ED Broadband Speed

[Sue]

Please move if this is in the wrong section, admin.

I've just moved to Plusnet, and I'm only getting about 5mbs download speed, which seems very low. I was estimated to get 7mbs, and I've got a new wireless modem as my last one was two or three years old - Plusnet claimed this should produce better results :))

There's evidently no problems at the exchange, and my phone line seems fine.

I was with AOL and I hadn't recently checked the speed I was getting with them, but this is definitely slower and seems to have got worse in the last day or two. At one point it was 4mbs.

What sort of speeds are other people getting in this area (not cable)?

I live just off North Cross Road, in case that makes a difference.

[Drxyster]

My average speed with Talk Talk is 6mb, can be as low as 4mb at peak periods.

[Loz]

How long have you had the new broadband, Sue? They take about a week or two to settle down - the line goes through a 'training period' as they work out which settings at the exchange are best for you. It can be very variable during that time.

Also, as you have a new router, you may have a channel clash on the new one with another neighbour's wireless. If you think that may be the cause you can download NetStumbler and you will be able to see the strength of your neighbours wifi signals and what channel they are using.

[James Barber]

I think you'll find lots or people are working from home and many schools are closed with kids around going online.

I think you need to wait until the weather has improved and everyone back to where they normally are before judging broadband.

[Marmora Man]

How do I measure my broadband speed? I'm with Virgin and find it both reliable and, apparently, speedy.

[nashoi]

Plenty of speed checking sites on the net like http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/

[Marmora Man]

Thanks - I'm getting 8Mb today

[Sue]

Thanks Loz and James.

Loz, I've been with Plusnet about a month now, they did tell me the line would be unstable in the first couple of weeks, but it should be over that now.

Hadn't thought about clashes with neighbour's WiFi, it's never happened before and I'd never heard of the possibility, but I'll check out that site you mentioned, thanks.

James, yes that makes sense, now you have pointed it out I realise that the recent problems did start around the time of the bad weather. Plusnet have a speed checker on their own site (though I've used another one as well) and theirs keeps a record of the speed together with date and time tested, so I should easily be able to see what's happening once the snow has melted.

Marmora Man, if you have cable you should be getting a very high speed and probably have no need to check it (except to feel smug :)) ) ! I did consider Virgin but for various reasons including price decided against it. They still bombard me with advertising material though :)

[winslow]

I am thinking of changing my broadband - any recommendations?

[Loz]

If you have Sky TV, Sky BB is pretty good and fairly cheap. I pay ?7.50 for an 8meg line with unlimited downloads.

[Sue]

I went via one of those comparison website things, who recommended Plusnet.

I went for Plusnet on the grounds of a) price b) good phone/broadband package c) UK based customer service d)It couldn't be worse than AOL who I was with before :))

I also got a voucher - can't remember what, I think it's a ?40 Amazon voucher - which made the deal even cheaper.

However I would say the changeover didn't go very smoothly, they say you will have an uninterrupted service but it wasn't.

My broadband went off for some hours, and I had to phone Plusnet to get it activated at their end, which I shouldn't have had to do. The phone changeover was fine, however.

I'm having problems with the speed (hence my OP) but will wait till the bad weather is over and see what happens then.

If I hadn't been recently given a Topfield box, I would probably have bit the bullet and gone for cable TV and broadband with Virgin, however .....

[ianr]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> Thanks - I'm getting 8Mb today

Over the BT telephone line, from Virgin?

[Sue]

ianr Wrote:

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> Marmora Man Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Thanks - I'm getting 8Mb today

>

> Over the BT telephone line, from Virgin?

xxxxxxxxxx

That must be with cable, surely?

My phone line (693 number) won't support 8mb - Plusnet had estimated my line speed at 7mbs but I haven't got above 5.5 mbs since I moved to them, which is about the same as I was getting with AOL.

[louisiana]

Mine is around 7.2 this morning.

O2, over a BT line. (I can almost see the BT exchange out of the window, just around the corner, so I should be getting the max.)

[ianr]

I'm on what Virgin National (which is what they now call their ADSL phone-line broadband). I wouldn't advise switching to it. If anyone is thinking of doing so, have a look at the forum page http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Broadband-down-your-phone-line/bd-p/national. At present it seems fairly typical, with a fair proportion of gripes about low speeds. No saying how representative this is, I suppose: happy bunnies don't gripe. Nevertheless, not all bunnies appear happy.

[Earl Aelfheah]

I'm with orange - Usually around 10 -11 mbs download.

[Applespider]

Another thing that can affect wifi speeds/reliability at this time of year is Christmas lights between you and your base station.

[tomchance]

I find my basic Virgin connection fairly reasonable, although at peak times it can drop to shockingly low speeds. Right now I'm getting download speeds of 9.5 Mbps, but yesterday I gave it a go and got a measly 1.2 Mbps!

[wjfox]

nashoi Wrote:

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> Plenty of speed checking sites on the net like

> http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/

Here's mine:

http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/bimages/34473757.jpg

[Penguin68]

I am on BT broadband, over a standard land-line using ADSL - with a download (Sunday morning) of 11,920 and an upload of 1,006. The BT 'superfast' Infinity service comes to Dulwich in March next year, I believe. I think my service is advertised as 'up to' 20Mgbs - BT suggests that 13Mgbs is more likely, given the state of my local loop and distace from the exchange.

[Tony Rabbit]

I thought ED would be doing better than that overall considering we have an exchange plonked in Lordship Lane.

Just used three speed testers (@1730 9-12-2010) 19372kbps down 1075kbps up. BT Business Broadband.

[Sue]

Where is the exchange located exactly? Which bit of Lordship Lane? Thanks.

[ianr]

> Where is the exchange located exactly? Which bit of Lordship Lane? Thanks.

This checker shows it on a map, and gives your distance from it. http://kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php

[DulwichFox]

Hi Sue

Local BT Exchange is in Lordship Lane on the right just after Court Lane.

Site of the Old 'Haunted' Fire Station

[Sue]

Thanks both, that's useful.

Seems I can't expect to get more than 6 so I suppose 5.5 ish isn't too bad :-S