I would forgive them if it was just one person there but I have spoken to numerous people and all seem to not know what they are on about - guess they can say anything as they probably get paid regardless and majority of people don't bother looking into too much or they are just having a laugh on their customer's/my expense.
Never had any errors that I am aware of.
To another ISP I will go & vote with my feet. Will also lodge a complaint regarding not getting what I signed up for.
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If I do go with one of the 30 day contract ISPs for broadband only, are they willing to help if I don't pay line rental to them and there ends up being an issue with the BT line?
http://www.aaisp.net.uk/broadband.html
We'll fix your line even if you are with another ISP!
If you are migrating your service to us, even though you know you have a problem with your line, we'll take on the fault. We'll tackle the problem and get it fixed within one month. If we don't then you can migrate away and owe us nothing for your migration to us and your service charges for that month.
One of the best ISP's,but not the cheapest.
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Well VM have lost a customer on something that can be done within a day at the most because of there neglect to admit you are capped and shouldn't be or you are not on a DSL max circuit when you should be. Sign up for ADSL2+ with those line stats i would say you would get pretty close to 20Mb out of that line. Good luck with your new provider and also request VM to refund you the money back since you signed up with them as they have mis-sold you a product that includes any activation fees you may have paid.
Regards
Gary
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>> that 1) I am on 'ADSL MAX and fixed/capped IP profile' a
More likely to be the above.
AFAIK all the major SP's with BTw central pipes + 21CN nodes have moved over to max only for economic reasons. Its much cheaper for them. Fixed rate is more expensive than capped rate dsl max.
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Theres very few lines still on fixed rate as nearly all ISPs have moved over to the BTw product set which has the capped rate.
A decent ISP would be able to identify a line that has been shifted to capped rate 'by mistake' by looking at the current stats and contacting the right dept in BTw to get it moved back. Weve seen a few ISP reps on this forum do just that for their customers (Zen and Plusnet are ones that spring to mind).
Just coming back to you on this one; when I have been on the phone with VM in the past, they have run off to their second line team to look at my 'current stats' and then coming to the conclusion that the line is not able to be moved/resolved - do they see something/more information that I cannot see? I did notice at roughly 9.45am I lost connection for a split second on the graph so noise margin plummets to 0db otherwise stable at 31db - could this sort of thing have anything to do with it? I would imagine it would have to be for an extended time but don't know enough about it?
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Billy171 - thanks for your feedback on BT... sounds promising
BT support is Indian based and is awful,that was the reason I left BT BB.
I am currently considering O2
snip //
I won't disagree there UncleUB ... BT first level support is run by contractors in India ... avoid them like the plague.
However the moderators on BT Care forum are all British and have all the necessary tools and escalation processes to hand, to deal with BTw .... and promptly.
I have used them personally on more than one occasion, with various issues, even changing vp's. They are efficient. BT support does have a bad name, simply because of the Indian issues ... but an email to the mods from the BT care forum .... puts you straight in at level 2 support. ;)
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Good to know, billy171 - although now like the sound of 30 day contract so not locked in if not happy with the service.
On another note - My router stats arey going mental the past hour- my noise margin & connection keeps plummeting to 0... after being pretty much stable at 31db - it is currently pouring with rain and can hear machinery (perhaps lawnmower but surely not in this weather) - could it just be this & nothing to worry about or does this sudden movement mean I really do have an unstable line??
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Well if you are on a DSL max circuit and it is capped it would be capped for that reason cause DLM has noticed a large amount of errors building and instability on the line resulting in the line automatically being capped. Question is have you EVER had a speed over half a meg since you have been with VM. If you have then your def on a max circuit which is capped if you have not then it is def a fixed line rate. Rain can cause problems with broadband do you know if you are underground cabling or overhead cabling?
Regards
Gary
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And further on on that topic if it is a max circuit which has been automatically capped then there is a problem there that needs resolved by your SP. I am pretty surprised from an earlier comment on the high SNR. If that agent knew what he or she was doing they will know the router will read an SNR over 300 when it is just switched on or just come back into sync. If they had of run that DSL status check about 10 seconds after they would of seen it all go back to normal. Think VM should just stick to the fibre there tech support for ADSL sounds a little terrible if you ask me.
