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[kapt69]

New here - & not very technically minded I'm afraid - but have learned a little.
Am on Orange & had very slow download speed (118kbs) some 5 or 6 weeks ago as result of line fault in road.
This was eventually fixed (5 engineers later! ) &  then my speed went up to av. of 980kbs download. IP profile 1000.
It stayed around this for about 3 or 4 weeks - then I noticed it slow down. Did a BT speedtest and saw IP profile 500, download speed 480 - but DSL connection rate still 1216 (which is what it usually seems to be) It stayed like this for a couple of days (maybe more - I may not have noticed speed drop straight away)
Having spent so long & many telephone calls to Orange following the original line fault, in order to recover my speed - I immediately rang them very fed up - having enjoyed almost 1 Mbs for some weeks!
They offered reduction in cost - but said line would only carry 500kbs & that would be same whatever ISP I went to.
STRANGE - this afternoon (some 5 hours later) my IP profile is back up to 1000kbs ?? and download speed 941kbs ??
Is it me - or can 'they' fiddle with these? Would it be better (ie. more stable speeds) to try another ISP?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Until very recently the short answer most of would have given you is an emphatic  'No, ISPs can't fiddle with the IP profile'.  However, there was a recent thread where Orange did seem  to be using a little known feaure of IP STream advanced services called EUSC (End User Speed Control), which seems to allow ISPs to request BTw to apply throttles at the bRAS, presumable by modifying the IP profile.

I'm not at all sure that fits with your experience however.  ISTR the poster was actually being penalised for exceeding the FUP, and Orange were turning his profile down in daytime only.  Have a look at that thread at http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,5945.0.html (brew some coffee, it's a long one!).

More likely, your IP profile has been reduced because a a low sync event, after which it can take up to five days to recover (that's 5 days after your sync speed recovers).

[kapt69]

Thank you sevenlayermuddle.
Yes I did need that coffee !!
I had looked to see if I could find anything about this, but missed your suggested link - so really grateful.
I have not received any warning about over-use (FUP?) from Orange and - yes it may be just a 'blip' which caused speed & therefore(?) profile to drop - BUT - how coincidental that it sorted 'itself' out just after I talked about switching? ALSO - they were very keen for me to sign up for a 12 month contract at admittedly a much better price than I'm on now (currently £20p.m. - they offered new 12 month contract at same price, but with first 6 months free) - BUT I don't want to sign up & then see what is already a slow speed service drop like a stone as soon as they've got me! 
I'm afraid I'm still suspicious and I hope that my experience, together with the thread you pointed me too may help those much more technically savvy than me to keep an eye on things for everyone's benefit.
I will continue to watch my speeds & IP profile - I don't appear to have had any actual dropped connections etc recently so am a little puzzled as to how this major drop from 980ish kbs to 480 happens. I would have thought, given the 'state of the ark' wires we have around here that any system should cope with minor problems without halving speeds.
Thanks again.

[jeffbb]

Hi
could you please post your stats  this link will help if you are not sure how to.
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.php

Routerstats is a very good diagnostic tool see link below
http://vwlowen.co.uk/internet/files.htm

This will allow you to monitor your Stats and produce the results in a graphical form. More useful than a single snapshot especially for SNR margin and synch speed .

Regards Jeff

[kapt69]

Router stats from jeffbb's suggested first link:

System Up Time 605:52:37
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 2632250 3627555 0 159 1906 605:52:09
LAN 100M/Full 1702453 1422929 0 604 111 605:52:36
WLAN 11M/54M 2708958 1988156 0 1411 122 605:52:22
 

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 1376 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 63.0 db 31.5 db
Noise Margin 9.3 db 14.0 db

interesting  -   I obtained another set earlier today (can't remember how)
these showed Conn. speed as 1216    Line atten same as above
Noise Margin 14.0      14.0db
Hope this helps - mostly gobbledegook to me I'm afraid
 

[kapt69]

Tried to use  the 2nd link. Downloaded router stats lite - entered what I think is correct router model. Not sure about username & password. So left as admin & 'password' - but it doesn't seem to do anything.
Gulp.
Sorry.

[sevenlayermuddle]

These stats seem to show up times of 605 hours (25 days) for LAN WAN & Wireless.  If that's to be believed (I've no reason to doubt it), then it suggests your recent drop in profile wasn't caused by a reconnection at poorer speed, and so I'm beginning to share your suspicion that Orange were up to some mischief.

You could probably do better wrt your connection speed, as 1376 isn't wonderful for an attenuation of 63dB.  We can probably help you to try and improve upon that in due course.  But I'd be inclined to leave well alone for now, as any additional reconnects could affect the IP Profile, and so make it harder to decide whether or not it's attributable to Orange fiddling with thing - which I think is the issue that's most on your mind...

