Slow broadband speed - how to improve it

redrabbit29 · 14 Sep 2014 at 13:01

Slow broadband speed - how to improve it - UPDATED

I'm on Sky Broadband Unlimited package and for the last 2-3 years there have been no issues. I know there's no problems on their side and the internet works to an extent it's just slow and has been for a number of days now.

The computer is connected by ethernet to a one of those plugs that goes into the plug socket, and then the router downstairs is also plugged into one and it creates a wired network in effect.

I did a speed test thing online and results were:

The Sky broadband statistics from the router are:

I'm going to run some tests for spyware using Ad-Aware but anyone got any thoughts initially?

enigma27 · 14 Sep 2014 at 13:10

No point running test...

your only connected at 383kps.. there is something wrong on the line.. your upload is twice your download...

you need to get back on the phone to Sky

GefGz · 14 Sep 2014 at 13:23

Yeah, that's not your problem, it's Sky's

Transfunctioner · 14 Sep 2014 at 13:36

You line attenuation is very high. Once the db levels get to around 60db it causes very slow broadband speeds.

Sky will most likely ask you to carry out the following, so you'd be aswell do this before calling: (after each step Restart your Sky Router, once restarted log back into it's software and check if the attenuation/speed has changed)

1. Disconnect all other devices from the telephone sockets in your home leaving only 1 ADSL Microfilter + your Sky Router connected to the main telephone socket (this includes other phones in other rooms, Sky boxes etc)

2. Swap the currently used ADSL Microfilter for another one. (to ensure it's not a faulty ADSL Microfilter problem, you usually get given 2)

3. At your main telephone socket, check to see whether it has a removable bottom section. There should be a split horizontally across the middle with the socket being located in the bottom half. If it does, unscrew this to reveal a test socket. Connect the ADSL Microfilter + the Sky Router into this.

If after all of these steps the speed is still the same, then I'd say it's 100% Sky's issue to sort out. Obviously if you're speed improves after one of the above steps, then you know it's something you disconnected from your telephone socket(s) that's the issue and only trial and error will prove where the fault is.

loltim · 14 Sep 2014 at 16:52

Reboot router before ringing Sky.

MissChief · 14 Sep 2014 at 17:20

Chances are Sky's DLM has dropped the line speed due to an issue. Get onto them.

pbrain · 14 Sep 2014 at 17:23

could be someone(s) in your area has discovered Bittorent and caning it!

Is the option of fibre-optic in your area?

Caged · 14 Sep 2014 at 17:31

pbrain said:
could be someone(s) in your area has discovered Bittorent and caning it!

Nothing to do with it.

pbrain · 14 Sep 2014 at 17:33

Caged said:
Nothing to do with it.

Tell that to Virgin Media LOL, we get letters explaining that my 'downloading' is affecting other users in the area.

Caged · 14 Sep 2014 at 17:50

ADSL doesn't work the same way as cable. And we can see from the line stats that congestion isn't the cause of this issue.

redrabbit29 · 14 Sep 2014 at 18:23

Transfunctioner said:
You line attenuation is very high. Once the db levels get to around 60db it causes very slow broadband speeds.

Sky will most likely ask you to carry out the following, so you'd be aswell do this before calling: (after each step Restart your Sky Router, once restarted log back into it's software and check if the attenuation/speed has changed)

You were right - they did ask what you said!

Transfunctioner said:
1. Disconnect all other devices from the telephone sockets in your home leaving only 1 ADSL Microfilter + your Sky Router connected to the main telephone socket (this includes other phones in other rooms, Sky boxes etc)

Yep, I did this

Transfunctioner said:
2. Swap the currently used ADSL Microfilter for another one. (to ensure it's not a faulty ADSL Microfilter problem, you usually get given 2)

Changed micro filter for a brand new one

Transfunctioner said:
3. At your main telephone socket, check to see whether it has a removable bottom section. There should be a split horizontally across the middle with the socket being located in the bottom half. If it does, unscrew this to reveal a test socket. Connect the ADSL Microfilter + the Sky Router into this.

They asked me to do this on the phone and I did. The router is still plugged in now - without the plastic casing outside.

Transfunctioner said:
If after all of these steps the speed is still the same, then I'd say it's 100% Sky's issue to sort out. Obviously if you're speed improves after one of the above steps, then you know it's something you disconnected from your telephone socket(s) that's the issue and only trial and error will prove where the fault is.

I called Sky and they confirmed that since 8th September the speed has gradually declined from around 2.8mb/sec down to what I have now.

They said something about running a line diagnostic test which takes a few days and that by the 18th the speed should be back up to normal.