Regards
Gary
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I cannot say with 100% certainty if I have always had 0.5meg as never looked into it in great detail before now but line has always been slow - been on their ADSL three years. We have overhead cable and still pouring with rain. But wouldn't other people in the neighbourhood experience the same fluctuations if rain induced who happily have un-capped ADSL max? Could it possibly be a router issue as the VM guy mentioned if i get the odd intermittent cut out (sorry just clutching at straws to understand why might be fixed/capped)?
Whatever the issue may be it should be (hope it is) rectifiable and VM are not willing to help.
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VM are not willing to help.
It sounds more like they are lacking in skills/knowledge.
Personally I'd suggest moving to PlusNet as they are fairly cheap (with short contracts) and quite good at such issues, though you will probably need to be patient and may have to open a discussion in their customer forums to get to the bottom of it.
Alternatively, if you want a serious quick fix and are prepared to pay then AAISP is a good place to go. If it is fixable they are not going to give up!
Other ISP's are available ......... (as they say) :graduate:
PS Did you say what router you use and who owns it?
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PS Did you say what router you use and who owns it?
My router is Netgear DG834G v. 3 and provided by Virgin
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That's a perfectly reasonable router, although it's been around a few years.
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My router is Netgear DG834G v. 3 and provided by Virgin
Good router and used for long lines also. I honestly don't believe you should move provider cause your going to have the hassle of waiting on that being activated and going through there 10 day training period also so it may take you longer to get to the bottom of this as opposed to just annoying the hell out of VM. Get on the phone to VM one last time and demand to speak to a manager and have your case escalated. If you are capped on those line stats there is either a mistake that has been made or you have a problem with your connection. Also if you are not on a max circuit and a fixed line rate DEMAND they regrade you to a max circuit and DEMAND it to be done in 24 hours. Don't be soft with them this is how all other customers get there way and get things fixed you just need to apply some pressure.
Regards
Gary
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don't believe you should move provider cause your going to have the hassle of waiting on that being activated and going through there 10 day training period
I don't think any of that will happen on a normal (non-LLU) MAC transfer, but if it does it will by definition solve the problem! :P
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That's right, on a normal BT to BT transfer, the account moves with no delay at all. There isn't normally even a new training period; all that happens is that BT switch the link from the old ISP to the new one, and there's often an overlap period of a few hours, during which the customer can connect to either ISP.
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Well, good news (for now). I called VM one more time last night as I am a sucker for punishment & to get the facts straight so if I moved would exactly understand the issue. ie am I on ADSL MAX and capped OR Std ADSL & fixed etc.
As per ususal, he categorically told me I would not be able to be un-capped (as he just read from previous notes). I had confirmation that I was on ADSL MAX and capped & the guy then actually logged a ticket with BTw to look at & said would get back within 24-48hours. Logged on this morning to find my internet surprisingly a bit faster... I have finally been un-capped!
I have been getting speeds from 1.7-3.0ish megs - couple of times up to 5.8 - 6.0megs. Does this now mean, I am on the 10day training? I am noticing everytime there is heavy rain (a coincidence?) I lose Sync Speed & NM plummets to 0db momentarily so concerned may be capped again? Are my concerns valid or am I misunderstanding?
Current Stats:
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 8128 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 28 db 7 db
Noise Margin 8 db 24 db
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Run a BT speed test and report back (erasing your phone number).
Leave your router on 24*7.
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I would guess you will be on 10 day training, just leave router on and leave it alone.
Next time it rains dial 17070 (option2) and listen for noise, if it is noisy contact BT voice and report a fault but do not mention anything about broadband.
And if it is noisy while you are talking to them you are 90% there to getting it fixed. Maybe you were on a fixed speed because of line issues/problems.
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Concerningly, I failed this test... as guess dropped out at this point :(
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
122 Kbps
0 Kbps 7150 Kbps
Max Achievable Speed
Download speedachieved during the test was - 122 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 600-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :8128 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 7150 Kbps
This test was not conclusive and further testing is required.This might be useful for your ISP to investigate the fault.
If you wish to carry out further tests,please click on 'Continue' button.If not, please close the window using 'Exit' button and contact your ISP for further assistance with these results.
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IP Profile 7150 is OK.
You can't have dropped out or the test wouldn't have given a result (slow though it is).
Leave well alone for now, as BB has said it's probably in the 10-day "training" period.
If ADSL2+ is available you could be getting nearer 16mbps. 32 times your old "capped" speed.
