Internet Speed

[steve_b_wales]

14 minutes ago, Imperfection said:

I just did a speed test and came up with 106.8 download and 9.57 upload. I use Virgin who tend to have fast speeds but i have their basic level.

I do tend to keep my laptops clean and delete unwanted stuff. 

Have you defragmented your computer recently?

Yes, defragmented recently and 'cleaned' often using CCleaner. I've also scanned for bugs etc.

[AVB]

If you are a long way from the exchange then you are going to get rubbish speeds regardless with who you are with as they all run over the same infrastructure. If it was previously quicker then there be a local fault that can be fixed. I used to get c. 5 mbs which dropped to sub 1 mbs once which BT fixed. Fortunately we had fibre to the property installed via the rural broadband scheme. Now get 300 mbs download and upload. 

[strimmer_13]

Yea turn mobile data off on your phone and connect the ookla speed test on WiFi. See what you get then. 

Just out of interest what speeds are you paying for, my mother who lives on top of the preseli hills in west wales only gets .5mb/sec as her exchange is 4 miles away. Its awful. I had 8mb/sec on my 3g dongle going back a few years 

[Munzy]

Forget cleaning up your machine, defragmenting that won’t effect download speed as measured by a tool like Ookla. Interference by a cordless phone, microwave etc will effect your wifi network rather than your download speed so unlikely to be this if your phone is working fine over wifi.

The key to tackling network issues is to work methodically and record the outcomes of everything you do. Do this and post back:

1. Switch off mobile data on your phone and ensure you’re connected to your wifi. Google something random and ensure a results page appears (this is to ensure you’re not loading a cached page).

2. Run a speed test on your phone using something like Ookla. Record the results.

3. Run a speed test using the same tool on your computer. Record the results.

4. If the speeds are the same (or there abouts) and they are under what you are paying for then get on to your provider.

5. If your mobile speed (via your hone wifi) is quicker then get an ethernet cable and plug your computer directly into the router.

6. Repeat the speed test and compare with the previous results.

7. If your download speed has increased AND is on par with your mobile (assuming your mobile speed was good in step 2) then your issue is not the line or the wifi but your previous connection method between router and computer (someone mentioned you’re using powerline adapters).

8. Reset or replace the powerline adapters and test your computer connection again. If you still have low speed then you may need to ditch the powerlines, I’ve seen issues with these across multiple rings for example.

 

[AVB]

Power line adaptors also degrade over time to the point of failure. 

[Westward]

Internet speed tests don't measure speed, they measure how much data can be transferred in a given amount of time, usually per second. The correct term for such tests is bandwidth.

If you have a home broadband connection using BT infrastructure or similar, your perceived performance with things like page load can be adversely affected by overall traffic load, multiplexing several properties off a single line and particularly time of day. Quite honestly most people don't notice much difference between copper and fibre and "blinding speed" only exists in the inventive minds of the marketing folks - regardless of the advertising hype.

[kernel gadaffi]

2 hours ago, Spr1985 said:

Another thing to take into account (if you have a home phone) don’t put the internet router near it as it will cause issues. 
 May also be worth switching the router off and unplugging for five mins or so and then reconnect to power and boot up. 
 

As above.

[Yellow Bear]

It may be a silly question but if you have wifi in the house have you tested the speed using that rather than the poweline adaptors?

[ph5172]

I’m sure we have spoken on this before. 
I’m also with sky and it’s been shocking recently. Dropping out multiple ones a day and running really slow others. 
 

I’m sure BT were never as bad

I'm ditching them ASAP

[AVB]

4 minutes ago, ph5172 said:

I’m sure we have spoken on this before. 
I’m also with sky and it’s been shocking recently. Dropping out multiple ones a day and running really slow others. 
 

I’m sure BT were never as bad

I'm ditching them ASAP

It’s runs over the same infrastructure. The only difference would be the router at your end. 

[ditchman]

3 hours ago, steve_b_wales said:

Yes, defragmented recently and 'cleaned' often using CCleaner. I've also scanned for bugs etc.

How on earth has it come to this .....you were once a famous fast on the draw ruthless moderator....with access to the mainframe at Teal H,Q........

and now you are reduced to the same level as us....the base socilaisters....and cannon fodder..............have you now been relieved of your special internet speed and access and interlect..........and reduced to living on crumbs from the PW poletareate....

dear oh dear..........

hope you get sorted

[udderlyoffroad]

58 minutes ago, AVB said:

It’s runs over the same infrastructure.

Only for the last part, from the exchange to his house.

It's entirely possibly Sky has installed their own hardware at the exchange, and have their own connection from their to the rest of the internet, independent of BT (not too likely in a rural exchange, more common in busy suburban ones where competition is hot).

Whatever, do as @Munzy suggests, work methodically, and eliminate variables.

There is no substitute for running proper ethernet cables if at all possible, especially if this is your 'forever' house.

 

[Munzy]

The other thing to check (once you’ve analysed your speeds across different physical setups) is whether your router has been supplied by the internet provider. If it has it may be using an overloaded DNS server.

I had awful problems with Plusnet and after several visits from engineers who confirmed the line is fine I bought a TP Link router and adjusted it to use the OpenDNS servers rather than Plusnet’s. Speed went through the roof.

Getting ahead of ourselves but thought I’d mention it while I think of it.

