Another BT Broadband question
Discussion
Well, it's finally happened! My BT Broadband connection has been uprated from 2MB to 6MB. 
In theory, anyway. When I logged on this morning, my download speed was all of about 10kbps faster than usual, while uploads were at a whizzy 360kbps - 100kbps faster than usual.
I tried shutting down the router for 3 minutes like the BT website suggests - made no difference.
So is this the best I can hope for, or is there any chance - as someone at BT suggested the other day - that downloads might take a little while to speed up?
And, purely as an aside - why do they restrict upload speeds to that extent? When I download a huge file from a client, it never takes long - but sending it back again is always a PITA.
In theory, anyway. When I logged on this morning, my download speed was all of about 10kbps faster than usual, while uploads were at a whizzy 360kbps - 100kbps faster than usual.
I tried shutting down the router for 3 minutes like the BT website suggests - made no difference.
So is this the best I can hope for, or is there any chance - as someone at BT suggested the other day - that downloads might take a little while to speed up?
And, purely as an aside - why do they restrict upload speeds to that extent? When I download a huge file from a client, it never takes long - but sending it back again is always a PITA.
10 days is the period in which they fix your line speed, your speed will fluctuate over the next 10 days and will be set at the highest speed you attain.
So if you peak at 7mb then its a 7mb line.
I had mine switched on yesterday too, got all of 3.3mb due to being miles from the exchange and having more bizzare BT equipment on the side of the house than GPO Tower.
Still, its a lot better than 512...
So if you peak at 7mb then its a 7mb line.
I had mine switched on yesterday too, got all of 3.3mb due to being miles from the exchange and having more bizzare BT equipment on the side of the house than GPO Tower.
Still, its a lot better than 512...
But are you actually physically able to get 6mb? Most upgrades say you will get upto 6mb but is limited by the local exchange.
What does the Broadband speed check say on BT website (or try the Bulldog check or any other ISP website)
www.bt.com/broadband/bb_info.jsp - pop upir telephone number in and check max possible speed.
What does the Broadband speed check say on BT website (or try the Bulldog check or any other ISP website)
www.bt.com/broadband/bb_info.jsp - pop upir telephone number in and check max possible speed.
Plotloss said:
10 days is the period in which they fix your line speed, your speed will fluctuate over the next 10 days and will be set at the highest speed you attain.
So if you peak at 7mb then its a 7mb line.
I had mine switched on yesterday too, got all of 3.3mb due to being miles from the exchange and having more bizzare BT equipment on the side of the house than GPO Tower.
Still, its a lot better than 512...
So if you peak at 7mb then its a 7mb line.
I had mine switched on yesterday too, got all of 3.3mb due to being miles from the exchange and having more bizzare BT equipment on the side of the house than GPO Tower.
Still, its a lot better than 512...
Thanks Plotters!
3.3MB? What have you got that I haven't? Actually, don't answer that... 
You were on 512 before? I've been on 2MB since it was available here, and 1850kbps is about the best I've ever got out of it so far. This line is meant to be a 6MB, but we'll see.FourWheelDrift said:
But are you actually physically able to get 6mb? Most upgrades say you will get upto 6mb but is limited by the local exchange.
What does the Broadband speed check say on BT website (or try the Bulldog check or any other ISP website)
www.bt.com/broadband/bb_info.jsp - pop upir telephone number in and check max possible speed.
What does the Broadband speed check say on BT website (or try the Bulldog check or any other ISP website)
www.bt.com/broadband/bb_info.jsp - pop upir telephone number in and check max possible speed.
Thanks FWD. That's a very good question, actually. BT told me on the phone that 6MB should be possible, and checking the number on BT's site gives me this...
BT said:
Our initial test on your line indicates that you should be able to have BT Broadband with download speeds up to 6Mb.
If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable for the speed of service you wish to order.
If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable for the speed of service you wish to order.
When I placed the order, nobody confirmed whether or not the line was suitable. Should I start worrying?!
SGirl said:
Plotloss said:
10 days is the period in which they fix your line speed, your speed will fluctuate over the next 10 days and will be set at the highest speed you attain.
So if you peak at 7mb then its a 7mb line.
I had mine switched on yesterday too, got all of 3.3mb due to being miles from the exchange and having more bizzare BT equipment on the side of the house than GPO Tower.
Still, its a lot better than 512...
So if you peak at 7mb then its a 7mb line.
I had mine switched on yesterday too, got all of 3.3mb due to being miles from the exchange and having more bizzare BT equipment on the side of the house than GPO Tower.
Still, its a lot better than 512...
Thanks Plotters!
3.3MB? What have you got that I haven't? Actually, don't answer that... You were on 512 before? I've been on 2MB since it was available here, and 1850kbps is about the best I've ever got out of it so far. This line is meant to be a 6MB, but we'll see.When the house was built it was a party line.
Subsequently the local exchange is full so we have all manner of bizzare repeater boxes on the house which split the line into many addressable lines. We have 4 coming in in total but only one can support broadband. The junction boxes and multiplexers and all the other guff in the way between the local exchange and my computers mean the line is degraded and cant carry the max speed. You have less stuff in the way and a better infrastructure so you can get double the speed I do...
I've put my hand up for a regrade with Nildram (monthly payment stays the same as the 2mb line I'm currently on, which is nice).
They're saying the line can support 4mb but they said as a general observation they're seeing higher yield than their remote line testing suggests, especially on newer exchanges/lines (which ours is, I think).
All down to BT from here on in. Fingers crossed then. Both hands. And my toes.
Something I never asked them though - do BT charge you (via Nildram) for the line upgrade?
