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Pentris
Mentor

Reducing broadband speed

My broadband download speed using FTTC over the last 3 years has been very consistent at 37-39Mbps. Since April is has declined by up to 50% and is now only around 20-22Mbps. NOW say that the line test shows exactly 40 every time they test it. That is impossible to get the same result each time. I think they are merely quoting the synch speed as set up in the equipment. They have replaced the router with absolutely no change for either WiFi or Ethernet tests. I have tried responding to them as directed and emails are being rejected as their emailbox is full!

This reduction is also coincidental with a new 1 year contract and also the rollout of FTTP when three neighbours have upgraded, next door to Sky. I suspect a copper line fault or they are throttling normal users bandwidth to cater for the new full fibre customers.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Jayach
Elite 3

@Pentris wrote:

 I have ordered an USB-C to Ethernet adapter so that I can try again with my laptop connected with a short ethernet cable to the router. Previous tests have used a longer cable to my desktop which is in another room to my router.

As long as the Ethernet cable is at least Cat5e, and is less than 50mtrs, the length shouldn't matter

The FTTC service shouldn't be affected by the FTTP rollout, however who knows what may be happening in the background.

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15 REPLIES 15
Jayach
Elite 3

@RoyB wrote:

@Jayach 

So what sort of thing would ‘congestion’ be? In @Pentris case, a line that has been fine for years, with the download speed very much in line with the sync speed, has suddenly halved its download speed. Which Now apparently can’t see?

So what is the point of Now telling him his sync speed is fine?

I can see where it matters to Now, as I imagine the remedial action required will be rather different if the lower download speed is caused by a lowered sync speed, rather than by congestion.

But beyond that, it seems to get neither party any further forward, and certainly doesn’t allow Now to wash their hands of the matter just because the sync speed is as expected.

(Sorry I keep banging on at you, @Jayach , but you seem to know what you are talking about, a situation I would like to attain, with your help, as far as possible 😛)


I'm finding it really hard to follow threads with the changes that have happened recently, so I'm going to try to make this a separate post. Apologies if I don't succeed.

In this instance, where changes are obviously occurring with the network in this area, there is probably  some part of the network that is being repurposed to accommodate the FTTP customers coming on-line. This means the parts left facilitating the FTTC users are being stressed and not quite coping.

This is pure guesswork, I have no knowledge of the actual situation here, and I am sure the network engineers are working hard to get it sorted out, but it takes time, change rarely comes easy.

The problem from Now's point of view is they purchase the basic connection from Openreach, with a guarantee of sync speed, but sometime the backend systems (either Now/Sky's (they are the same as Now runs on Sky network) or maybe Openreach's are not always fully capable at the time.

An awful lot of what I have said is conjecture, if only we could speak to the network engineers involved we would get a much better idea of what is happening.

From @Pentris's  point of view the only consolation is that they may soon be able to get FTTP. (but not from Now, at the moment)

Pentris
Mentor

Thank you all for your observations.  NOW have told me they will do some more tests over the next few days and only if they find a problem will it be passed to Openreach. They do appear to treat their customers as idiots sometimes. I agree that sync speeds can easily be determined from a test to look at their transmit equipment, the DSLAM equipment in the cabinet and my router. I can, and obviously did, look at my router settings before trying to report a problem so I knew it was set at 40Mbps. If they are not going to do a proper line test then they should call it a 'continuity test' or a 'set up test' but not tell me they have a line test. Their terminology is all wrong.

I worked all my life in Telecommunications and with broadband and fibre including trials of FTTP back in the early 1990's. In my day we respected customers being able to speak with us as engineers and give us information first hand. The modern way is everyone must be kept in their own box and never should they meet or communicate. A sad reflection of progress.

Thank you all.

Jayach
Elite 3

@Pentris wrote:

Thank you all for your observations.  NOW have told me they will do some more tests over the next few days and only if they find a problem will it be passed to Openreach.


That seems entirely reasonable. If your sync speeds are fine, you're  not getting line drops, and errors are not building up on your line, there is no point passing it to Openreach. They will just run their tests and pass it back NFF. (No fault Found)

That doesn't mean there is no fault, it means it isn't within Openreach's connection.

The problem is almost certainly a capacity problem within Now/Sky's local network (as Now/Sky are an LLU provider Openreach's involvement is minimal)

The call should be escalated to the network team who can test just where the slowdown is occurring. It may still not be a quick fix, it very much depends on what is needed.

Pentris
Mentor

NOW have responded. "The network team were unable to find any physical faults on the line and the speed has been consistent at 40mbps over the last 30 days. I would recommend trying a new Ethernet cable and retesting." I have ordered an USB-C to Ethernet adapter so that I can try again with my laptop connected with a short ethernet cable to the router. Previous tests have used a longer cable to my desktop which is in another room to my router. (As has been used reliably for the past 3 years)

I was interested in the response from Advocate that others appear to have similar problems after FTTP rollout in an exchange area.

My views are that the NOW so called tests are only from them to the cabinet, hence being sync figures which would only be affected if there is line transmission problem. My problem could well be that with full fibre rollout they have adopted a service prioritisation system, the higher grade service gets the first pick of the available capacity. It could also be that the FTTP take up is currently reported to be about 7% as many users just don't need the greater capacity and this will not recoup the expense of the rollout costs.

Jayach
Elite 3

@Pentris wrote:

 I have ordered an USB-C to Ethernet adapter so that I can try again with my laptop connected with a short ethernet cable to the router. Previous tests have used a longer cable to my desktop which is in another room to my router.

As long as the Ethernet cable is at least Cat5e, and is less than 50mtrs, the length shouldn't matter

The FTTC service shouldn't be affected by the FTTP rollout, however who knows what may be happening in the background.

Pentris
Mentor

Feedback for above contributors

Waited to get adapter to test my laptop on ethernet. Line tested good at 38Mbps despite not doing so for previous 3 months. WiFi not good at around 20Mbps. Used WiFi analyser app and found the new Sky router next door is quite powerful and was possibly affecting my signal as it was on the same channel. Reset my router to 'auto' channel selection and now getting 38Mbps on ethernet and Wifi. Convinced something was changed by Now or Sky on their network. Case closed, thanks for your help.

Robin Dew