Please explain download speed

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

Soldato
Joined
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Hello.

A friend of mine has just signed up and been activated on O2 Broadband 20mb package. He is unhappy as he is downloading at 3mbps, which to me sounds pretty good and normal.

He seems to think he should be download at 20mbps. Now, I am right in thinking that being on a 20mb package doesn't mean you can download at 20mbps even if you are sitting next to the exchange?

Could someone explain in Lehman's terms how a 20mb package translates into a 3mbps download speed?

Thanks
 
20mbit will mean a max download speed of 2500 kilobytes per second, also you're unlikely to get the maximum like you said.
 
8b/1B and similar.
Only as fast as the slowest point in the route.
Unsure of ADSL but on Cable Ive frequently topped out my connection at 22-2600Kbps
 
Well, for a start, broadband packages are specified in megabits per second, not the megabytes you see when you're downloading. The maximum he could download would be 2.5megabytes/sec.
Plus, as you say, the length of the line to his exchange will affect the download speed, as well as the quality of the line. This is simply because more data gets lost the longer the line is, so you can't put as much down it.
 
Last edited:
Its an UPTO 20mbit package, as is all DSL.

The tech is so unpredictable and affected by so many factors that they simply cannot guarantee a lower limit, what they will gurantee is that no one will ever exceed 20mbit on their package, factors include:

how far your friend is from the exchange,
the quality of his houses internal wiring,
etc..

IF his line allowed him to connect at 20mbit, he would get 20mbit. It doesnt, so he gets whatever his line allows him to connect at.

Tell him to try plugging the modem/router into the BT master socket if its in an extension, make sure hes using a good filter etc. Also, if he has a compatible router he may want to try and use DMT Tool to lower his attenuation level. Typically BE sets their network to 6dB, but many find they can run at 4 or sometimes even lower, this can get megabits of extra connection speed (possibly at the cost of stability).

Also, shouldnt this be in networks? :)
 
manic_man said:
Its an UPTO 20mbit package, as is all DSL.

The tech is so unpredictable and affected by so many factors that they simply cannot guarantee a lower limit, what they will gurantee is that no one will ever exceed 20mbit on their package, factors include:

how far your friend is from the exchange,
the quality of his houses internal wiring,
etc..

IF his line allowed him to connect at 20mbit, he would get 20mbit. It doesnt, so he gets whatever his line allows him to connect at.

Tell him to try plugging the modem/router into the BT master socket if its in an extension, make sure hes using a good filter etc. Also, if he has a compatible router he may want to try and use DMZ Tool to lower his attenuation level. Typically BE sets their network to 6dB, but many find they can run at 4 or sometimes even lower, this can get megabits of extra connection speed (possibly at the cost of stability).

Also, shouldnt this be in networks? :)
Click to expand...

I needed a quick answer so posted here. I am not asking about conditions for download speed such as distance to the exchange etc. Simply his confusion (and mine to some extent) between the speed he thinks he should be getting and the speed he is getting.

I just can't explain it to him
 
tell him it's the difference in 20mbit and 3megabytes. Or in terms he might understand - 20 miles vs 30 kilometers. They're different measurements, if he is getting 3megabytes then he should be very happy.
 
Masterdog said:
Well, for a start, broadband packages are specified in megabits per second, not the megabytes you see when you're downloading. The maximum he could download would be 3.5megabytes/sec.
Plus, as you say, the length of the line to his exchange will affect the download speed, as well as the quality of the line. This is simply because more data gets lost the longer the line is, so you can't put as much down it.
Click to expand...

Perfect, this is what I was after. Thank you :)

/thread
 
8 bits in one byte.

20MBits is roughly equal to 2.5 MBytes per second, then you take overheads off and your left with your download capacity.

Edit - Thatll teach me to leave my reply in the edit box for 10 minutes before hitting post :P
 
Log onto his router or download DMT if his router supports it, and see what he is synched at.

if he is downloading at 3mbit speeds (~ 366Kb/s) then his router should be synched at around 3mbit (probably a bit higher allowing for overheads)

Or if you mean he is downloading at 3MBytes/s then his line will be synched probably at the full 20mbit and he has one of the best lines in the UK :) (so shouldnt be complaining!!)

Either way, show him the figure on his router and do some basic bit/byte maths for him.
 
Yeah, his 3megabyte speed is actually really good for that kind of connection (in fact, seeing as 3 megabytes = 24 megabits, he's actually doing better than his connection should technically allow)
 
divide by 8, then minus a bit as you'll rarely be able to get the full amount..

although if he's getting 3MB/s on a 20mbit, that's not bad going!
 
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