What is the best broadband speed I can get?

Terrysdelight

Hi


I am currently with Virgin - I'm supposed to get up to 50mb download speed, but I only get 20.


If I change to BT, how will I know what speed I will get with them?


I don't understand all these packages selling high speeds if you don't actually get it - seems silly :-(

Oblivion

There's no easy answer I'm afraid. Depends on so many variables ... where you live ... how old the cabling is ... how many connections vying for bandwidth in your locality ... state of the local street cabinet ........ the list goes on.

I recently transferred from Virgin ADSL (broadband down the phone line at 8 Mbps) to Virgin Cable 50 Mbps service and I'm getting a constant 54 Mbps. It seems this happy result is only because I insisted that Virgin pulled a new state-of-the-art cable from the local cabinet to my flat. Neighbours who have always been with Virgin cable who are on the same deal as me BUT on the original 20 years old? Nynex cables think themselves lucky if they can get 12 Mbps.

Says it all really ... a bit of a lottery.

Fightsback

Terrysdelight wrote: »

Hi


I am currently with Virgin - I'm supposed to get up to 50mb download speed, but I only get 20.


If I change to BT, how will I know what speed I will get with them?


I don't understand all these packages selling high speeds if you don't actually get it - seems silly :-(

How are you connecting with your router, ethernet cable or wireless ?

If it's ethernet I'd phone virgin and complain, otherwise it could be a function of your wireless card and how far you are from the router.

PS If you do complain be sure to mention that you are thinking of going over to BT because of better speeds, amazing how that always makes them do something.

Cycrow

what do you use to test your speed, and when do you test it ?

also, do you currently have the superhub, or an older modem ?

the older modems are limited in speed.

Except in certain areas that can be over subscribed, virgin tend to be the fastest

GunJack

Sorry, but these sort of threads slightly annoy me...specially statements like:-
"I don't understand all these packages selling high speeds if you don't actually get it - seems silly :-("

All broadband speeds are "up to" the quoted service, and some people will get those speeds, e.g. shorter cabling to exchange/street cab/cable hub/etc., better quality lines, in fact, pretty much what Oblivion is talking about above. What speed you (or anyone else for that matter) gets depends on is the Laws of Physics and limitations of the equipment used in the whole network.

I suggest Terrysdelight you get over to www.kitz.co.uk or www.thinkbroadband.com and read up a bit on how broadband works, what are limiting factors, etc. For example, if you say to Virgin you're thinking of going over to BT for better speeds, is that even possible at your premesis? E.g. is FTTC available?, how far are you from your PCP/DSLAM cabinet?, how old is your phone wiring? How congested is your DSLAM cab if you have one available? etc. etc... If you threaten to leave for "better speeds" are you just telling pork pies to try and spur Virgin into action?

By all means complain to Virgin, and some work on their part may get you better speeds, but do it with some understanding under your belt to understand your options (and whether virgin or any other company is feeding you bull$h1t, which they often try to do especially if you don't understand how it works)

p.s. I'd just like to point out this is NOT anything personal, and not everyone is techie-minded, but without knowing a fair bit about any individual property and the surrounding network infrastructure no-one can give you anything even resembling a semi-accurate answer

Fightsback

GunJack wrote: »

surrounding network infrastructure no-one can give you anything even resembling a semi-accurate answer

Exactly, he could be using a laptop with an ancient g wifi card from his garden shed for all we know

pheonix254

As has been mentioned the older virgin modems are limited to 20Meg, which - making a wild stab in the dark - is probably your problem. Ring virgin, ask them why you're getting such "slow" internet and they'll probably offer you an upgraded one which can get the 50Meg limit.

Besides - 20Meg is pretty fast anyway - you're not going to get that with a copper phone line unless you live next to the exchange, so if you really want to switch, you're looking at fibre. BT's website will estimate your speed based on your postcode, and they're usually accurate to within 5meg, in my experience.

GunJack

Fightsback wrote: »

Exactly, he could be using a laptop with an ancient g wifi card from his garden shed for all we know

nowt wrong with "ancient" g wifi, perfectly useable. I'm on fttc but use the wifi on just g for max compatability with existing devices... speed results 20+ meg on a 40 meg line..37 meg when ethernetted

duchy

It's such a variable - with Virgin our "standard" BB connects at 107 meg - Sky/BT etc is 18 and Fibre/Infinity if available (it isn't yet although the nearest box is wired for it) is 40.

My other house half a mile away is 50 for Virgin , 20 for standard BB and Fibre available at 40 meg.

Go two miles up the road and the only BB available is 3 meg and no Virgin cabling available at all.

Even in a small area there can be vast differences so there is no single "best".

Fightsback

GunJack wrote: »

nowt wrong with "ancient" g wifi, perfectly useable. I'm on fttc but use the wifi on just g for max compatability with existing devices... speed results 20+ meg on a 40 meg line..37 meg when ethernetted

You are wasting 1/2 of what you pay for and don't forget you only have one spatial stream with g.

1080p MKV streaming, more than one child streaming youtube

I'll take MIMO any day.

GunJack

Fightsback wrote: »

You are wasting 1/2 of what you pay for and don't forget you only have one spatial stream with g.

1080p MKV streaming, more than one child streaming youtube

I'll take MIMO any day.

not wasting it at all, the streamng pc and sky box are on ethernet permanently, it's also a way on restricting the kids a bit


admittedly, the other pc wifi adapters will be changed for N at some point, it's just so not a priority at present.....