Painfully slow uploads and everything grinds to a halt

[#1]

I'm on the basic broadband package and my speed-tests come back fine: 14 down and 0.9 up, which isn't great but should be enough for my needs.

However, whenever I upload something in real conditions it drops to unbearably slow speeds (e.g. 25kbps) and downloading stops at the same time, occasionally killing the connection entirely. It's so bad that I can't do a speed-test while uploading a photo to OneDrive because the speed-test web page won't even load.

It's been like this since I joined PlusNet two years ago, but that was a nightmare that took forever to get me connected so I've just learned to live with it rather than dealing with getting it fixed and risking being without a connection for weeks again. I've just started using OneDrive for work though, and the syncing just completely kills my connection so I need to do something about it.

[#2]

@chris2022 If you are on ADSL as you have suggested, then 0.9 is the max upload you are going to get, anyway. How much are you trying to upload to OneDrive at a time - to be honest, you need to make sure nothing else is happening online at the time, otherwise the upload will get swamped.

Can you not upgrade to FTTC (or even FTTP, if available) - this will greatly improve your experience.

[#3]

Like I said, 0.9 would be fine by me if I could actually get that when genuinely uploading and not just in a speed-test. In real-world I'm actually getting 0.02!

Uploading anything, even just a single photo, can be enough to grind everything to a halt.

Before I switched to PlusNet I had a basic BT/OpenReach connection with a different company using the same line and never had this problem.

[#4]

Bear in mind that the upload speed you get also depends on the response times of/load on the OneDrive servers. If nothing other than your ISP changed, then the line characteristics wouldn't change, although the routing would, which could have an impact, but there is nothing you or anyone else can do about that.

As I said, could you change to FTTC/FTTP?

[#5]

I used OneDrive as an example, but literally any uploading causes it so the problem's not there.

I could upgrade, but the problems started exactly when I switched so are surely something they did with the line (I think they disconnected and reconnected me, but no idea how that works) or the router?

[#6]

Who were you with previously? It helps if information is not drip-fed - had you said 'any uploading' I may have answered differently. They would not have 'done anything with the line' as such, but if you were with, say TalkTalk/SKY previously, they most likely will have their own equipment in the exchange and the routing would be definitely very different. Plusnet use the BT equipment, which is/was probably older.

Which PN Hub have you got?

[#7]

Apologies for the drip-feeding, and thanks for your patience.

I was with Post Office, who I think were just a reseller for TalkTalk. The router is a Hub Zero (2704n).

[#8]

No problem, as you are new here, I'll forgive you. 😉

Yes, the PO used the TT network, so that partially explains it.

If you have a Hub0, that is now very long in the tooth, and was/is known for having issues. How long have you got to go on your current contract?

[#9]

As luck would have it ... literally renewed for 24 months a couple of weeks ago.

[#10]

In that case, give Customer Options a call on 0800 013 2632 and ask for a Hub1.

[#11]

Will do, fingers crossed that makes a difference. Thanks very much for your help.

[#12]

No problem, Chris. By the way it still isn't the best modem/router, but certainly better . Let us know how you get on.

[#13]

@chris2022 

you are suffering from what's is knows as 'Buffer bloat'. a Hub One might improve the situation 

This Microsoft article might help

Have you checked https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL to see if a variant of Fibre is available to you?

Dan.

[#14]

@Dan_the_Van The OP should be able to request a Hub1 with no issue, which, AIUI, does not suffer from 'buffer bloat'.

I suggested they look at a fibre connection (FTTC/FTTP) earlier on.😀

[#15]

Hi again,

My new router arrived, I installed it and ... no connection at all. It gave me a happy blue light and it thought there was a connection on the hub admin pages, but I couldn't actually get anywhere with any device: personal and work laptops on both ethernet and wifi, phone and a few smart devices on wifi. Couldn't access websites, couldn't ping anything. Every device reported "no internet connection" even though the router was convinced there was one.

I've gone back to the old router and I have a connection again. Just to be thorough, I've connected it using the cables that came with the new one just to rule them out as the cause.

So at this point I'm thinking the possibilities are:

1) I've just been unlucky and got sent a duff new router
2) There's a problem with my line that for some reason means the old router can cope but suffers from "buffer bloat" while the new router just can't cope at all
3) The new router needs time to settle down

My plan is to hope it's number 3, switch back to the new router once I've finished work this evening and leave it overnight, then if it still doesn't work I'll have to phone PlusNet again tomorrow.

Any thoughts you might have would be gratefully received!