And yea the attenuation rate is exactly the same:

Transfunctioner · 14 Sep 2014 at 21:01

redrabbit29 said:
You were right - they did ask what you said!

Yep, I did this

Changed micro filter for a brand new one

They asked me to do this on the phone and I did. The router is still plugged in now - without the plastic casing outside.

I called Sky and they confirmed that since 8th September the speed has gradually declined from around 2.8mb/sec down to what I have now.

They said something about running a line diagnostic test which takes a few days and that by the 18th the speed should be back up to normal.

And yea the attenuation rate is exactly the same:

Sounds like they are resetting the profile of the line. As long as whatever caused the increase in attenuation has cleared, then you should hopefully be back to normal.

demonix · 15 Sep 2014 at 14:54

Transfunctioner said:
Sounds like they are resetting the profile of the line. As long as whatever caused the increase in attenuation has cleared, then you should hopefully be back to normal.

It's the noise margin that's the issue here and not the attenuation as the noise margin should be at around 5 or 6 and not 11 which is what has caused the drop in speed (there's likely some interference on the line which is causing the speed drop and they're trying to clear it).

tcfreer · 15 Sep 2014 at 15:26

I have this issue (I get 0.785 dl, and the same up roughly with sky aswell)

Did all of the above and got no were aswell.

Ended up with the saying they can't get any more speed out of the line I was on - So I asked about what they would do for me in terms of switiching to Fibre - Ended up getting it for no extra cost, just a stright £5 deliver for the new hub.

Only issue I have now is the install date which is a now a week tomorrow - or almost a month after ordering it

zipp0r · 15 Sep 2014 at 15:45

demonix said:
It's the noise margin that's the issue here and not the attenuation as the noise margin should be at around 5 or 6 and not 11 which is what has caused the drop in speed (there's likely some interference on the line which is causing the speed drop and they're trying to clear it).

i believe sky have a higher target snr of 9. even going from 11 to 6 would not get him back to 2.8mbit. the attenuation is the issue as it must have gone from 50ish to showing the maximum value the router can show, it could be way more than 63.5! indicative of a line fault, not interference.

demonix · 16 Sep 2014 at 14:39

zipp0r said:
i believe sky have a higher target snr of 9. even going from 11 to 6 would not get him back to 2.8mbit. the attenuation is the issue as it must have gone from 50ish to showing the maximum value the router can show, it could be way more than 63.5! indicative of a line fault, not interference.

Sky does have a target snr of 6 (I should know since I was on sky before moving to plusnet), and a sudden increase in the noise margin can have a serious impact on speed (there was one time where the noise margin went up by a few points on the download side and the download speed was cut by over 50% which was restored after a line test was done) so getting the noise margin back to 5 or 6 should get the download speed back to normal (but since we don't know what the attenuation was to begin with, we can't really come to a conclusion that it was the problem).

MissChief · 16 Sep 2014 at 15:04

On the downstream our target is 6.

redrabbit29 · 18 Sep 2014 at 19:19

******UPDATE******

Was told problem would be fixed by today - it wasn't.

Called up, told the line optimization test had been completed. She said "wait on hold... I will try something".

She was gone for about 8 minutes and line has improved:

However, the attenuation rate is still really high and broadband speed checker has a download speed of about 1.4mbps - so pretty rubbish.

But why the hell did they not do all this when I first called them?!!!

...........

Line was disconnected half way through. I called back and was on the phone to them for another 40 minutes. It was a call on my mobile (I don't have a landline) so was costing about 40p/min I think.

AGAIN was asked to check everything like the phone socket, the router, etc...

She offers me Fibre Optic for £10 extra a month. I say "Well the service is rubbish, why should I pay more just because of that?". I was getting a better speed before.

I say "I want to complain and she says well I can make a note but nothing will happen. YOu have to do that online" and she says there isn't a phone number - however from the Sky page it appears there is.

Long story short... speed is MUCH better than before but still rubbish.

I'm majorly annoyed at having to call up 3 times and chase them. To go through the same trivial tests 3 times and get told in the end "we can't make it any better... but we could try another line optimization test".

Will write a letter of complaint I think.

Caged · 18 Sep 2014 at 19:39

Consumer ISP in garbage service shocker. Unfortunately you can either battle them or migrate to a more competent (expensive) option.

redrabbit29 · 18 Sep 2014 at 19:42

Caged said:
Consumer ISP in garbage service shocker. Unfortunately you can either battle them or migrate to a more competent (expensive) option.

I've kinda reached that conclusion.

There's no real easy solution. I really want Fibre Optic now, I would like a better offer tho than just £10 a month extra (that's half price btw).