virgin adsl - why can't I seem to get speeds over 1Mb

ulmo · 18-04-2009, 14:42

Hi. Perhaps someone can explain why I can't get faster speeds ?
Is this normal for my area, or is this strange (some stats below to help, I hope).

I live in a PO postcode. I don't think I am far from the exchange really. I have a 'normal' bt phone-line with ADSL activated. I have a netgear adsl router that is a few years old but has been pretty reliable and I have upgraded the firmware on it successfully. I have three phone sockets in the house all wired in parallel from the main socket where the line comes into the house. All sockets have adsl filters in them. The router is plugged into the socket furthest away from where the line enters the house (about 10m of cable).

I have been with virgin for quite a while and had their 2Mb adsl package. I never really managed to get much more than 1Mb speeds though. Recently I was given the free 'upgrade' to 10Mb and this has not changed things. I still only get between 0.8 and 1M speeds. Is this normal for my area or is there something 'wrong' ? Also I am occasionally(say a few times a day) getting a very brief disconnect where the 'i' light on my netgear router starts blinking and then it goes back to solid green again. This has only been happening since the 'upgrade' to 10Mb.

I have some stats from my router and also my browser if this helps.
I have a 'downstream' speed as quoted in the router's pages of 20792 Kbitsps and an 'upstream' of 1024Kbitsps.
The downstream line attenuation is pretty constant at 12db and the downstream noise margin is 9db. The upstream line attenuation varies between 2.5 and 5db, whilst the upsteam noise margin varies between 5 and 9db. Does that sound ok ?

The mtu setting in the router is at 1458. The mtu setting in my computers ethernet settings was at 1500 and I have dropped it to 1458 today to see if this reduces the disconnects. On the basic adsl settings page of the router the encapsulation is set to PPPoA and the 'timeout' is at 0. The other adsl settings are multiplexing vc-based, vpi at 0 and vci 38. Not sure what these mean exactly but I guess they are to do with the type of connection rather than the speed.

I guess the upstream speed (1024) is what equates to the real speed that I see for downloads in my browser of about 100-106 kilobytes per second. mybroadbandspeed.co.uk reports my upload and download speeds as about 845kbits per second (0.8Mb broadband !). This seems really slow considering that I have read people moaning on here about how their 5000 plus kilobits per second speeds are "slow" !

Any thoughts ?

chickendippers · 18-04-2009, 15:14

ADSL speed is limited by your distance from the phone exchange and the quality of the wiring. Locate your house in the Samknows Mapping Engine and it will estimate the maximum speed you can expect: http://www.samknows.com/broadband/mapping/mapping.php

Read here for some optimisation tips: http://www.beforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8152

ulmo · 18-04-2009, 15:28

Samknows says I should be able to get 6.5Mb on adsl1 and 16Mb on adsl2. Nowhere near my measly 0.8Mb. Thanks for the links. I'll take a look.

Ignitionnet · 18-04-2009, 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickendippers

ADSL speed is limited by your distance from the phone exchange and the quality of the wiring. Locate your house in the Samknows Mapping Engine and it will estimate the maximum speed you can expect: http://www.samknows.com/broadband/mapping/mapping.php

Read here for some optimisation tips: http://www.beforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8152

Chicken - look at his sync speed:

Quote:

I have a 'downstream' speed as quoted in the router's pages of 20792 Kbitsps and an 'upstream' of 1024Kbitsps.
The downstream line attenuation is pretty constant at 12db and the downstream noise margin is 9db. The upstream line attenuation varies between 2.5 and 5db, whilst the upsteam noise margin varies between 5 and 9db. Does that sound ok ?

This guy's line rocks, could do full 24.5M.

I have no explanation for you ulmo, you should be able to download and speed test upwards of 16Mbps let along less than 1Mbps.

KingDaveRa · 18-04-2009, 15:43

Maybe it's the router? Perhaps it's too old, doesn't quite support MAX properly, or just plain broken?

Doesn't sound like an issue with filters and things, because you'd probably see much higher SNR or gain.

With a line like that, I think I'd be running towards Be with open arms!

Turkey Machine · 18-04-2009, 16:19

Replace these in the following order - ADSL microfilter, telephone extension lead (if you have one), cable between filter and router, and the router itself. If one doesn't work, move on to the next. Replacing the router should be a last resort.

ulmo · 18-04-2009, 16:43

Thanks for the responses. Chicken - just followed the parts about plugging into the test socket on the 'first' socket in the house and got more or less exactly the same stats. The downstream changed a tiny bit, but upstream was identical and all the attenuation and noise stayed the same. I guess that confirms that its not the wiring in the house thats the problem ! (should hope not either - I did it myself and tested each wire with multimeter on diode setting to check all the wiring after the first socket).
By the way, the first socket is wired more or less as the link in your post describes....seems to be six or eight core wire coming into the house with only orange and white cables actually in use (two wires only connected to terminals with capacitor directly adjacent).

