Broadband slower than neighbours'?

RoseNarene

Hiya!

I've taken up an interest in live streaming, but my internet seems capable of an upload speed of only 2.5mbps (at most), when I really need 3 for a smooth stream. My download speed is at no more than 17mbps.

I live in a FTTC area where top speeds for neighbours are up to 30mbps (several of them did speed tests and shared the results with me), and they have more than 3mbps for uploads.

My house is an end of 3 terraces, and both my neighbours get faster internet than me. I went on Vodafone's site (they are my provider) to sort of pretend to be a new customer to see what minimum guaranteed speeds myself and my neighbours could get, and mine sticks at 16mbps, whereas theirs is higher. I also checked the BT site and we are all served by the same cabinet, and in case this matters, I am closer to the cabinet than some neighbours who get faster speeds than me, but we're talking a distance of metres or a few yards at most; we're not all terraces like me, but the houses are fairly close together (the 'estate' was built in 1995).

I am on a product with Vodafone that doesn't limit my internet speed; Vodafone only provide 2 options for internet packages, and the only difference between them is the extra stuff they offer if you pay more, such as a WiFi booster and "dedicated Wifi Xperts". The speeds offered with the packages are exactly the same, so there is no product to switch to that would increase the speed I'm getting.

I have been in touch with Vodafone, but all they keep doing is getting me to reset my router whilst they "change some settings" or "perform some updates" and nothing ever changes. They even suggested I buy a booster or extender, even after I told them that I use an Ethernet cable linked to my PC. 

I'd just like to know why mine is always slower than other people in my postcode, and if anything can be done to rectify the situation. Any advice?

la531983

They may be no space in your "cabinet" for a faster product, simply a case your neighbours got in there first before you did. 

Ayr_Rage

All ISP have to advise of a minimum guaranteed download speed ?

Is your speed above that ?

If not, your ISP should investigate.

Is your phoneline free of any odd noises and does it work correctly ?

Is there other equipment or extensions connected in your home ?

If using a standalone microfilter have you changed that ?

Have you tried connecting directly to your test socket ?

RoseNarene

Ayr_Rage said:

All ISP have to advise of a minimum guaranteed download speed ?

Is your speed above that ?

If not, your ISP should investigate.

Is your phoneline free of any odd noises and does it work correctly ?

Is there other equipment or extensions connected in your home ?

If using a standalone microfilter have you changed that ?

Have you tried connecting directly to your test socket ?

Yes, the minimum that the ISPs seem to offer me is around 15mbps, but more for my neighbours.
My speed is pretty much in line with that, though it will go slower. Never faster.
My phone line is free of noises but the longer I am on the phone, I will get increased latency. 
I'm not sure what you mean by other equipment or extensions; I don't have Sky or any other kind of TV products, so no satellites. I just use the internet for TV.
I have no idea if I have a standalone microfilter; how do I check that?
And I'm afraid I don't know what you mean about connecting directly to my test socket?

RoseNarene

la531983 said:

They may be no space in your "cabinet" for a faster product, simply a case your neighbours got in there first before you did. 

But what did they "get in there" and do first, exactly? This is what I don't understand. If they have something different to me - what is it? As I said, we are all FTTC. 

littleboo

It could be something unusual, your house being served by a different cabinet for example, or your pair taking a longer route to the same cabinet. 

la531983

RoseNarene said:

la531983 said:

They may be no space in your "cabinet" for a faster product, simply a case your neighbours got in there first before you did. 

But what did they "get in there" and do first, exactly? This is what I don't understand. If they have something different to me - what is it? As I said, we are all FTTC. 

Not sure but my dad had issues getting faster broadband and was told there was no space in the cabinet for the faster product he wanted as they were all taken up. 

Ayr_Rage

@la531983 the OP MUST be on FTTC as they have an upload speed in excess of that possible on an ADSL connection.

@RoseNarene does your master socket have separate outlets for router and phone?

If so the front should come off and the test socket is at the back, to connect to that you will need a microfilter, one would have been supplied with your router, its a few inches square with one lead and two sockets.

Plug that into the test socket and connect your router cable to the appropriate socket, that will eliminate any internal equipment and the filtered faceplate you have removed.

If other ISPs identify that you can only get your current speed it is probably due to line length and a strange route back to the cabinet which means no likely improvement is possible.

400ixl

la531983 said:

RoseNarene said:

la531983 said:

They may be no space in your "cabinet" for a faster product, simply a case your neighbours got in there first before you did. 

But what did they "get in there" and do first, exactly? This is what I don't understand. If they have something different to me - what is it? As I said, we are all FTTC. 

Not sure but my dad had issues getting faster broadband and was told there was no space in the cabinet for the faster product he wanted as they were all taken up. 

That would be moving from ADSL to FTTC or FTTC to FTTP of which neither are the case here.

Where is the router plugged into? Is it the socket that comes into the house or an extension socket somewhere else?

Is there an ADSL filter (and plugged into the AADSL side) between the socket it is plugged into and the router itself?

Are there any other phones plugged in and are they also plugged into filters (should be on the other connector on the filter)

If you log into your router, what does it say the Sync speeds (down / up) are?
Also what does the router say the Noise Margin, Line Attenuation & Signal Attenuation are?

You say that your PC is plugged into the router via a wired cable? How long is the cable?

prowla

2.5 millibits per second is going to be really slow!

RoseNarene

Ayr_Rage said:

@la531983 the OP MUST be on FTTC as they have an upload speed in excess of that possible on an ADSL connection.

@RoseNarene does your master socket have separate outlets for router and phone?

If so the front should come off and the test socket is at the back, to connect to that you will need a microfilter, one would have been supplied with your router, its a few inches square with one lead and two sockets.

Plug that into the test socket and connect your router cable to the appropriate socket, that will eliminate any internal equipment and the filtered faceplate you have removed.

If other ISPs identify that you can only get your current speed it is probably due to line length and a strange route back to the cabinet which means no likely improvement is possible.

It's been a long time since I got my router so I don't think I have a microfilter, and if I do, I have no idea where it is. 
I have some furniture in the way of the socket at the moment (the desk where my PC is) so I can't get to it to open it up etc right now, but I will try tomorrow. There is a single phone socket in the wall, and then a sort of separator box plugged into it which the phone and internet are connected to separately. (Edit: I have googled it and it seems this is an ADSL filter!!)

I don't quite know what you mean by line length. I don't know if this makes any difference by my house is at the end of a close. The whole postcode is a close, with 3 or 4 dead ends sort of branching off from them. My row of terraces is at one such end, and I am the last one. I don't know why my house would take a different route back to the cabinet than anyone else's; in my head, that would be a rather silly and pointlessly complicated way of laying the cables in the first place. But I admit I'm no expert in this things. Would it help if I posted a picture of the road where I live from Google Maps?