Re: Small connection issue
 

It is crap! For example, if I use their Maidenhead server I get a ridiculously low speed number. If I use their London server, I get a number consistent with what I feel I'm experiencing. If you can be bothered to trawl through this forum, you'll see much of this discussed,

I suppose it's not always crap - but inconsistency of objective report is pretty crappy.

Anyway, I'm trying to help you out not to make myself happy. For a long time I used two speed tests (one of themk speedtest.net) to validate each other. I concluded that speedtest.net was unreliable and for your convenience labelled that as "crap".

My main aim is to help you understand what could have changed to account for your experience. One of the reasons I asked to see your attentuation and SNR figures is to see whether there is something there to justify your reported speed.

Your neighbour's figures would be helpful too. If your figures are worse, there may be a problem at your BT incoming plate - or water in the overhead wire (I had that a few years ago before I took VM) and BT totally rewired the pole strung segments, sealed it nicely and I now get (on my spare O2 ADSL2+) 50% better throughput.

Re: Small connection issue
 

I have always found it to be accurate and I get the same results as other websites, plus it looks nicer! Anyway, I'm no expert but I know speed tests aren't the same for everyone and your connection varies from the morning to late night, so there is no easy way to tell specially during peak times.

How do I figure out my attenuation and SNR figures?

Thanks.

Re: Small connection issue
 

Up to you about speedtest.net. Pretty doesn't mean accurate. But what do I know?

What is your network equipment setup? what connects to the ADSL filter and what connects to your PC? Model name please. There'll be a login you can do and you should be able to get some stats from the device. If it's a VM supplied device, I'd have to look at what uswer functions are available or some other brainio would then know.

Re: Small connection issue
 

[edit] IGNORE the previous edit I forgot you were on Adsl :p:

Re: Small connection issue
 

My router (Netgear DG834G v4) connects to my computer (Compaq) via Ethernet. My router connects to the ADSL filter and so does my main telephone (Philips). Nothing else connects to my router (besides wirelessly) and nothing else connects to my computer.

It is a supplied router from VirginMedia and I'm not sure what you're asking? Do you want me to tell you all the options on the left hand side that I am able to click on once I log in?

Re: Small connection issue
 

I've looked at the DG834G Reference Manual and sadly the status information I'm looking for (which my Draytek ADSL router provides) is not available on the Netgear.

This is a shame. We can calculate from these figures (attenuation & SNR) what your lne speed should be under cureent conditions. If this differs from the ½ Mbps that you are expecting, we can go into why (as per the example in ,y previous post). So that's a dead end.

Re: Small connection issue
 

So what now?

Re: Small connection issue
 

So, forgetting all the argument about speedtest.net (which centred on your neighbour's odd reading), both speed checks report your speed as nominal.

Has your neighbour (Sarah) reported problems of the type you're experiencing? Like if you take your PS3 round to her place, will it behave as you expect? This is an acid test of some value, I think. It will eliminate or confirm the big whew speech I wrote.

If it works fine at Sarah's then you've most likely got a local problem. You'd need to check at your own place immediately before and after the test at Sarah's.

I think that damp pole strung wires would have produced a worse speed check result. Somewhere on this forum there is a rather more severe speed test check you could perform - I'll leave you to search for that and there's quite a discussionon the subject.

So I'd go back to something insightful that you said in your first post reproduced above in blue.

I don't think your modem is misbehaving. But the attenuation & SNR data is of interest and a modem with that kind of diagnostic would be immensely helpful - but not a reasonable price to pay for your troubles, perhaps.

So, the main "what next" recommendation is to go round Sarah's with your PS3 and see what happens.

Re: Small connection issue
 

FWIW I'd try changing the ADSL filter.

Also are you sure there is nothing else plugged into the line, like a sky box.

Re: Small connection issue
 

At last - some added wisdom to help Stuart!

Actually on a wood for the trees basis, your simple suggestion is a valuable step before looking at new routers etc, especially if we can't read the attenuation/SNR levels.

Re: Small connection issue
 

Thanks for the replies again guys, much appreciated.

I don't really feel comfortable going round to Sarah's house, though I did ask her to do the speed test with the link provided (not the speedtest.net one) and I asked her to see how long a normal YouTube video takes to load.

There is nothing else plugged into the line; but when I plug in the Sky Box (when we pay to watch a Box Office movie) the internet actually goes off until we unplug the Sky box.
The Sky box connects to the master port in my sitting room

Oh, and I have changed the ADSL filter.. many times. I changed the old ones and I changed the new ones.

Re: Small connection issue
 

So, how long did it take for the same video to load at Sarah's? (I realise it prolly wasn't the same video - but having controlled conditions is important).

If you can't make a reasonable comparison with a neighbour, it strikes me that diagnosis will be very difficult.

Re: Small connection issue
 

She has not got back in touch with me, she is just back from France and isn't too well.

I chose this video to watch in non-HQ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCl0AvwLXlU

The video is 1:50 and it took 3:30 to fully buffer. I shall tell you Sarah's results when she gets back to me, but I know for a fact it will be faster than that! That was painful to time that.

Re: Small connection issue
 

I think it's in everybody's interests (not just yours) to pool knowledge about your situation. if not Sarah, then someone else.

You see our difficulty - we're here and you've got the performance issue that you have asked us to diagnose. At this distance, we can only advise as we have done.

So it's Sunday - you hopefully know a few people in your village.

Re: Small connection issue
 

So? You're waiting for Sarah's results from the video and speed test just like me? I'm going to give VirginMedia a phone later to see if they can help or at least give an insight, but I'm sure they will just ask for proof about Sarah's connection speed she is getting.

Sarah's news:

Speed Test results: - http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/
Download: 1856 kbps
Upload: 358 kbps

It took her 1:12 to load the YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCl0AvwLXlU)