In terms of suspicions, I can't help noticing that your suspicious profile seemed to be exactly 500kbps, as did that other thread.  And I think 500kbps was mentioned in the Orange forums linked from the other thread too....

- 7LM

[kapt69]

Sevenlayer - thanks for your continued interest.
(in meantime have been trying to  get routerstats to work - but ended hanging up everything so have had to remove prog & end process via windows task manager - hope I haven't wrecked anything - bit beyond me)
If I can keep download speed nearer 1000kbps rather than 400ish I'd be v.pleased - but happy to wait & see as you advised.
You're right I'm suspicious - this could presumably have implications for many, if it is Orange.
Wish I was more computer literate - came a bit late for me. Am now retired and thought I was coping quite well (with computers!!) until you get in this sort of mixup.
Very grateful for your interest as said earlier.
Will get some rest now - ready to fight another day.
Cheers

[jeffbb]

Hi
quote been trying to  get routerstats to work - but ended hanging up everything

Very surprised at that . A shame you cannot get it to run .
What is your router ? .

You could go to the routerstats forum . Post your question /problem regarding RS light . John the Administrator will no doubt be able to help.

Its such a good diagnostics tool its worth giving it another  go . 

quote :Not sure about username & password. So left as admin & 'password' 

is that the password you use to login to your router ?

It is recommended to at least change the password ,as some people may Hack in to your system.

quote Am now retired 
Join the club 

Just the time to learn something new 

Regards Jeff

[kapt69]

Hi Jeffbb
Router Netgear DG834GT -not sure what version or how to find it.
And now for the embarrassing bit    - not sure about username or password - I don't enter anything to use router - it's just there!
I have a username and password for getting to my Orange account (& same username also for using the BT broadband test when it asks for further verification). Have tried this - not sure if it accepts it as nothing seems to happen - blank graphs appear when I click on tabs.
Know this is almost certainly something I'm not doing correctly so hesitate to bother people when I should be able to interpret instuctions myself.

[kapt69]

Just re-downloaded routerstats lite. Clicked run rather than save. Clicked for quick start icon. Finished - then nothing appeared.
Opened Windows task manager to see if anything happening. System idle 50% routerstatslite.exe 50% - but nothing showing on screen???
Now I remember this is what happened before - so then(previous time) I tried again and downloaded 2nd time - and that I think is what clogged everything up - think I had 2 running at same time if that is possible - but with nothing showing I did not know. Not having any way of accessing the prog I had to end the task via the manager - which is probably 'not good'?
Gulp!

[kitz]

Ive been using routerstats for years and not had a problem with it.. so just had a play to see if I could get it to do what it did for you.

I think I know what may have happened, you may have started to use it without completing the set up config properly.  Ive just downloaded the windows self installer version and I ran into the same problems as you if I didnt complete the set up properly during the first stage.

The details I left out were the 'login ones' and it seems this is why it 'hung' on my machine after I attempted to connect and sat there appearing to do nothing.
Just like you it was at this stage I couldnt then get it to close properly either.

Therefore Im assuming that its not behaving because the login details for your router must be wrong?

The default username and passwords for the DG834GT are
username = admin, password = password


Try going back to setup and putting the login details in

Ive included a screen cap below which may help, and shows how I reset it

[attachment deleted by admin]

[jeffbb]

Hi
If your router is  Netgear DG834GT then the full routerstats works beautifully . That is what I am running at the moment.

If you want when you have it I can send screenshots .I found the Help ,that is available with it, very useful
quote : so hesitate to bother people when I should be able to interpret instuctions myself.

Don't worry about that most of us  have all been there, needing some help
Regards Jeff

[kitz]

>> Don't worry about that most of us  have all been there, needing some help

Agreed - Yep indeed we have

[kapt69]

Hi folks.
Overwhelmed by how helpful everyone is.
Have now got the Lite version running - thanks to KITZ
I'm afraid that the  'one syllable at a time' approach is probably where I'm at - but yes it worked
Jeff - I will try the full version tomorrow - so may take you up on that - cheers.
I'm about to celebrate with a glass of wine - it being Friday night 'n all that - only wish I could offer you folks one.
I do appreciate your help.
Looking at graph which has been running since 17.28 (now 18.31) Noise margin mostly between 10 & 11 with a couple of dips down to 9+
Connection speed straight line at 1375.
Not exactly sure either what this means or what to do now - but will leave it running.
May be less coherent when I return so I wish you all a great weekend - hope you are getting used to the rain & wind - and seriously - really grateful for the advice.