Yet Another Speed Issue

[Widescreen]

Hello Folks

Yes another speed issue post, i do apologize, but i need advice.

For the last 5 days my speed has been going down and down and down.

I am on 10mb (Supposed) and have a Ntl Home 120 Modem.

My speeds on usenet are pathetic getting 100kb/sec and sometimes not even that, ive tired different programs and different ports and servers with no luck.

I've also tested my speed online, general surfing seems fine however downloading is not, i've been to 3 linux sites and tried downloading each of their files. Always chosing nearest location and i'm getting about 200-300kb/sec.

Trying the speed test online via this forum i'm getting

1st try:
Sun, 08 Jan 2006 20:13:57 GMT
1st 512K took 684 ms = 748.5 KB/sec, approx 6168 Kbps, 6.02 Mbps
2nd 512K took 919 ms = 557.1 KB/sec, approx 4591 Kbps, 4.48 Mbps
3rd 512K took 736 ms = 695.7 KB/sec, approx 5733 Kbps, 5.6 Mbps
4th 512K took 1299 ms = 394.1 KB/sec, approx 3247 Kbps, 3.17 Mbps
Overall Average Speed = approx 4935 Kbps, 4.82 Mbps

2nd try:
Sun, 08 Jan 2006 20:19:57 GMT
1st 512K took 1276 ms = 401.3 KB/sec, approx 3307 Kbps, 3.23 Mbps
2nd 512K took 802 ms = 638.4 KB/sec, approx 5260 Kbps, 5.14 Mbps
3rd 512K took 652 ms = 785.3 KB/sec, approx 6471 Kbps, 6.32 Mbps
4th 512K took 651 ms = 786.5 KB/sec, approx 6481 Kbps, 6.33 Mbps
Overall Average Speed = approx 5380 Kbps, 5.26 Mbps

Any suggestions, or am i forced to go call NTL yet again.

I am running a router, and even trying without it the results are the same.
I had the router when the upgrade happened and got full speeds, so i don't think it could be the router.

I am running OSX, latest version for MAC.
All updates.

No new software or hardware installed recently that could have affected my speeds. No viruses found or spyware.

[Darone]

Hi mate.

Hi mate.
I'm having the same problems, as i've already posted on these forums and despite lots of helpful advice and numerous calls to Ntl, i've still not resolved my problem. I've even tried various other usenet providers (Giganews, 100proofnews, Eurofeeds) and i've still had no luck.
I'm also running OSX and router and like yourself, never had problems before.

I know none of this is helpful, i guess i'm just trying to say that i feel there is a problem with Ntl somwhere, yet they seem unwilling or unable to address the problem.

If you find a solution, i'd love to here about it and i'll do the same for you.

I'm starting to get very frustrated with the whole thing and am fed up of paying good money for a substandard service.

Good luck mate.

[Widescreen]

Thansk Darone

Good to know that it's not a fault on my end.

Will give NTL a call today and see what they say.
If they say anything usefull i'll post here.

[CF9009]

Interesting to read of all these speed issues. I have exactly the same issue and it seems to be area dependent. I was on 3Mb service, nearly always got 3MB on the ADSLGUIDE speed test and several other speed test sites. Suddenly after a stb reset around mid December, I rarely get above 2Mb, despite being on the '10Mb' service. Can be as low as 1.5Mb.

Several calls to NTL result in them asking numerous daft questions related to PC set-up, which cannot be the issue as all gave 3Mb+ before.

They also direct all to a Robin Walker spped test page which certainly shows 5Mb but takes about 1 second to run. Any other spped test which used to nearly always give 3Mb now shows 1.5 to 2.5Mb (if lucky). Technical 'support' refused to go anywhere other than the Robin Walker test.

I have also had a few losses of service where I have had to reset the stb. This was previously extremely rare.

I am in an ex Cable & wireless area with a Samsung stb.

Given up on calling NTL. Registered for a cable modem upgarde almost a month ago but no response. Customer 'service' cannot help as upgrades are apparently handled by a 'different department'! Told me to re-register for the upgrade on the website! This disappears with not even an E-Mail response.

I see numerous other postings from others with similar issues. NTL cannot seem to grasp that the speed immediately changed after the stb reset in mid December. Before this, all was fine.

[Widescreen]

Well I phoned just before 1.00

Call was taken straight away, which was quite a surprise, i was through to i assume India or could just have been a non native english speaker.

Anway, i also had another surpise, he did not ask me for my account number or password, just postcode/house no and name of occupier.

Not really an effective securty measure, with customer services they ask for both pass and account no.

Anyway explained the problem, he asked me about a router i said yes, i explained the measure's i took to test the speed with and without the router and he left it at that.

Asked about OS and when i said Mac he left it at that to, i explained to him no new software or hardware installed, so he did not assume it was a problem on my end.

He asked me to download something while on the phone and to tell him what speed i was getting, told him what i was getting which was 120-140kb/sec.

He said this is unacceptable, and said he would re-submit my modem, i was to shutdown my computer and modem, and connect it all back in 30 mins.
If not resolved then to phone back.

After an hour away from the comp i reconnected everything back, and now getting 300kb/sec download from usenet, downloading a linux distribution from the web i was getting 790/800kb/sec

I hope this is not a one off, and my speeds go back to crap.

Tech guy did say, that if your getting 500+ then this is acceptable to them and they will not consider this a problem, which to behonest is quite crap, i know NTL says up to 10mb but 500 for 37.99 - is it worth that?

I'll give this another go and see out it turns out.

[Paul]

Trying the speed test online via this forum i'm gettingJFYI - unless the conditions are ideal - you won't get full speed from our test - under normal conditions it seems to be slightly conservative in its estimations.

