Anyone else getting cr@ppy download speeds recently?

[tog_in_sox]

Past week or so I've been lucky to get above 500kbps in the evenings. And today it's the same during the daytime.

Called my ISP and as usual they've said to run some speed tests over 24hrs to send back to their techs. Feckin' load of good that's ever done.

I'm on BT connection and circuits apparently (Brixton exchange)

Is BT faffing with their traffic management again?

[DJKillaQueen]

I read a few days ago that OFCOM are going to deal with the promises ISPs make on bandwidth. They argue that advertising something as speeds of up to *** when actually delivering far inferior speeds to many customers is unfair and misleading. I totally agree with them.

The problem BT has is that it shares it's network with other ISPs (it rents to) and to be honest it's not up to the job. Peak usage is so high they have to restrict bandwidth. Cable providers (like Virgin Media/ Sky etc have a better service at the moment because they don't share their network with other companies and are probably the better option for anyone wanting consistent speed.

[DulwichFox]

Hi tog_in_sox

I'm on a BT Connection. Which is a copper connection

served by old telegraph pole.

I believe ED area is served from Dulwich Exchange Lordship Lane.

I don't download large music files so not too much affected by speed

but never get 2mbts

Do have a lot of trouble with the BT Mail Server which crashes so frequently.

Would be tempted to move to another ISP but would mean losing my e-mail names.

[stevebailey]

Are you talking download of data speed or just speed of your connection?

If you're downloading a file and getting it @ 500kb/sec then that's fast for BT in ED.

If you mean you've gone to speedtest.net and thats all you're getting as a connection speed than that's crap!

Cant comment on Brixton exchange as I am on the Dulwich exchange, i regularly and consistently get 4.5-5mb connection speed.

Have you tried removing the Belwire from your main BT socket in your house, I did this about 3 months ago and it upped my from 3mb to the above connection speed.

[tog_in_sox]

Thanks All.

Steve, any schematics on how to remove the bell wire?

I'm using a bandwidth monitoring tool and the total flow is only 500kbps not kBps.

May finally have to consider moving a few doors over.

The sooner ISPs are forced to sell minimum consistent speed rated products the sooner the rip-off ends.

[stevebailey]

Tog,

Here you go - http://www.jarviser.co.uk/jarviser/bellwirenutshell.html

1. This is the one I followed.

2. You do this at your own risk.

The problems ISP's have (and I do not work for one!) is that they're working with VERY old copper cabling, and you have to share with other people on your exchange, unless you move next door to the main exchange you're not going to get anything near the advertised. There are only 2 ways of getting better speeds.

1. Move closer to the exchange.

2. as DJKillaQueen says, get on to something like Virgins FTTC (Fibre to the cabinet) meaning its a fibre infrastructure right up to your local exchange cabinet, somewhere near your house and copper the rest of the way.

Fibre is the future of broadband, it's just new and takes a lot of investment, I had it in Forest Hill, and went for the 20mb instead of 50mb and every speedtest i did on speedtest.net I got between 19.2 and 19.7mb.

[tog_in_sox]

Thanks again Steve

[stevebailey]

No worries, I just re-read what i'd put and god.........what a geek! :-(