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[Azzaka]

I think it might be time to move to Zen Kitz... what you think? 

[kitz]

Thank you so very much everyone that posted their results - most appreciated and helped for the sake of elimination  


I have been looking into this and I am almost there.



Without going into great detail and all the testing and messing around Ive had, but this appears to be something to do with Receive Windows Auto-Tuning.

Its now turned off and although it may take a while to get to full speed at least it is doing so.  Not sure what caused the problem on my network, but something has.   I need to spend some more time on this but  next area to research is mapped network drives.

---
PS it may also not have been helped by my Intel NIC, which has now been removed and Im using the onboard LAN card.
Simply swapping cable between the 2 should not have caused my PC to die and refuse to boot back up.

[Chrysalis]

recieve windows auto tuning controls your tcp recieve buffers, I made the point on that in your speedtouch filtering thread as well.

turning it off tho isnt a fix, its a workaround, you have something broken if it been enabled breaks your speeds.

I suggest trying this before disabling it.

netsh int tcp set global autotuning=highlyrestricted

The settings have following affects.

Disabled will set a static tcp buffer that is under 65k so doesnt use the rfc1323 large windows, it exists to avoid compatability issues with certian old routers, and when tcp headers get ignored etc.  The disadvantage is obvious, when you download from higher latency locations your speed will be restricted, unless multi threads make up for it.

highlyrestricted - allows automatic tuning of buffer size dynamically but will do very conservatively and caps it to a max size of 256k.

restricted - has the same cap as normal which I believe is a multi mbyte buffer but it grows the window size more conservatively.

normal - default setting, in my view too agressive.

experimental - removes the cap so can grow to extreme sizes, not sure if it also grows more agressively as well.

On many routers I have found normal to cause issues, but highlyrestricted works fine, on my asus running tomato asus both normal and restricted work although I prefer to use restricted.

also worth pointing out 'disabled' (edited made mistake) restricts upload performance by keeping the tcp send buffers small as well, and one reason why my speedtest upload ramped up fast (as ronski may know) is I have manually tuned my tcp send buffers since the default windows settings arent fitting for FTTC.

Usually intel nic's are considered the best in the business as well.  I actually turned off my onboard nic and am using a intel nic.

--edit below--

its not possible in vista and newer to manually set the download tcp buffer size to your desire like in XP.  For the upload buffer size the max size can be configured manually but its a not very well known registry setting.

[kitz]

Cheers, Chrys.   Only just seen this post & I dont foresee being able to do anything more on this until the weekend.

urning it off tho isnt a fix, its a workaround, you have something broken if it been enabled breaks your speeds.

My thoughts entirely and although things are much better, I'm not happy with the situation and know that I need to do a lot more digging to find out what caused it in the first place.

With it turned off, speed takes a while to ramp up.  Multi-threading is fine, but Im still seeing slow page loading on sites that I havent been to before. 

Usually intel nic's are considered the best in the business as well.  I actually turned off my onboard nic and am using a intel nic.

I thought so too, but the PC is still sat with its lid off waiting for me to get some time to play again with the settings... and see how it behaves when I put the Intel one back in.   At least atm I do have a working PC, even if the WAN isnt running to its full potential. 

Hopefully after the w/e I can have some better news

[guest]

Seen similar before and its usually down to a "dodgy" NIC/switch.

If its GigE then jumbo frames is where I'd start, most consumer kit (NASs being a poster child) can't cope with anything over 4k properly. For example Windows 7 can be made to throw a wobbly with some WD NAS just by selecting a 9k frame - you'll see MrSMB errors and it'll cause multiple browser election nonsense. Edit - while its dealing with this then SMB seems to hog the NIC.

[Chrysalis]

I have ordered a MAC of BT.  However the plusnet speedtest results concern me a bit, its defenitly a risk as BT has immaculate performance and I am jumping into a 18month contract.

I am considering going to plusnet cause. (with pro addon).

Static ip
UK online support.
My sync is below my estimate (as new estimate from isp is based on clean estimate).  I guess this will make it easyish to get plusnet to investigate.
Plusnet do those tests on demand as did for BE.

I am keeping line rental with BT tho, I considered switching but with plusnet when using line rental saver the free weekend calls are removed (is not with BT).

[Ronski]

I'm with plus net, and have line rental saver, which I renewed a little while ago and I'm sure that I still have free evening and weekend calls included.

Ps I'll send you a PM in the a moment.

[Chrysalis]

if its regarding refferal I can use your username no problem.

Just bear in mind I havent got a MAC yet and even tho I ordered it online I expect a retention call from BT to make it diffilcult.

Also the decision isnt 100% yet either.

On the plusnet order page when selecting line rental saver the weekend package is removed.  It also cant be added, for new plusnet customers weekend package is monthly line rental only.  I signed up for BT's free caller display which now makes it harder to move voice as well. also plusnet have a monthly fee for ringback.  So I wasnt attracted to moving my voice service.

[Ronski]

Thanks Chrysalis  If you do move you do, and if you it you don't move then you don't.

That's sneaky of them removing the evening and weekend calls when taking line saver. I used to pay £3 a month for a calls feature package for caller ID & ring back, until I realised we never user ring back enough to warrant the £2 we were paying for it, so now we just have £0.99p charge for caller ID. We've spent 10p on ring back in the last year.

We now very rarely use the land line, we all have mobiles with more than enough minutes.

[Chrysalis]

I am tryng to think do mobiles have ringback facilities?

Ringback is useful for places like my GP surgery which get jammed up in the morning with everyone fighting for an appointment.

[Ronski]

Can't say I've ever tried on a mobile, but I do find more and more places where ring back doesn't work, especially on business lines, and my doctors.

[Chrysalis]

I got the MAC, was delivered to me, no call to haggle with me.

But I am hesitating, I think it looks dodgy these graphs arent available.

http://www.plus.net/support/service/network_performance/network-latency.shtml

Whats really annoying me is that there is no trial period or monthly contract option, I dont want to join, have performance issues and be stuck for 18 months.

[Ronski]

If it's any help there are these TBB ping graphs http://community.plus.net/ping-graphs/ for Plus Net users

[Chrysalis]

Yeah but I wanted to see those specific graphs, and the thread kitz made on plusnet looks very dodgy, I think kitz spent several hours chasing a problem which was plusnet's side.

I will email plusnet sales, if they give me a opt out within 30 days if I dont like I will sign up, otherwise need a long hard think.

[Ronski]

Where is Kitz thread you refer to, I'll be interested to read it?

These are my bugbears/ problems I've had with Plus Net, and I've been with them for over 10 years.

They are very slow to update to new products, and seem to keep them in trial for a long time.

I took care of a major problem for my brother when he joined PN at a house he just moved into, this was entirely ORs fault - his new line went dead on the day his broadband should have been connected, his phone was connected a few days before. Turns out an engineer nicked his line for someone else, he then ended up on a DACS. The problem I had with PN was we ended up going round in circles, it seemed each new support person never read the entire tickets, so they would try something someone else had already tried and kept coming up against OR saying there was nothing wrong, and then no lines available, amongst various other excuses. In the end I raised a CEO level complaint with BT and it was rectified within a week.

I highly suspect all of the bigger ISP operate a similar support system where no one person looks after a problem from start to finish. After I raised the complaint above, I dealt with one person at PN, and I received fantastic service, shame it can't be like that all the time.

I have maybe one or two other issues over the years, and they were all solved very quickly.