BUT who knows why you were capped.......... :'(
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So I shouldn't be concerned for now that sometimes my stats plummet to 0 intermittently (they did this yesterday when I was capped as well)?
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If the IP profile remains at 7150, then the connection isn't dropping and reconnecting at a lower speed. The periodic plummetting of the noise margin is a concern, but as HP said, it's best for now to wait and see.
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So I shouldn't be concerned for now that sometimes my stats plummet to 0 intermittently (they did this yesterday when I was capped as well)?
I think it does that on the training sort of a reset but it should not keep doing it.
Leave it alone for a few days and see what happens, if you can leave routerstarts running do so.
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Thanks, everyone - I really appreciate your help and input! Will keep the router on (don't turn off anyway) & track my stats. Fingers crossed it settles down or it is something that can be rectified. I will let you know how I get on over the next few days ;D
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Your throughput speed is only 122Kbps that is VERY low on a 7150 IP profile. As stated do leave it as it is as it might take a few days to settle down and because your line has been uncapped by BTW you will be back on a 10 day training period again. Continue to run speedtests every hour morning, afternoon and evening if you can on speedtester.bt.com and record your results cause the server only records the last test you run so record the time,date and download speed along with the profile speed. If after about 5 days your throughput (download rate) is still at 122Kbps or possibly lower then you may very well have a network issue there or possibly a hot VP (pray its not a hot VP). I would probably suggest you plug the router directly into the test socket for these 5 days running your speedtests that way VM will have no excuse to give to you and will have to progress the fault onto BTW to check the VP or send an SFI out to investigate. Keep us posted on your progress will be interesting to see the outcome. Bare in mind aswell that the CAP may go back on again automatically but this is something that VM can not control as it is all tied into the BTW network with the DSL max circuit to ensure there is stability as opposed to fast speed.
Regards
Gary
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I agree with CSM would be best to have router in test socket for a few days, I guess you could still connect a phone via filter to it.
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I did do a test earlier and got a speed in the region of 2.8meg but just watching stats and are generally stable then will plummet.
I have no doubt that BTw had capped me for a reason but need to understand why this happened to begin with & prevent it happening again- guess time will tell. Just read a bit more about hot VPs - really hope this is not the case!!
I will move the router to the test socket although reluctant to disconnect to do so in case it disrupts the 'training' :-\
I guess you could still connect a phone via filter to it.
Always annoying as master socket in the loft but willing to do so to get optimum conditions. Will having the phone connected have great impact even via the filter?
Is there anyway to find out when your area is due for upgrade to ADSL+2?
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Continue to log with routerstats. I'd also like to see if any errors are being reported by your router.
The type of errors generated can also be an early warning if there are problems on the line.
If the DLM picks up a pile of noise errors, then the first thing it tends to do is switch on interleaving.
Connecting at 8128 with an IP profile of 7150 would tend to suggest that interleaving is off.
Re the noise, Id tend to follow britbrats advice.
Next time it rains dial 17070 (option2) and listen for noise, if it is noisy contact BT voice and report a fault but do not mention anything about broadband.
And if it is noisy while you are talking to them you are 90% there to getting it fixed. Maybe you were on a fixed speed because of line issues/problems.
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Is there a particular way I need to configure my routerstats to trigger necessary error reports? ie what threshold do I need for alarm triggers?
Thanks, Kirsty
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Master socket in loft?
OMG
If that was me I would buy a new phone extension cable and run it from master socket in loft to somewhere in house, not ideal but better than going in loft every 5 mins.
When you are in loft could you take a photo of master socket and if possible any wiring and post the pics here.
I have a feeling your problem may be in the loft, just a guess really.
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I will move the router to the test socket although reluctant to disconnect to do so in case it disrupts the 'training' :-\
Don't worry about that your not disconnecting the router long enough for the training to be interupted. Your master socket is in the loft! Not a good place for it to be rats can get at it muwhahaha lol. Well if you wanted that moved to somewhere else BT would charge you an arm and a leg for it well not literally but you get the picture. If you are on fast path it will eventually switch to interleaving and if the errors do continue to build after that has been done DLM will automatically cap your line again then you will know there is something wrong. Keep posting your stats like kitz said and also try to get those pictures see if any problems can be identified with the wiring.