Broadbandings...thanks for confirming that the line seems ok. Much appreciated.

Kingdavera - thanks for the ideas. Its a netgear dg834 router (see http://www.netgear.com/Products/Rout...Specifications). Supports adsl 2+. Have tried switching filters to different ones and even tried different computers to no avail (not that I was really expecting the latter to make much difference with a 0.8Mb bottleneck !

).

Any other ideas ? Is the speed that the router is measuring 'all the way back to the exchange' or is it just measuring something to one of those big green cabinets in the street ? Could it still be a case of crap equipment at the exchange ? or between the cabinet and the exchange ? or does the problem definitely lie elsewhere?

Thanks all.

---------- Post added at 16:43 ---------- Previous post was at 16:31 ----------

p.s. not sure I get your meaning about running towards 'Be' Dave. Who ?

CrowmanUK · 18-04-2009, 17:07

He means these people https://www.bethere.co.uk/

No traffic management, no download limits, pretty good customer service from what i've encountered although I have only had 1 problem, 1 ticket later and that was sorted out in a few hours. I moved to them after encountering VM's draconian ADSL traffic management and havent looked back.

chickendippers · 18-04-2009, 17:07

There might be a problem with your IP/bRAS Profile? See here for more information, the Broadband Performance test will tell which profile you've been assigned: http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/IPprofile.htm
It is possible that your profile is stuck way down and that's limiting your speed.

I might be jumping to conclusions, but a 0.8Mb speed does sound suspiciously like Traffic Management: http://www.virginmedia.com/help/traffic-management2.php

P.S. Be (http://bethere.co.uk) are an excellent ISP; they're owned by O2 who seem to be winning all the broadband awards at the moment.

CrowmanUK · 18-04-2009, 17:32

if you're getting around 8kbytes/sec between 4? and midnight? (cant remember exactly) I'd put money on it being the dreaded ADSL traffic management. Cant play games, cant surf, and dont even think about sending email with attachments. Its like going back 10 years and is exactly the reason I left VM. Try connecting outside traffic management times and see if that improves it. But if you are managed its for a week at a time.

Ignitionnet · 18-04-2009, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickendippers

There might be a problem with your IP/bRAS Profile? See here for more information, the Broadband Performance test will tell which profile you've been assigned: http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/IPprofile.htm
It is possible that your profile is stuck way down and that's limiting your speed.

He doesn't have a BRAS profile he's not on BT Wholesale. I'm tempted to say it's traffic management or a fault somewhere with the Cable and Wireless network that you're connecting to Ulmo.

Have you spoken to VM on this issue and explained the problem.

---------- Post added at 17:41 ---------- Previous post was at 17:39 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingDaveRa

Maybe it's the router? Perhaps it's too old, doesn't quite support MAX properly, or just plain broken?

Doesn't sound like an issue with filters and things, because you'd probably see much higher SNR or gain.

With a line like that, I think I'd be running towards Be with open arms!

He's not on Max, he's on ADSL2+. If it were a line issue he'd see lower SNR margin due to noise, gain is not a visible stat only transmit power.

The line is fine, nice high SNR margin so it's easily handling the speeds, the fault is either with the DSLAM or with Virgin Media's traffic shaping.

Only course - speak with VM.

ulmo · 18-04-2009, 17:45

Hmmm. That tester always seems to be busy at the mo. Unfortunate.

Does this ip profile thing mean that my speed could be being throttled at the exchange or ras (despate a physically decent phone line) because there may be lots of people wanting to use it ??

If so, can I do anything about it if it turns out my profile is set to one of the lower value ones or is it completely out of my hands and something that bt/the exchange would be unwilling to change ?

This is getting so technical I am not even sure what I just said even makes sense.

Ignitionnet · 18-04-2009, 17:47

You've no IP profiling on your line Ulmo I'm afraid so that's nothing to do with it.

Speaking with Virgin is really your best bet dude, it's not going to be any issue you can do anything about I think.

ulmo · 18-04-2009, 17:52

Thanks broadbandings. Very helpful indeed! What's the best (in your experience) way to get a response from vm on such an issue ? Presumably support@virgin.net ?

Ignitionnet · 18-04-2009, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by ulmo

Thanks broadbandings. Very helpful indeed! What's the best (in your experience) way to get a response from vm on such an issue ? Presumably support@virgin.net ?

I wouldn't for a second consider emailling them, you may as well email Richard Branson himself for the response you'll get.

Giving them a call or using the online help is probably best:

http://www.virgin.net/customers/contactus/index.shtml