Slow Speed Broadband

[Dave-G]

Help please I'm getting to the end of my tether with BT.

 

As a starter to this thread could someone tell me if most forum servers are in other countries, and the uk gets throttled back in some way at night because of reduced demand?

 

My night time page loading is slower than what I used to get from my old dial up connection.

 

I'm on 1K speed and unable to get any of the better speeds according to BT.

 

I spoke to a BT phone installer outside yesterday as he accessed a pit covered by a manhole. He says we are 2k from the exchange.

[NikpV]

Help please I'm getting to the end of my tether with BT.

 

As a starter to this thread could someone tell me if most forum servers are in other countries, and the uk gets throttled back in some way at night because of reduced demand?

 

My night time page loading is slower than what I used to get from my old dial up connection.

 

I'm on 1K speed and unable to get any of the better speeds according to BT.

 

I spoke to a BT phone installer outside yesterday as he accessed a pit covered by a manhole. He says we are 2k from the exchange.

 

 

ok 1k is very slow try here and tell us what you get

 

 

both numbers - there is a link to the result if you're not sure post that instead (at the bottom)

Edited March 14, 2007 by NikpV

[Gteuk]

It is as far as I am concerned to do with ADSL max, I was on 2mb line for 2 years with f2s.com no problems, I moved to pipex cos I wanted free phone calls but they put me on adsl max and since then I was only doing 15kbs very, very, very slow

 

so I move back to pipex and again adsl max, my old package no longer available, and I still to this day have a problem of only 15kbs at home, in work (retail outlet) 7mb no probs.

 

keep on at them as I know this is a BT wholesale problem nothing else, an engineer was meant to call in at my address yesterday between 1-6pm (one of many times) and at 1pm my speed shot up to 2.8mb and now back down to 15k yet another visit form engineer.

[gregers]

im with bt and just done the test and its telling me that i download at 2800 kps

[Dave-G]

OOPS - sorry ... typo in that post, My connection speed is supposed to be 1MB :o

 

To give a clue as to how slow it is, I waited almost a minute for the smiley's to load after i clicked the smiley tab in quick reply ;)

 

It's not just this site it happens to, I'm on five forums in all, and 4 of them are painfully slow.

 

nik - thanks for that link, I ran the tests 3 times, they were all very close, mean average was 968 and 246.

 

Thanks, Dave

[NikpV]

umm Right those figures are fine for a 1M connection and since its not maxDsl of any variety probably cant put it down to that, assuming you get the same speed in the evenings (although you said it takes time to load smillies now / when you did the test

 

I would say that as it happens on all fora then its more likely to be a browser/cache issue.

 

What browser do you use ?

Do you clear the temporary files at all?

 

If you are using IE6 or IE7 I would experiment by trying firefox and see what the speed is like then - if it improves with a newly installed browser then it points towards the one you have having some probelems - (can always uninstall it afterwards).

 

Go here and look for the square buttons below title bar

 

Firefox with googlebar (there is a link on this site somewhere but I am at work and ads and links like that are blocked.

[Bigjeeze]

umm Right those figures are fine for a 1M connection and since its not maxDsl of any variety probably cant put it down to that, assuming you get the same speed in the evenings (although you said it takes time to load smillies now / when you did the test

 

I would say that as it happens on all fora then its more likely to be a browser/cache issue.

 

What browser do you use ?

Do you clear the temporary files at all?

 

If you are using IE6 or IE7 I would experiment by trying firefox and see what the speed is like then - if it improves with a newly installed browser then it points towards the one you have having some probelems - (can always uninstall it afterwards).

 

Go here and look for the square buttons below title bar

 

Firefox with googlebar (there is a link on this site somewhere but I am at work and ads and links like that are blocked.

 

I think there may be two issues affecting Dave

 

The first is the most obvious - the forums are busy and there isn't a lot of access bandwidth, the second is that domestic broadband is a contended service - ie 20-1 or even as much as 50-1 - so the more users the slower it gets. If it's OK during the day and only causes problems at peak periods that's probably your answer.

[NikpV]

would have got to contended service reasons but at the time of his last posting 4.35 am unless his exchange is very popular for off peak - timed downloaders I would be very surprised that contention was limiting his bandwidth especially as his speed test was almost 1M at the time, while the forums are busy and bandwidth limitations at the forum end would not play a part again at the time (unless glen has got something else going on) probably worth checking local things first (well nowt you can do about contention anyway)

 

Would be interested to know what the bt checker says for your number dave.!

[Dave-G]

I've just tried that test again nik, Very similar figures - but as usual the forum pages open much quicker in the day than night times. I really get the feeling they figure there is less need to operate full capacity deep into the night.

 

The smiley's also come in probably 5 times quicker in daytime. I'm beginning to think it's something the local exchange is doing. That BT guy - who was installing a second line for a neighbour said to get them to do a woosh test whatever one of them is.

