Broadband Issue

Maureen43

Hi All

I've been with Plusnet for about three years now.

In the last six months the service has been terrible. We jumped through all their hoops of checks (we've had a new router, have used all the wifi channels, have used the test socket, have moved the router to a different location) until finally they sent an engineer who found a fault in the box outside the house and fixed it.

Since things have been better but it's still pretty poor. Today I have checked our speed and got the following results:

Download 7.1 mbps
Upload 515 kb

I can't find anywhere which gives our overall speed although I can see this for my neighbours on the street stats site.

Those results don't mean a great deal to me so can anyone enlighten me as to how good/bad that is?

I'm fed up and want to get another engineer round!

Thanks
M.

Anthorn

Go to http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/ and enter your telephone number and "submit". The resulting page on the BT Broadband Availability Checker shows the speeds that are available to you and the range. Print it. Now compare it with your actual speed. I like Ookla.

When checking your speed turn off or otherwise disconnect from the internet all devices except the one you need to use.

The comparison should be with a wired ethernet and not wifi.

teddysmum

OP I've been with them for about 5 weeks and my service makes yours look brilliant.


I used to get 6 to 6.4Mbps over wifi from Sky, but now my 'official ' incoming speed is only 5.3, meaning I'm lucky to get even 4 over wifi.


I've done all the tests (currently running with the master socket cover off) but though drop outs aren't as frequent I have at a least a couple of drops (too slow to do anything, but connected) and really low speeds at times.


They told me that LLU would have been faster, but they can't match what I had before Sky (ie on a BT line)and blame that on more customers using the lines.


However, my laptop shows all but one other 'connection available' as Virgin and the other is not PlusNet . Besides which I had a speed of 3.6 at 2am, hardly a time of heavy usage. A film from Sky takes over 12 hours to download, over night.

LazyTyper

teddysmum wrote: »

They told me that LLU would have been faster, but they can't match what I had before Sky (ie on a BT line)and blame that on more customers using the lines.

What nonsense is this?

Do you know if you are on an ADSL (up to 8 Mbps) or ADSL2+ (up to 24 Mbps) circuit? That might possibly explain the lower speed compared to LLU, but most LLU exchange will have BT Wholesale ADSL2+ anyway.

forgotmyname

My best on DSL was less than 4MB. So 7MB maybe good. depends on the line length and quality.

iniltous

Maureen43 wrote: »

Hi All

I've been with Plusnet for about three years now.

In the last six months the service has been terrible. We jumped through all their hoops of checks (we've had a new router, have used all the wifi channels, have used the test socket, have moved the router to a different location) until finally they sent an engineer who found a fault in the box outside the house and fixed it.

Since things have been better but it's still pretty poor. Today I have checked our speed and got the following results:

Download 7.1 mbps
Upload 515 kb

I can't find anywhere which gives our overall speed although I can see this for my neighbours on the street stats site.

Those results don't mean a great deal to me so can anyone enlighten me as to how good/bad that is?

I'm fed up and want to get another engineer round!

Thanks
M.

TBH, it's not really a case of how good or bad your speed is without the caveat of the distance you are from the exchange, the question should be 'given my distance from the exchange are these figures OK ?'
If you use a speed predictor site using your postcode or telephone number it should give an estimate of your likely speed, if what you get is close to that estimate you are getting what's expected and have no real complaint, only if the estimate is much more than 7Mb do you have an issue.
As far as is 7Mb 'good' ? , I'm sure someone on 20+Mb will say no, and someone on 1-2Mb would say yes, there will probably statistics somewhere that state what the average speed for the UK is, (you may be about 'avarage' for what it's worth)
but in the case of broadband it's a pretty pointless stat in my opinion, what does it matter 'on average' , it's your own individual speed that counts, and that is primarily determined by the distance you are from the exchange for regular broadband, and how far from the cab for FTTC

teddysmum

LazyTyper wrote: »

What nonsense is this?

Do you know if you are on an ADSL (up to 8 Mbps) or ADSL2+ (up to 24 Mbps) circuit? That might possibly explain the lower speed compared to LLU, but most LLU exchange will have BT Wholesale ADSL2+ anyway.

I don't know which ADSL, but they quote the mythical 17Mbps.


The predictor said 3 to 7, but even before going to Sky I had around 5Mbps actually over wifi, so have been used to the top end of this range for a long time. I'm also getting at least one drop (sometimes for seconds, but enough to bump me off a survey paying £5) most days .They admitted I'd had some I was not been aware of as the laptop is left on while I do other things.


I know they speak rubbish and tell porkies, as my son who used to subcontract to BT commented on some things I mentioned. (He says I should buy a good modem, but why should I as I intend to return to Sky asap ? )


The cabinet is within 50 yards of the house and the exchange only about 1.5 miles away by road.

JJ_Egan

Good modem ??? presume he means a better router for WiFi .