Speed reduction since moving from FTTC (with Phone) to SOGEA

[#1]

Hi,

I was consistantly getting 42/43Mbps download speed with FTTC (last checked on Friday 25th, before my phone went off). On the change over to SOGEA (Friday 25th), my download speed dropped to 35/36Mbps. These were both with the same HUB 1 router.

I have now connected my new Hub 2 router. However, my download speeds remain at 35/36Mbps.

Upon checking the tickets upon my account I have found that SOGEA has been provisioned at 40/10 Mbps.

I wasn't expecting a drop in download speed.

Can anyone advise if my line has been set correctly & if this drop in speed is to be expected?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[#2]

@Schiehallion If you were on the 80/20 service before - given your '42/43' above I'm guessing you were - I personally can't see why they have restricted you on SOGEA. AIUI, unless you have a very bad line, SOGEA should be set on 80/20 (effectively), and allowed to negotiate the best speed/stability it can.

I may be wrong, and if so, I'm sure someone will tell me. 😀

[#3]

There seems to be a policy of provisioning on 40/10 where the estimates are only marginally above 40Mb. Possibly to attempt to get a more stable connection...

[#4]

See - I told you so. 😉

[#5]

@jab1 @MisterW

Thank you both for your responses.

I just ran the diagnostic check from the BT Wholesale speed tester. Screenshot below.

I notice that the download IP profile for my line is at 37.05Mbps

I thought that I was getting the same broadband product, just without the phone service. This doesn't seem to be the case.

My speed estimate on my confirmation email (at busy times) is 37Mbps to 40Mbs. If the IP profile is set at 37.05Mbps, then it won't be possible to get this estimate at any time.

I am well above the Minimum guaranteed download speed. The upload speed has remained the same before and after changeover.

While the drop in speed is unlikely to make much difference, it's still a drop of 6 or 7Mbps Since Friday's change to the SOGEA product.

Can one of the Plusnet staff on the forum advise if this is correct?

Thanks

[#6]

@Schiehallion Where you on the 'Fibre' or 'Fibre Extra' product prior to switching to SOGEA?

[#7]

@jab1

I was on the standard 'fibre' product.

[#8]

Strange @Schiehallion  - that is 'capped' at 40Mb/s.

[#9]

@jab1

Screenshot from broadband availability checker.

[#10]

I was just going to ask for that, @Schiehallion - you are  a distance from the cab, on what looks like an 'impacted' line. The figures you have been given are to ensure a stable connection.

[#11]

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@MisterW wrote:

There seems to be a policy of provisioning on 40/10 where the estimates are only marginally above 40Mb. Possibly to attempt to get a more stable connection...

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The cynical side of me thinks it is to save costs.

Given that there is now no speed differentiation I thought all products were supposed to be provisioned on 80/20 to deliver "straightforward package which gives you our fastest part fibre connection your home can get".  In other words, no artificial restrictions as seems to have been applied here.  It would not surprise me if this has been done in error.

@Schiehallion 

Data transfer speed tests are not overly helpful as diagnostics - what would be much more useful here is sight of the Advanced Settings / Technical Log page of the router admin pages.

That will show the actual sync rate, the potentially attainable sync rate, the line's attenuation and most importantly the SNRM.  Be sure to mask your account details.  I suspect that we will see that the line is running close to 40mbps with a corresponding high SNRM.  If that proves to be correct, then there would be grounds to ask Plusnet to revert you to the 80/20 product.

[#12]

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@jab1 wrote:

I was just going to ask for that, @Schiehallion - you are  a distance from the cab, on what looks like an 'impacted' line. The figures you have been given are to ensure a stable connection.

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@jab1 

Just measuring on the OS map, I'm 0.55 km away from my cabinet (following the actual cable route and not a straight line distance). Curious why you are saying I have an impacted line, as up until Friday, my speed was in the clean line zone.

The phone line which comes into the house is the original one which was installed when the house was built in 1975. Quite likely, the rest of the line back to the cabinet is the same age. I believe full fibre should be here by the end of 2026, and will be swapping to that when available.

Thanks for your help (& patience)

[#13]

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@Townman wrote:

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@MisterW wrote:

There seems to be a policy of provisioning on 40/10 where the estimates are only marginally above 40Mb. Possibly to attempt to get a more stable connection...

---

The cynical side of me thinks it is to save costs.

Given that there is now no speed differentiation I thought all products were supposed to be provisioned on 80/20 to deliver "straightforward package which gives you our fastest part fibre connection your home can get".  In other words, no artificial restrictions as seems to have been applied here.  It would not surprise me if this has been done in error.

@Schiehallion 

Data transfer speed tests are not overly helpful as diagnostics - what would be much more useful here is sight of the Advanced Settings / Technical Log page of the router admin pages.

That will show the actual sync rate, the potentially attainable sync rate, the line's attenuation and most importantly the SNRM.  Be sure to mask your account details.  I suspect that we will see that the line is running close to 40mbps with a corresponding high SNRM.  If that proves to be correct, then there would be grounds to ask Plusnet to revert you to the 80/20 product.

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@Townman 

Thank you for replying. Yes, I share your cynicism.

Think this is the page you are after. Have redacted my username and wireless network names.

Thanks for your help.

[#14]

Thanks for that extra detail, @Schiehallion . If your speed was OK up to Friday, then you must have developed a fault somewhere, as the figures for a good line measure up to your distance from the cab.

No problem - when someone is prepared to help us help them we don't mind.

[#15]

From the screenshot posted in reply to @Townman , you have had a DSL drop a couple of days ago. Did you notice it, and are you aware of any others?