Broadband speed going through the floor

Jolly_Roger

Every time Virgin, my ISP, announces another speed upgrade (now UPTO 8MB), the end result is a still slower connection. This year has been truly awful with downloads taking forever. I undertook a download test at 9pm this evening and was horrified to learn I was getting just 0.2MB! This had doubled by 11pm, but I was getting 5MB a year ago! If this situation gets any worse then I will move back to dial up. It is almost impossible to view streamed TV using a VDU player, which is nowadays becoming basic technology.
I pay £24.99 a month for this service (sic).
I don't think 0.2MB at 9pm is good enough, do you?
I know everything depends on how far away you are from the exchange (2km) and how many people are in your local loop, but to advertise UPTO 8MB is simply dishonest. If they said, maybe up to 0.5MB (if you are lucky) then nobody would sign up! I have business cards with my current ISP email address on so cannot move.
What should I do?

albertross_2

Cable or ADSL?

Are you a heavy downloader between 4-12pm?

Jolly_Roger

ADSL.
No, I am not a heavy downloader, but this speed means that downloads of anything are so slow. I tried watching an NFL football match last night on a VDU player and it was painful!

Jolly_Roger

Tried the speed test and got 0.48MB at 00.25.
No congestion at the exchange either.
Too late to be being throttled, but hardly download anything anyway.
Just a crap service?
Will have to check on prices, because if I am getting such a poor service, I should be paying an awful lot less, shouldn't I? (Looks at tho' all package prices have gone down recently, too.)

albertross_2

Is your sync speed around 7-8meg?

prices went down a while ago, you may be due a refund

mandi

DONT TALK TO ME ABOUT virgin !!!!!:mad: :mad: :mad:

amcluesent

> What should I do?<

We need everyone to complain to Ofcom about the BB suppliers offering products under false pretences, then pointing to the small print. Once Ofcom get enough compaints, they should reverse their current policy of letting 'the market' sort out the situation. The cable peeps are throttling like crazy or setting a maximum d/l limit, the ADSL peeps are running contention ratios > 50:1 in the exchanges, no wonder the services is awful.

gorblimeyguvnor

What router/modem do you have?
What are your line stats, downstream atten, snr margin, sync speed - http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm ?
What is your IP Profile - http://speedtester.bt.com/ (busy most times so keep trying)?
Is your internal wiring/filters ok - http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/troubleshooting.htm ?
Best to make sure all is ok your side so you can fend off any stalling tactics by Virgin;)

Bollotom

I have similar situation with BT. Up to 8Mb tariff but rarely get above 5Mb. Course even half a meg is "Up to 8Mb" in fact it can be claimed as being "Up to 20,000,000,000Mb" and still be true. Perhaps the BB suppliers should be truthfull and say "Above 1Kb but not exceeding ?Mb.

Dag_3

I have exactly the same probs with Virgin I was with ntl freedom only 1meg but at least it was 1meg all day & night reliable low ping. I fell for the lies of superfast reliable broadband up to 8meg (adsl modem) Iv,e never had above 2.2meg and thats early morning it gets slower as the day goes on 200k 150 k even down to 60k "dial up speeds" pings as high as 350 to 400 my line can handle 7meg as tested by them ive got the latest drivers for the modem they say its bt I no thats lies its ok in the morning how do you get out of a 1 year contract which is as bad as this there must be some comeback legally we are being treated so badly I expected more of Virgin I need advice I wish that ofcom would do something for the customers THANX

custardy

ive yet to hear back from virgin tech support.
emailed but may need to pay for a phone call.
speedtest shows 1-2meg sppeds on my 20 meg service!
when it was upgraded i got 15-18 meg generally