Slow internet response

[#1]

I have had issues with slow internet response starting around 7 November 2023. It takes longer than usual to load/get response from various websites in PC and from mobile phone apps/games. Examples of websites are Outlook/hotmail, espn (both .com and .co.uk), BBC, gmail, etc. Downloading files tend to fail or get very slow responses. Some sites are not successfully loaded at all such as Steam Store (using PC) and PlayStation Store (using PlayStation 5). So, I have had problems with both LAN and Wifi connections.

I have tried to text HELP to and REFRESH to 07800008121 but it didn't fix this issue. I have tried to run speed test but I'm sure what is the problem. I noticed that the upload latency seems to be higher than usual. Can someone help me fix this problem please?

[#2]

Hi @thaveec  I've taken a look at your account and this will be your issue http://visualradius.plus.net/visualradius/generated/image16998712908546.png 

Turning the router off at night / when not in use will cause the DLM to think there is a fault and restrict your speed.

[#3]

From the speed test it doesn't look as if the speed has been restricted - download 71.43 Mbps and upload 18.69 Mbps is pretty good.

I believe a orderly power down of a router shouldn't trigger the DLM (maybe unless done a lot in a short period).

[#4]

I usually switch off the router at night and at day after I leave my place and I have done this for more than 6 months and never had this issue. This problem seems to happen randomly with various websites/apps but I can never connect or play online games from PC and PS5. It looks like a latency problem to me. Yesterday (13 Nov), I tried to load this topic and outlook from 4 pm to 10.30 but always failed (Error_connection_timeout). I tried different browsers but they were the same. Somehow, I can load this topic this morning (14 Nov) but some sites like Steam Store, online games, mobile apps/games still show the same problems.

Please let me know if you have any methods to fix this. I will not switch off the router for now and see what happens.

[#5]

Have you tried a different browser? or cleared the cookies for one of the sites you have difficulty with? Is it the same with both wired and wi-fi connected devices? EDIT - I now see you did cover those questions in your original post.

Have you ever enabled the Plusnet Parental Filter or firewall?

The speed of your connection looks fine to me from your speed test results, so I suspect it may be a DNS or firewall issue

[#6]

I haven't enabled the Plusnet Parental Filter or firewall. I did not change any settings on my PC, mobile phones, and PS5 when this problem occurs.

[#7]

@thaveec - The trouble is that the reality of turning the router off at night means that the router is off more than it's on, I can’t be sure that this is the root cuase but I’ll need to you leave the router turn on for the time being, not only will it have an impact on the DML, it will impact your WIFI connection as it will mess with the automatic channel change process that happens when it reboots. Furthermore if we raise a fault to Openreach, the router being off more than being on will impact the test results that Openreach us to diagnose the issue as they will think that the issue is no sync for many hours of the day.

Would you mind sending a picture of the front and back of the router? I’m keen to know for sure that there isn’t any network Switches, Boosters, Powerline adapters in the mix.

[#8]

I don't use any of those devices and have attached router pictures. I will leave the router on.

[#9]

Let us know how it goes without turning it off @thaveec

[#10]

@James30  I don't see how this can be an issue caused by the DLM being triggered by switching the router off.

With ADSL before around 2008, switching the router off too frequently could trigger the DLM to increase the SNR setting, which has the effect of reducing the sync speeds.

After around 2008 the system was changed to make it less sensitive to router power cycles, and emphasis was put on the number of errors detected. Again the SNR would be increased to reduce the errors, and have the impact of reducing the sync speed.

FTTC uses a different DLM mechanism. In the presence of errors the DLM will reduce the line speed directly (i.e. not indirectly by increasing the SNR). The DLM may also increase interleaving (it may take several weeks for interleaving to be removed if the line errors allow it). The reduction in line speed and increase of interleaving are intended to make the line stable, at the cost of a reduce sync speed. The DLM will only interpret multiple power cycles as errors if many occur in a short period (I'm not sure what that period is, but I think it is 15 minutes - so 2 a day won't count at all)

In this case we have a speed test showing an achieved download speed of 71Mbps and upload speed of 18Mbps. 

If we assume that DLM has been triggered, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. DLM has not reduced the sync speed much
2. It should have reduce the sync speed to a point where the line is stable without any errors
3. the speed is still well above that which most FTTC lines achieve

So we should have a fast (71Mbps) connection, with no errors (DLM has seen to that), which is still not working as expected.

Alternatively if we assume DLM has not been triggered we still have exactly the same problem.

[#11]

I leave the router on since Monday 13th (around 7.00 am). The same problem is still there. So, I can't update OS on PC and apps on mobile phones. File downloading mostly fails except I got lucky. I have to avoid WFH for now since it might not work. Connecting to online games fails every time. The problems are still there as I mentioned in every post. I just did the speed test again but it could not even start the test.  I personally don't think switching the router on/off is the problem here.

Please see the attached file for the fail speed test. I always use LAN connection for my PC.

[#12]

Well, I agree it isn't DLM problem caused by switching the router off (other opinions are available).

So we need to find the actual error.

Do you have an alternative router you could try? (one downside of switching the router off is that it will shorten the life of it, as the chips expand and contract with the change of heat).

Do you have a land line, and a phone (ideally corded)? If so then try a quiet line test - dial 17070 and select option 2. There should be silence between the announcements. If there is noise then it indicates a fault.

Which router do you have? For most routers you should be able to find how to get the error statistics, which may show whether noise is the issue.

Also, is your router plugged into the master socket? And is there a filter or does the master socket have a filter built in? If there is a filter and you have a spare one it may be worth trying that. If using a filtered master socket it may be worth taking the front off and plugging the router into the test socket.

Those are probably the first steps. The next steps depend on more information...

[#13]

- I have only one router.

- I don’t have a land line and phone.

- The router is Plusnet Hub Two. I have attached the statistic page.

- The router connects to the filter first. I’m not sure what/which one is the master socket. Please see the attached file.

- I have only one filter.

Please tell me if you need more information. Thank you.

[#14]

OK, the stats don't give the error count (I don't know whether that is available on a Hub2 as I've never used one). However, the noise margin suggests the line is good, and the up and down error control are off which also suggests the line is good.

The socket is not a master socket - it is an extension socket, so there could be internal wiring between the master socket (wherever that is) and this one. That would be the obvious place to look for problems - but the stats look good which suggests it isn't a line problem.

So we probably have a local problem, and we have the router, your network, and a number of connected devices to rule out.

You have both WiFi and ethernet connected devices - could you switch the WiFi off and unplug all ethernet devices except you computer and then check that? it will help to rule out interference between devices (clashing IP address, something saturating upload, etc).

Try each of the ethernet ports in turn to rule out a faulty port.

If you have a different ethernet cable try that too.

[#15]

@corringham 

The Hub two does not offer much in the way of line stats, the Technical Log has already been attached, the event log can be exported to a csv file which is helpful to see what's going on.

Apart from the expected ability to add port forward rules, it is possible to change the IPv4 settings including changing the DNS server to the user preferred choice.

@thaveec 

Have you change the DNS server settings and can you post the exported event log ?