Broadband speeds

november

After hearing on the news that action is going to be taken to make ISP's give more accurate broadband speed information I thought I'd test ours.

I used this http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results/id/119816415143244516292.html

We have Virgin Broadband package XL which is supposed to be up to 20mb

The download speed was 3.7 mbps
The upload speed was 0.4 mbps

Also tried this one http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/
Download speed 3.4 mbps
Upload speed .36 mbps

According to the last site my speed is above the average for Virgin.

So am I better switching to a lower package? The next one down is up to 4mb and that's what I'm actually getting Or will they give me an even slower speed on a lower package

Currently work pay for 1/2 my broadband but in a few months I will have to pay for it all myself so now is the time to decide.

My broadband is 'playing up' anyway. Sometimes even watching Youtube is impossible as I have to keep waiting for it to load and websites crash due to slowness a couple of times a day at least. Plus my emails aren't accessible at least once or twice a day. I had no problems before Telewest became Virgin. I could switch provider totally but most of the others want a BT line and I don't want to pay to switch my phone line. Plus much as I hate Virgin I loathe BT. Also to be honest most of the tales I've heard of other providers sound just as bad if not worse :rolleyes:

Vampgirl

Have a read on the cablehell.co.uk forums...you might find some good information as I'm sure I remember reading similar problems from other people. I think a lot of people are having problems with the 20MB service, for some of them it was solved by a modem swap (some of the old modems can't support that speed)
Found some detailed info on this thread here that might help: http://cablehell.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=132705

darwin-rover

Follow this to the letter
http://www.virginmedia.com/help/20mb-broadband-optimisation.php

Try these as well
http://www.virginmedia.com/help/slow-broadband.php

november

Thanks for the replies Will take a look at all the links in detail and see if there is anything we can do.

I don't think I'll do the last bit on the Virgin page though - phone their expensive techy help phone line :rolleyes:

darwin-rover

november wrote: »

I don't think I'll do the last bit on the Virgin page though - phone their expensive techy help phone line :rolleyes:

Agreed . But usergroups are free , I've heard the VM ones are actually quite helpful .

k2150

november wrote: »

After hearing on the news that action is going to be taken to make ISP's give more accurate broadband speed information I thought I'd test ours.

I used this http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results/id/119816415143244516292.html

We have Virgin Broadband package XL which is supposed to be up to 20mb

The download speed was 3.7 mbps
The upload speed was 0.4 mbps

Also tried this one http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/
Download speed 3.4 mbps
Upload speed .36 mbps

If your 20 Mbit connection is continually giving you only around 3.7 mbps then I suggest you downgrade to their 4 Mbit package & save yourself a whole lot of money. On the other hand if your 20 Mbit connection only drops down to 3.7 mbps ocassionally during certain periods but then goes back to normal, then I'm pretty sure you've been hit by Virgin's traffic management policy. I'll give you a couple of links, the first is to the best speedtest site I have found on the net, the second is to Virgin's current traffic management policy, the third is to the new traffic management policy which is supposed to be introduced early next year but they have already put me on it!

speedtest
http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/

traffic management now
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html


traffic management from Jan 2008
http://www.virginmedia.com/help/traffic-management.php