Regards
Gary
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I will take a photo once I manage to get up there but know it is one of the new ones (OPENREACH on front) so believe has built-in i-plate. I will take photo of wiring but only installed a few months ago so hopefully wired OK? No rats up there yet ;)
It's actually OK re phone in loft as have a another handset that is linked to main phone :)
Is there a particular way I need to configure my routerstats to trigger necessary error reports? ie what threshold do I need for alarm triggers?
Also, does it just log through the messages tab in Routerstats? How will I know if interleaving gets turned on apart from IP profile gets downgraded?
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What you could do in the future for a more permanant fix is to fit your own NTE box along side the BT master and run a proper phone cable from that down to a bedroom.
Like at the bottom of this page:
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/socket.htm
EDIT:
As it is new I must have guesed wrongly and it should be fine, I was thinking old wiring very old.
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Thanks, BritBrat for advice re NTE box!
Just to give you a further update: received follow up phone call from VM who had communication back from BTw - it turns out that when I was set up as ADSL MAX (three years ago) & that according to BTw, they had capped my line for 'no apparent reason whatsoever' as no line fault at that time. The VM guy said first time he came acrossed a capped ADSL MAX which was done in apparent error.
I now have to go through the 10 day training. I have moved router to test socket.
Perhaps a rookie question; but I am experiencing speeds of on average 6meg on my mobile phone and on my laptop ~ 2.0meg. Would this indicate that something needs to be done to my laptop to ensure get similar stats. Have deleted all cookies etc. and I have been using speedtest.net app. on phone. I just want to ensure optimum conditions so that IP profile doesn't fall as a result of training.
Any suggestions appreciated?
Current stats on
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 56544 96779 0 2555 24426 01:25:13
LAN 10M/100M 539 0 0 17 0 01:25:47
WLAN 11M/54M 103955 62936 0 25211 2694 01:25:37
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 8128 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 27 db 6.5 db
Noise Margin 9 db 24 db
Kirsty
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Can you connect laptop to router using ethernet cable?
If you can that would rule out or in wireless speed issues.
But at the moment I would not turn off router and leave well alone for 10 days, 2Meg will be fine on laptop for normall internet use.
I have come across people on a fixed cap before when MAX dsl was first used, now I don't think you can get a fixed 500 service. My guess is that was what you were on and they forget to change it.
I am changing ISP this month so I will also have to do the training but I have a feeling mine is slightly different with LLU service.
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It is difficult to know exactly what we were on as VM's records say ADSL MAX was supplied and only just come to light that BTw had 'capped the ADSL MAX' service which VM obviously didn't check way back then or since...
I won't turn off the router but is it normal for different wireless devices to get varied speeds & does this affect the 'training'?
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It will not affect training, the only thing that will if if you turn off router or there is a line fault.
Nothing you do with computers will affect it unless you enter the router setup and reboot or something.
I don't know why you are getting different speed results from laptop unless you are connected to next doors internet. Could just be wireless card or MTU settings.
Just wait it out and come back to that later.
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100% certain both connected to our BB & not the neighbours. OK - will investigate the laptop issue after training although getting new laptop soon so may help?
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That suggests it's an old (XP?) laptop.
All sorts of things would slow it down, especially on wireless.
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That suggests it's an old (XP?) laptop.
Not too old - windows vista about 2 years old - work computer
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make sure your wifi card drivers are up-to-date....
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Check the size of your RAM on your laptop cause i have a funny feeling it is only 1Gb which runs like a piece of ..... on vista. Alot of customers where having similiar issues cause the memory wasn't big enough so a fix for that was to upgrade to 2Gb and that sorted it out. Another thing which could be causing the varies of speeds on each device is interference make sure you have no cordless phones next to the router and perhaps try changing the wireless channel that might sort it out for you.
Regards
Gary
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RAM is 3gb and have updated drivers and changed channel but not much change :(
However... I just purchased a new laptop and getting speeds around 6.5megs on average - yippee ;D !! I cannot believe I had been putting up with my capped line of 0.5meg for so long!!
I just want to say again how much help you have all been on my quest for faster speed and getting resolution from my ISP as well as increasing my knowledge on the subject... thank you, thank you, thank you!
I will keep you updated on to the outcome of the 'training' in the next week or so.
Kirsty
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wohooooo its fixed! Chances are its the wireless card in that laptop then.
Regards
Gary
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Great news! :clap2:
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Great news.