[steve_b_wales]

9 hours ago, ditchman said:

How on earth has it come to this .....you were once a famous fast on the draw ruthless moderator....with access to the mainframe at Teal H,Q........

and now you are reduced to the same level as us....the base socilaisters....and cannon fodder..............have you now been relieved of your special internet speed and access and interlect..........and reduced to living on crumbs from the PW poletareate....

dear oh dear..........

hope you get sorted

The mighty has fallen! 

[ph5172]

8 hours ago, Munzy said:

The other thing to check (once you’ve analysed your speeds across different physical setups) is whether your router has been supplied by the internet provider. If it has it may be using an overloaded DNS server.

I had awful problems with Plusnet and after several visits from engineers who confirmed the line is fine I bought a TP Link router and adjusted it to use the OpenDNS servers rather than Plusnet’s. Speed went through the roof.

Getting ahead of ourselves but thought I’d mention it while I think of it.

I’m sure with sky you are tied into their router unless you are a wizard due to some reasoning I cannot recall. 
 

 

[ditchman]

32 minutes ago, steve_b_wales said:

The mighty has fallen! 

well....it just proves ............

"be nice to people on the way up.................as you will need them on the way down........"...

[discobob]

1 hour ago, ph5172 said:

I’m sure with sky you are tied into their router unless you are a wizard due to some reasoning I cannot recall. 
 

 

You can override the DNS settings on the client if you can't configure them in the router

[steve_b_wales]

UPDATE:

Further to my post yesterday regarding very poor internet speed, I went and purchased a 10mtr ethernet cable from Argos (£10) and before connecting it direct to the computer/router, I did three speed tests, before and after, with different companies. What a difference!

Results: Virgin Media test  before Upload 1.3 / Download 0.4 - after U.L 18.1 / DL  1.0

Broadband Genie before UL 0.98 / DL 0.34   after DL 17.31 / UL 0.94

U Switch before UL 1.63 / DL 0.4   after UL 17.42 / DL 0.98

The Biggest problem I have now is how I can 'hide' the ethernet cable? Annoyingly, a few weeks ago, I had new flooring/skirting boards, and the ethernet cable could have been run under the floor. The only answer I can see so far is to have BT fit the main telephone junction box, into the lounge, instead of at the bottom of the stairs in the hallway.

One question? Does the router have to be connected directly to the main telephone junction box or can it be connected to an extension socket?

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by steve_b_wales

[WalkedUp]

Glad it’s sorted! 

Hiding it is easy enough but time consuming to do well. I would clip it to the wall temporarily whilst you plot the most efficient route and speak to BT regarding the master socket. 

When I had my house built all Ethernet cables were built in to high level in a cloakroom for a network switch. When the BT engineer came to connect us I came home from work and my wife had ignored the drawings and just told him to bring the cable in wherever was easiest for them. I.e. the far end of the house in the sitting room 😭

I have a temporary fix but two years later, i do need to get them out to move it at some point. 

[steve_b_wales]

41 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

Glad it’s sorted! 

Hiding it is easy enough but time consuming to do well. I would clip it to the wall temporarily whilst you plot the most efficient route and speak to BT regarding the master socket. 

When I had my house built all Ethernet cables were built in to high level in a cloakroom for a network switch. When the BT engineer came to connect us I came home from work and my wife had ignored the drawings and just told him to bring the cable in wherever was easiest for them. I.e. the far end of the house in the sitting room 😭

I have a temporary fix but two years later, i do need to get them out to move it at some point. 

I could clip it to the skirting boards (wife would go nuts!) but the problem is running it from the lounge into the hallway. I've just asked the guy who fitted our laminate flooring if it's possible to temporary remove a section of flooring from the hallway through into the lounge without damaging anything, although I have plenty of spare lengths of flooring. I could then 'sink' the cable just beneath floor level so it wouldn't get damaged.

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by steve_b_wales

[Spr1985]

3 hours ago, steve_b_wales said:

One question? Does the router have to be connected directly to the main telephone junction box or can it be connected to an extension socket?

It will need attaching to the main box as the router uses rj45 plugs and the phone RJ11 the extension boxes are normally only rj11 

[udderlyoffroad]

5 hours ago, steve_b_wales said:

Does the router have to be connected directly to the main telephone junction box or can it be connected to an extension socket?

Yes but don’t do this, you’ve just solved one issue throttling your connection, don’t create another! 
If you can run telephone cable, you can run Ethernet. Speak to a proper sparkie, he can probably run some discreet trunking which will keep SWMBO happy.

[Newbie to this]

Have a look at the D-Line trunking, they do some that blend in with the skirting. 

https://www.d-line-it.com

[steve_b_wales]

8 hours ago, udderlyoffroad said:

Yes but don’t do this, you’ve just solved one issue throttling your connection, don’t create another! 
If you can run telephone cable, you can run Ethernet. Speak to a proper sparkie, he can probably run some discreet trunking which will keep SWMBO happy.

Thanks

2 hours ago, Newbie to this said:

Have a look at the D-Line trunking, they do some that blend in with the skirting. 

https://www.d-line-it.com

Thanks

My thanks to everyone who has commented and helped with suggestions, idea's and links. I'm waiting for the guy who laid the floor to call up next week to see if he can lift and replace some of the flooring without damaging it. If the worst comes to the worst, I have a few boxes of flooring left and can ask him to relay it. 

In the meantime, I've gone back to my old system as I can't have the cable all over the floor. 

Watch this space! 

[Jaymo]

Just get a BT whole home disc type setup.

Uses ‘mesh’ techniques to provide a Wi-Fi signal everywhere. 
 

Would be better than powerline adapters and easy to put a Wi-Fi card into your current PC