Fluctuating internet download speed.

9db is not bad, but it sound like your are residing at the range of the exchange for dsl services (more resistance more noise). Roll on fibre or room-temperature superconductors.

Back in 2009 my woes started with a slowing down of my BB speed (expected speed no more than 4 Mbps) to as low as 20 Kbps. Eventually the DSL light on my router went out and it stayed out.
Several calls to Pipex/Tiscali/TalkTalk/whoever and two visits from BT engineers and a Tiscali Broadband engineer did not solve the issue.

My equipment was not to blame. Rebooting/reseting the router made no difference. Swapping to a spare router made no change. Changing the micro-filter made no difference. Pipex tested the line with a ‘680 error’ reported (that’s no dial tone to save you Googling it).
BT arrived eventually but could not help as the line was fine and he was told it was a line fault then departed after trying to confuse me with a shedload of acronyms/abbreviations (he succeeded).
Tiscali Broadband engineer arrived about 10 days later and said it wasn’t my equipment (surprise) as his router failed to illuminate the DSL light, and went within ten minutes. Couple of days later another BT engineer arrived to fix a line fault but not a BB fault!

What? Wait, it was reported as a line fault NOT a broadband fault? I sensed I was getting stuck in a loop here….

He did go to the exchange and checked the “mapping” (OK) and the line (OK) and swapped out the BT socket (just in case).

In the end the problem was down to a piece of equipment owned by Pipex in the BT exchange. It was eventually swapped but I was without any internet for almost a month. It was only after I told Pipex I wanted my MAC code and told them exactly what I felt about their appaling technical support did my connection miraculously fire up again.

They will do their utmost to skirt around the fact that the fault is either on the line or at the exchange. So what if they have to fork out money to BT to sort out the problem – that’s part of the problem – Pipex engineers were not allowed to access the BT exchange without a BT engineer being present.

I have been experiencing some speed issues again and did a SNR & Line attenuation check via my router software – it’s not looking good – while my speed is recorded as 4416kbps the LA is 52db and SNR is 9db (apparently LA – 60dB is bad; 20dB is good, SNR – 20dB is good; 6dB is rock-bottom – A low SNR ratio makes it difficult for the router to sync with the DSLAM card at the telephone exchange). This may well be the start of yet another bout of frustrating phone calls.
Pipex are now part of Talktalk so I may just get the MAC code and save myself several spats of facedesking….

I thought it was common knowledge that most UK isps inc. BT throttle download speeds at peak time. It’s nothing to do with america, its about isps saving money via their customers.

Google it.

I had decreasing speeds it was only just under 1meg at it’s best but dropped to 350kbps. After much phaffing about and 8 weeks later BT finally came out changed my main socket to the one with a built in filter [can’t remember what type it’s called] low and behold I got 4megs!! 😮

I have no idea how long I put with rubbish speeds nor why the decreased in the first place but I’m glad they did.

That is the nature of the internet. It goes a lot slower mid afternoon, as that is when America wakes up! Best time of the day is first thing in the morning.

Bruce

Even though every time I call they deny a problem I get faster speeds during the day, once kids get home from school it starts to slow and by the evening when everyone is using their internet/cable for surfing/tv it gets a bit sluggish.

Does Mr Openreach have to come to the house? I phoned BT and they ran a diag. check of some sort and said the line was OK. Well, the line would be OK, the phone and sky link works perfectly. The internet works perfectly…..just slow in some circumstances, hence my checking the DL speed.
New router hasn’t arrived at my UK home yet.

PeeDee – think about it logically. There are several aspects to you establishing a connection between your PC and the ISP. How do you find the fault if you were the provider?

Noisy copper lines don’t always show themselves up all the time. You should though be making a note of the SNR and attenuation at good times and bad.

In a simple non-technical fault-finding process (as many call centres are so staffed) it’s typically thus:

1. Plug router directly into test socket
Any better? No?
2. Send new filters
Any better? No?
3. Send replacement router
Any better? No…?

Ok guv, likely not our equipment then. We’ll now risk incurring a fee for BT OpenReach to come out and have check the lines (£129 inc VAT). Usually BT will waive this to whomever if a fault is found on their equipment, but if they deem it wasted time, they charge their client.

This assumes ADSL option 2 (unbundled package)

I can guarantee you it’s a problem at the exchange, and will be fixed in no less than 3 weeks, if you keep on at BT about getting an engineer to have a look.

Trying to get someone decent on the phone is like playing the lottery.

cheers

Edit.
I’ve just been onto Orange again, as my speed has actually gone worse having left the cable plugged to the main BT box all night.
They have finally capitulated into sending a new Router. I knew it was this all along.

Should still manage Skype video calls at that lower speed. I used to make Skype and iChat video calls at 1.5-2 Mbps with no real issues.

As for the reasons – don’t believe your ISP. From experience they will tell you no end of rowlocks to shift any responsibility away from themselves….