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Author Topic: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?  (Read 2718 times)

re0

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Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« on: March 18, 2021, 11:08:53 PM »

I've been holding off posting for a while because I haven't really been active here and I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a one-off.

Since a month or so, I've noticed that my download speed has increased from ~293 to about ~310 Mbps - no change in sync speed. Alongside this, latency to London-based services are now as low as ~7ms* (sometimes a little under) compared to ~10ms before. That's quite a feat considering previous ISPs have struggled to break the 9-10ms barrier. 2ms is big deal, eh? :D

Perhaps, at least in part, something to do with with unbundling? Regardless, it's a nice bonus. :)

Please help. I need a life if this is a big deal. :lol:

*Some PPP session lottery is involved, just as before, but it can be done.
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Alex Atkin UK

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2021, 02:09:57 AM »

No throughput difference but I do occasionally get lower latency, but its hard to say if that's new as like you say its a PPP lottery but I think its been the case for a long time.
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Jon21

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2021, 10:53:07 AM »

Tbh, no. I do occasionally see planned maintenance for the area code, which supposedly would have a full outage for (x)hours but, nothing ever seems to happen. Do periodically get increases in latency for a number of hours, which usually sorts itself out. It’s only a couple of ms that it increases by, so nothing major. I am questioning why I’m paying £9 a month more than say Sky though. Other than a static IP and possibly better customer service if I need it, there’s really not much difference. If anything, Sky had lower latency than Zen, for here.
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re0

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2021, 02:03:45 PM »

It doesn't seem like a temporary thing. Some PPP sessions give ~7ms, others give ~18ms. Before, it used to be uncommon to see below 10ms. Either way, I don't notice it most of the time.
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bkehoe

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2021, 10:19:49 AM »

You're right, there has been a change with G.Fast, and I don't think it's limited to Zen as I'm with BT and always used to max out at around 290 - 292MBit on speed tests whereas now I regularly get over 300 up to around 310MBit.

I've always synced at 330MBit and knew the IP Profile used to be set to around 90%, similar to RETX High on VDSL (can't remember the exact number in MBit mine was though) which I always wondered about but today I did a BT Wholesale speed test and see my IP profile is now 318.96MBit, so almost 97%.

I wonder if everyones IP Profile on G.Fast, or at least the higher speed lines, has been bumped up?
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Weaver

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2021, 10:25:23 AM »

Speed testers can be all over the place. Did you do multiple runs and then take the max only?
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re0

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2021, 03:20:25 PM »

It's interesting because I now recall a few weeks ago that some PPP sessions were still maxing out at about 293 Mbps. But each one since has been above 300 Mbps (depending on the device), to my knowledge. Perhaps it was a wholesale network change then?
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ISP: Gigaclear - Hyperfast 900 (up to 940 Mbps symmetrical)

bkehoe

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2021, 04:14:38 PM »

Speed testers can be all over the place. Did you do multiple runs and then take the max only?

Yes, it's very consistent and even if we ignored speed tests, the line IP Profile is now set around 20MBit higher than what it had been since installation in 2019 so something has happened at network level.

re0, I'm presuming the btwholesale speed test doesn't work for a non-bt line so you can't see your IP Profile?
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Weaver

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2021, 04:52:22 PM »

I’m wondering if there has been a firmware update, at the BT/OR end, that is.
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re0

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2021, 05:02:08 PM »

re0, I'm presuming the btwholesale speed test doesn't work for a non-bt line so you can't see your IP Profile?
I guess I'm not BTW if it doesn't provide me with the IP profile.
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Chrysalis

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2021, 12:09:42 PM »

I think Zen seem to be getting good growth in cityfibre FTTP, the FTTP in Leicester seems to be dominated by Zen.
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re0

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2021, 02:57:49 PM »

It seems a shame that Zen are not a Gigaclear partner as that would give them access to more of the FTTP market. I know IDNet were going to be partners but it never materialised for some reason. I could be leaving G.fast later in the year for Gigaclear FTTP and that means a different platform of providers I've never dealt with before.
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fat jez

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Re: Anyone noticed Zen network improvements?
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2021, 10:39:02 PM »

I've never hit these dizzy heights before. Usually I top out around the 290Mbps mark.

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