[NikpV]

I've just tried that test again nik, Very similar figures - but as usual the forum pages open much quicker in the day than night times. I really get the feeling they figure there is less need to operate full capacity deep into the night.

 

The smiley's also come in probably 5 times quicker in daytime. I'm beginning to think it's something the local exchange is doing. That BT guy - who was installing a second line for a neighbour said to get them to do a woosh test whatever one of them is.

 

interesting - certainly in my part of the east midlands I see no change between the day and night - I get some variation throughout the day (4.8M to 5.9M) but there is no pattern to it. Usually quiet times means a faster connection I suppose locally some kit could be taken off line for maintenance purposes. odd what did bt say about the whoosh test

 

 

have you done

 

The maximum permitted line length for ADSL is 5.5km from your local exchange. You can test your approximate line length by dialling (on your intended ADSL line) "17070", The response will tell you the number of your circuit. Then enter "3", then "1" (you ARE authorised, aren't you?), then " 2". If you then hang up, the test system will call you back and tell you the approximate distance from your exchange.

 

if this still works

[Dave-G]

Thanks again Nik. That last bit allows me to go through the sequence described, but nothing happens when I hang up. I tried it a few times but there is now a further option required, I dont know which option to take.

 

i have now emailed BT with a rant about how their 151 sends people round in circles and that I am considering switching ISP's. I know they all use the bt network, but at least bt will get less of my hard earned cash for their kak service

[Gteuk]

Finally got mine taken off rate adaptive and all is well I get what I want now :o

 

For speed tests use this link

 

http://217.32.105.42/

 

it will ask you for your number and login name, it then stores the information and your ISP and BT wholesale have access to the results, it is the only speed test they take seriously, problem is it takes ages and does not work all the time, what else can you expect ;)

[NikpV]

Finally got mine taken off rate adaptive and all is well I get what I want now :lol:

 

For speed tests use this link

 

http://217.32.105.42/

 

it will ask you for your number and login name, it then stores the information and your ISP and BT wholesale have access to the results, it is the only speed test they take seriously, problem is it takes ages and does not work all the time, what else can you expect :ph34r:

 

as usual its busy though I get busy 90% of the times I try this one !

[NikpV]

Just a thought you could have a look at the status of your exchange

 

here

 

 

This is courtesy of pusnet but still works for anybody

[Dave-G]

Thanks for the help guys. I finaly got them to do a woosh test, An operator on the broadband helpline in india!.

 

Was basically promied all would be well if I turned of my pc, then my router - then turn on the router and wait for all the led's to stabilize before turning on my pc.

 

Well it's just as crap as ever this morning - I really want to wring someones neck.

 

Unfortunately I live on a new private estate that has no cable to it - nor will have apparently so I'm stuck with BT lines... as they are all too aware of.

 

That last link Nik... exchange has been uprated for 8MB capacity, products available 31/03/07. But I'll probably not see any increase given that they couldn't give me any more than 1MB when the closer to exchange area's got 2MB.

[NikpV]

this checker will give distance to the exchange

 

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php

 

click on the top or first button I think

 

 

distance shouldnt restrict your speed to 1M some quotes from others on Zen

 

 

2.4Km as the crow flys - The router connects at 8128 but is very unstable at night so only gave download speed of 5500kbps with loads of errors.Set min snr at 12db in router and it syncs at 7000kbps with very few errors and still 5500kbps download speed.

 

****************************************************

 

2.86 km from the exchange (straight line distance) and actual line length of 4.125 km with an attenuation of 53 dB.I get a 4 Mb sync on Max with a 3.5 Mb profile.

 

****************************************************

 

I'm 2.29 km from the exchange - in a straight line. Sync varies from 5600 Kbps to 6200. Download speeds are from 3500 Kbps to 4800, but usually around the 4000, unless there are problems somewhere on the line.

 

 

 

BTW switching to adsl max may well giive you some increase in speed although it may well be variable, with the exchange link (posts above ) clicking on here in the first line may well give you some idea about how loaded up your exchange is (Virtual paths)

Edited March 19, 2007 by NikpV

[Dave-G]

Thanks Nik. I've resigned mysely to waiting till the end of the month when the exchange is allegedly making its improvements available.

 

I have received an invitation to join total BB for 26.99 pm. The letter claims I should be able to receive speeds of up 2.5 MB. Well last year when they made others in the area 2MB I was advised I cannot get that speed.

[tiny]

lol, im in Carlisle, and only getting 470k (AOL) despite my line being "alledgedly" capable of sustaining 2mbps.

 

BT have confirmed my line checks out, im in the process of trying to get an improvement now through aol's customer services dept. The problem is they offered me a free wireless router back in october and by accepting their "kind" offer I have inadvertently signed myself into a 12 month contract (Ive been with aol for 6 years). If I cant get it sorted i'll be buying myself out of the contract and looking for a new isp.

 

A large part of my problems with aol seem to be communicating with the indian call centre that deals with tech help side of things.