They're saying the line can support 4mb but they said as a general observation they're seeing higher yield than their remote line testing suggests, especially on newer exchanges/lines (which ours is, I think).
All down to BT from here on in. Fingers crossed then. Both hands. And my toes.
Something I never asked them though - do BT charge you (via Nildram) for the line upgrade?
I have BT, the exchange should give me 5.5meg I get about 4.7meg.
www.adslguide.org.uk/
For lots of broadband info
ADSL Speed.....Typical Download..... Typical Upload
512Kbps'..... 460 Kbps .... 200-240 Kbps
1Mbps..... 920 Kbps.... 200-240 Kbps
2Mbps..... 1840 Kbps.... 200-240 Kbps
8Mbps..... 7300 Kbps..... 400-756 Kbps
www.adslguide.org.uk/
For lots of broadband info
ADSL Speed.....Typical Download..... Typical Upload
512Kbps'..... 460 Kbps .... 200-240 Kbps
1Mbps..... 920 Kbps.... 200-240 Kbps
2Mbps..... 1840 Kbps.... 200-240 Kbps
8Mbps..... 7300 Kbps..... 400-756 Kbps
Okay chaps, here's the latest.
The 6MB link has been online now since the 6th. The morning it came online, upload rates shot up to a blistering 350kbps
which is fine.
But download rates are remaining constant at about 1870kbps. I've just spoken to BT, and they reckon I'm only 571 metres away from the exchange, so the distance shouldn't be a problem. They tried to argue that the contention ratio might be a factor, but wouldn't that cause the speed to fluctuate between peak and off-peak times? It doesn't fluctuate much at all, just by maybe 10kbps over the course of a day.
So the question is, what should I do now? I'm using a BT 220V Voyager router via Ethernet, could that be upgraded? Should I get some faster hardware? Please don't say "dump BT and get yourself a proper ISP", because I'm stuck with the contract I took out when I upgraded to BT Business.
Any cunning plans very gratefully accepted and rewarded with copious amounts of whatever you like to drink.
The 6MB link has been online now since the 6th. The morning it came online, upload rates shot up to a blistering 350kbps
which is fine. But download rates are remaining constant at about 1870kbps. I've just spoken to BT, and they reckon I'm only 571 metres away from the exchange, so the distance shouldn't be a problem. They tried to argue that the contention ratio might be a factor, but wouldn't that cause the speed to fluctuate between peak and off-peak times? It doesn't fluctuate much at all, just by maybe 10kbps over the course of a day.
So the question is, what should I do now? I'm using a BT 220V Voyager router via Ethernet, could that be upgraded? Should I get some faster hardware? Please don't say "dump BT and get yourself a proper ISP", because I'm stuck with the contract I took out when I upgraded to BT Business.
Any cunning plans very gratefully accepted and rewarded with copious amounts of whatever you like to drink.
SGirl said:
Okay chaps, here's the latest.
The 6MB link has been online now since the 6th. The morning it came online, upload rates shot up to a blistering 350kbps which is fine.
But download rates are remaining constant at about 1870kbps. I've just spoken to BT, and they reckon I'm only 571 metres away from the exchange, so the distance shouldn't be a problem. They tried to argue that the contention ratio might be a factor, but wouldn't that cause the speed to fluctuate between peak and off-peak times? It doesn't fluctuate much at all, just by maybe 10kbps over the course of a day.
So the question is, what should I do now? I'm using a BT 220V Voyager router via Ethernet, could that be upgraded? Should I get some faster hardware? Please don't say "dump BT and get yourself a proper ISP", because I'm stuck with the contract I took out when I upgraded to BT Business.
Any cunning plans very gratefully accepted and rewarded with copious amounts of whatever you like to drink.
The 6MB link has been online now since the 6th. The morning it came online, upload rates shot up to a blistering 350kbps
which is fine. But download rates are remaining constant at about 1870kbps. I've just spoken to BT, and they reckon I'm only 571 metres away from the exchange, so the distance shouldn't be a problem. They tried to argue that the contention ratio might be a factor, but wouldn't that cause the speed to fluctuate between peak and off-peak times? It doesn't fluctuate much at all, just by maybe 10kbps over the course of a day.
So the question is, what should I do now? I'm using a BT 220V Voyager router via Ethernet, could that be upgraded? Should I get some faster hardware? Please don't say "dump BT and get yourself a proper ISP", because I'm stuck with the contract I took out when I upgraded to BT Business.
Any cunning plans very gratefully accepted and rewarded with copious amounts of whatever you like to drink.
Have you tried taking the connection down for an hour or so and then booting the router back up?
SGirl said:
neil_cardiff said:
Have you tried taking the connection down for an hour or so and then booting the router back up?
An hour? No. BT recommend 3 minutes on their website... Do you think that might help?
Never hurts to try.
It takes about twenty minutes for the exchange to 'forget' your ticket, I always recommend a two stage process to people with ADSL issues. First, reboot the router, if that doesn't help, then take it down for at least 15 minutes, and then start it up again.
If you do it over lunch you'll be sure that it's completely 'cleared' itself, and you can have a clear consience on that part.
If it doesn't help, maybe swap out for a different router.
BT will insist that you'll have done all of these before they start looking at their end.
Oh, and it's the same for all the ISPs - they all use the same final mile and exchanges...
neil_cardiff said:
It takes about twenty minutes for the exchange to 'forget' your ticket, I always recommend a two stage process to people with ADSL issues. First, reboot the router, if that doesn't help, then take it down for at least 15 minutes, and then start it up again.
I downed the router for 2 hours last night, and the issue is still unresolved.
So should I try a different router now? Or could it have something to do with my Ethernet connection?
Oh well. At least the upload is really fast now. Comparatively.
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