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Author Topic: VP congestion  (Read 7458 times)

Astral

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VP congestion
« on: July 17, 2006, 10:02:25 AM »

Hi all

How can I test whether there is congestion on the VP's from my exchange? I have a problem with download speeds not being comensurate with line stats and there being large variations over a short time. PN exchange status checker always shows green, but the information is a good six weeks out of date.

Logic seems to suggest that if congestion is the problem it is nearer to home, because further out in the network, changes would be more gradual due to the cancelling effect of many data streams rising & falling at the same time.

Perhaps my thinking is flawed, but I would be very interested to hear what other people's thoughts are.
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kitz

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VP congestion
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2006, 11:17:32 AM »

Quote
How can I test whether there is congestion on the VP's from my exchange


Perform a BTw Speedtest.
If your speeds on there are also low on there then its likely congestion at the exchange.
This speedtest is performed from your connection solely on the bTw network - providing you use the login on that page.


Quote
I have a problem with download speeds not being comensurate with line stats and there being large variations over a short time.

This is something fairly typical of max dsl across all IPStream ISPs.
Speeds will and do fluctuate, and Ive never seen any from from any IPStream ISP getting near full speeds during peak - nor have I seen anyone been able to say "I get a constant Xkbps" if they are capable of getting the higher speeds. :/

Quote
PN exchange status checker always shows green,


The information is supplied by BT and normally several weeks behind. From personal experience the exchange checker only gets classified as red once speeds start dropping below the equivalent of 400kbps on a 2 Mb connection.
Last year my speed dropped to below the 400kbp mark on the BTw Speedtester yet still my exchange was showing as green.
These days BT seem quite happy to let contention kick in - much more so than anytime in the past.

Quote
Logic seems to suggest that if congestion is the problem it is nearer to home....


Welcome to my world :/

Exchange congestion is something I have suffered from several times on the past - having been on the first exchange which BTw publically admitted suffered from congestion - prior to that it was said it was impossible...  and actually the reason why I began to research how adsl worked and ask a lot of questions from BT themselves.

Congestion comes about because IPStream adsl is sold by BTw as a contended product and therefore speeds you acheive are affected by what other users on your local exchange is doing. (Explanation about contention).

Information of what BTw class as acceptable speeds
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How to get your router line stats :: ADSL Exchange Checker

Astral

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VP congestion
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2006, 11:41:11 AM »

Hi Kitz

Thanks for the info, as always very informative.

Best ever BTw test was 5880kbps but usually less than 5000 during the day, sometimes much lower, although I understand there is a problem with this tester, which may account for it.

Other testers quite often higher than BTw which begs questions about their accuracy, or is BTw consistently slow?

Sounds like I'll just have to wait till they upgrade local exchange. :(
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kitz

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VP congestion
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2006, 11:51:06 AM »

I think the BTw speedtester problem may have been fixed.
Reason being that at one point it couldnt report speeds of above 3Mb - which it now has been doing for a week or so that I know of.

The difficulty with the BTw speedtester though is that you can only perform one speedtest during a 30 min period.
and because speeds are so variable it does a snapshot at that particular instance in time, which may not show the overall picture.

When I did some testing last w/e, I [cough] "borrowed" [cough] a couple of other phone numbers to use.
Be warned if you do this though - any speedtests performed not using your own phone no - wont record against your adsl account as proof of poor speeds.  
(Both your ISP and BT can access via WOOSH details of speed results against your own phone no).
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How to get your router line stats :: ADSL Exchange Checker

Astral

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VP congestion
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2006, 11:58:05 AM »

Quote
I [cough] "borrowed" [cough] a couple of other phone numbers


Minnie the Minx is alive & well & living in Blackpool :lol:

Good tip though...
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kitz

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VP congestion
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2006, 12:06:17 PM »

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Please do not PM me with queries for broadband help as I may not be able to respond.
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How to get your router line stats :: ADSL Exchange Checker

Astral

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VP congestion
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2006, 12:08:31 PM »

LOL :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

An image for every occasion :!:
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anything