[Widescreen]

Ah...thanks Paul M

[Widescreen]

My speeds are back to utter crap, getting 40kb/sec now.

I Notice on the Service Status page, their is planned Maintence.

However i am in Glasgow and they do not list my location on their list.

Should i contact NTL now?..or wait until their maintence is finished?

[Darone]

Hey Widescreen.

I too have been onto NTL today and i have an engineer coming out on Wednesday. My speed is dreadful and shows no signs of improving.

I'll let everyone know what happens and if the problem is resolved or not.

In the meantime, can anybody give me (and others) any advice on what to do next.

I live in Nottingham, use OSX with a router but the speed is the same regardless of how i connect. There are no apparent problems with the Nottingham area, according to tech support. I've tried various usenet providers and they all have the same awfull performance and as i've said before, i never had a problem in over 5 years of using NTL Broadband.

Sorry if this is getting boring but i don't know what to do Next.

Cheers folks

(patiently waiting for a 10mb file to download from Giganews at less than 30kb/s.........BUGGER)

[Cerberus]

My speeds are back to utter crap, getting 40kb/sec now.

I Notice on the Service Status page, their is planned Maintence.

However i am in Glasgow and they do not list my location on their list.

Should i contact NTL now?..or wait until their maintence is finished?

There seems to be a problem with the services in Glasgow or so I was told last week by a guy that calling me after I filled in one of their surveys. Personally I think he was talking utter garbage. He told me that there were some users in Glasgow that were abusing the service and downloading constantly. (Probably those guys selling illegal software at the Barras;))
My issue was ongoing just after 10mb was rolled out to 3mb customers.

After numerous calls to tech support India I decided that I was going to cancel my service, at this point NTL took some action and sent an engineer out. He looked at the modem and the speeds I was getting and decided to replace my 120 for a 250.

Everything swapped over and now my speeds are averaging between:

1st 128K took 266 ms = 492752 Bytes/sec = approx 4100 kbits/sec
2nd 128K took 375 ms = 349525 Bytes/sec = approx 2908 kbits/sec
3rd 128K took 297 ms = 441320 Bytes/sec = approx 3672 kbits/sec
4th 128K took 234 ms = 560137 Bytes/sec = approx 4660 kbits/sec

compared to 43k a sec I was getting before my modem was replaced

Not great speeds I know but a bit more acceptable especially at what I class as a peak time!

[xtream_uk]

You say that their are 'issues' in glasgow (Renfew). Im in Greenock and i link via the Refrew site and recently, my connection has been nothing short of absolutly shocking. Constant ping spikes on my uBR and the lagg to most websites is apaulling. NTL better get their act together. Im not paying £28/month for this crap service.

Dave

---------- Post added at 19:54 ---------- Previous post was at 19:53 ----------

You say that their are 'issues' in glasgow (Renfew). Im in Greenock and i link via the Refrew site and recently, my connection has been nothing short of absolutly shocking. Constant ping spikes on my uBR and the lagg to most websites is apaulling. NTL better get their act together. Im not paying £28/month for this crap service.

Dave

For Example:

Mon, 9 Jan 2006 19:56:23 UTC
1st 128K took 219 ms = 598502 Bytes/sec = approx 4980 kbits/sec
2nd 128K took 3972 ms = 32999 Bytes/sec = approx 275 kbits/sec
3rd 128K took 235 ms = 557753 Bytes/sec = approx 4641 kbits/sec
4th 128K took 140 ms = 936229 Bytes/sec = approx 7789 kbits/sec

Dave

[Cerberus]

You say that their are 'issues' in glasgow (Renfew). Im in Greenock and i link via the Refrew site and recently, my connection has been nothing short of absolutly shocking. Constant ping spikes on my uBR and the lagg to most websites is apaulling. NTL better get their act together. Im not paying £28/month for this crap service.

Dave

I didn't say that but the advisor at NTL did. I do appreciate the frustration though.

[Widescreen]

Oh...The good ole days of 3mb, constant full speeds, no lag, no hassle...ohh...the memories.

[Cerberus]

Oh...The good ole days of 3mb, constant full speeds, no lag, no hassle...ohh...the memories.

Those were the days, oh well we can reminisce! :(

[Rone]

Not long ago this place was full of people asking [some were demanding] to go on 10meg.
Funny how times change. :(

[Sage013]

Not long ago this place was full of people asking [some were demanding] to go on 10meg.
Funny how times change. :(

I never asked to go on 10Mb, I was never told that I had my 3Mb changed to 10Mb and was quite happy with 3Mb. It was ony when I visited this board a couple of weeks ago when I started gettting problems that I found out about 10Mb!

Anyway, judging by the extensive Planned Maintenance list for this week, I think ntl are well aware of all the problems and are trying to sort them out. I'll give them another couple of weeks and, if my 10Mb connection is still runing between 2.8Mb to 3.2Mb, with downloads stopping and starting like mad, then I'm just going go down to the 2Mb connection now there's a 30Gb cap for that, unless they change their mind and install a SACM for free that is, which they might if I suddenly say I'm downgrading ;)

By the way, I connect using a Samsung STB so I expect my optimism is futile :)

[Rone]

I hope your right, it needs some extensive work somewhere. Recently i visited a few friends who have NTL, and asked them if they would run a few speedtests.It seems this up and down speed is quite severe in a few places, and more common than you would think, and no one from NTL has actually stated there is any sort of problem whatsoever.
I for one would prefer the 3meg back, i only had about 10 minutes total downtime all last year, and speeds were pretty constant.