BT and/or Orange Lying about Broadband Speeds!

ComplexP

It sounds like you're being quoted your BT profiled speed which is a moving entity worked out on your sync rates. If something happened to your sync rate which caused the profile to drop it could take several days to reset back up.

This profiled speed is a very different number to the maximum potential speed of your line, which is a constant.

Quasar

I also believed that the speed depends on the computer capabilities? Just run a broadband speed test now and mine is 3.5 MB and 0.35. Orange, my provider, advertises 8 MB and when I connect the dialog ballon says 7.6 MB.

Now, I find that 3.5 MB is a perfectly adequate speed for my needs. Sometimes I get 2.3MB and still I can surf the net without undue slowness. Am I missing something?

ComplexP

Quasar

Let me clarify a few of those point for you...

1) Download speeds are not affected by your computer's capabilities. The reaction times when you load IE and click links will often make it seem like it is, but this is an illusion.

2) Anything over 2MBits is usually good enough for most things including the iPlayer and online gaming.

3) I'm not sure what the orange dialogue box is telling you but my guess is that the 7.6MB quoted is your modem's sync rate with the exchange. If you're only seeing throughputs of about 2.5-3.5MB then it either means your sync rate is unstable or you are being heavily traffic managed.

You can be syncronising at well over 7MB but unless you maintain that rate for over 3 days continuously your actual download speeds (called your IP profile) will not increase to match. It sounds like you are on an IP profile of about 4MB with peak hour traffic reducing you down to almost 2MB at times.

If you want to know your current IP profile you can run the check at

http://www.speedtester.bt.com/
For example: I have a continuous syncronisation rate of 3.2MBits and that gets me to an IP profile of 2.5MBits. My actual download speeds are around 2.4MBits, which isn't bad.

MikeO_2

You guys are fortunate. I signed up with Orange Home for their 8Meg package. It started at around 2.5M which I was relatively happy with but on Friday last it dropped to 0.5M. Upload is only 0.05M instead of 0.4M. They say they can't improve it as it is down to the line quality and distance and they are not contractually obliged to do anything more as this is still classed as broadband!
I have registered a formal complaint and will eventually refer it to CISAS the adjudication scheme. Orange says that the contract only states "upto 8M". I'm saying that 0.5 is unreasonable. The industry code of practice which Orange have signed up to says they should give potential customers their best estimate of realistic likely speeds. They didn't do this so I intend to cancel.

Inactive

I would bet my last pound that the problems are all down to [STRIKE]Lemon [/STRIKE]oops Orange.

macman

MikeO wrote: »

You guys are fortunate. I signed up with Orange Home for their 8Meg package. It started at around 2.5M which I was relatively happy with but on Friday last it dropped to 0.5M. Upload is only 0.05M instead of 0.4M. They say they can't improve it as it is down to the line quality and distance and they are not contractually obliged to do anything more as this is still classed as broadband!
I have registered a formal complaint and will eventually refer it to CISAS the adjudication scheme. Orange says that the contract only states "upto 8M". I'm saying that 0.5 is unreasonable. The industry code of practice which Orange have signed up to says they should give potential customers their best estimate of realistic likely speeds. They didn't do this so I intend to cancel.

What speed estimate were you given, or did you obtain, at the time of signing up? What will your line actually support?
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.TelephoneNumberOutput

MikeO_2

Thank you Macman

I wasn't given an estimate at the time. I assumed it would be similar to the other broadband line I have (BT Business) which comes from the same exchange. I get about 2.7M on that although it has been as high as 4M. I'm a fair distance from the exchange so I know I can't get near 8M even if I got a ADSL2+

I tried the link you gave me and got this:

Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line rate up to 1Mbps. However due to the length of your line the 1Mbps service may require an engineer visit who will, where possible, supply the broadband service.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a potential ADSL Max broadband line rate of 3Mbps or greater.
Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a potential ADSL2+ broadband line rate of 3Mbps or greater.

macman

Why would you assume that the speed of every line on the same exchange would be the same? The main external variable is distance from the exchange, so I think you've answered your own question. Your speed of 0.5Mbps is still well above the official definition of broadband, so an official complaint will be pointless. I suggest you post your router stats and then further advice can be given. It may be that the problem is with your internal wiring, so do a further speed test from the BT master socket behind the master socket faceplate.
https://www.speedtest.net

MikeO_2

I am connected to the master socket.
Orange has confirmed that the problem is the line and that 0.5M is the most they can offer for a stable connection. I'm actually getting around 400Kb.

macman

You need to use the BT test socket, not the master socket. This is the socket beneath the split facepate-just undo the two screws. This isolates your internal wiring.
Then post your router stats after retesting.
Orange can't possibly know how much your wiring is contributing to the problem. Line length is the main isssue, but checking wiring issues may enable you to squeeze a bit more speed out of it.
Do you have a good quality filter on all the active sockets, including a Sky box if you have one?