2mbps-39mbps variation in d/l

[#1]

I've been getting huge variations in my download speeds and I'm really not sure what the cause is. It'll just vary with nothing happening except doing a speed test a few moments apart with nothing else happening. I have unlimited firbre package and it can reach speeds of almost 40mbps at times so it's nothing stopping that completely it just slows down to as low as about 2 mbps at times and often is inbetween these two extremes.

[#2]

Here are a few tests showing some of the variation, didn't capture the much lower speeds but gives a bit of an idea:-

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/1634425237213493855

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/1634425132461134055

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/1634425408556288555

[#3]

@sanguinius Difficult to advise based on the information given. For other Community members to advise, could you please post screen shots of the following, please: - BT Broadband (obscuring your phone number), BTW Performance Tester - the Advanced Diagnostics) and the Help Desk page from your router (obscuring any personal details)

 Is your phone line silent?  Dial 17070, option 2 from a (preferably corded) phone. After the confirmation of your phone number, the line should be silent, apart from the regular 'Quiet Line Test' message. If there is any noise other than that, report a PHONE fault first.

[#4]

@sanguinius 

First things first.

Are you testing over wireless or an Ethernet cable? It is important that you test using a computer connected to your hub using an Ethernet cable so that we can determine whether you have a network or wireless problem.

[#5]

Don't have a phone for my phone line so that's tricky here's the other test you asked for. 

[#6]

@sanguinius Thanks for those two anyway. The Availability Checker is a bit of a mystery - A week ago it reported a D/L speed nearly 10Mbps higher than the estimated max.

Was that test over WiFi or ethernet - it looks slightly low?

A cheap phone (~£10 from the likes of Argos) is an essential tool in fault finding.

Sight of the Help Desk from your hub would be useful.

[#7]

Explain the help desk on hub to me a bit. I'm not sure how to do that. This one, was done over wi-fi I'm setting up my laptop to be able to try ethernet but the location isn't really usable in the long term but I can test with it.

[#8]

OK - a picture paints a thousand words. 😉

Log in to the Hub, click the Troubleshooting tab - top right, a then the Helpdesk tab.

[#9]

1. Product name:	Plusnet Hub
2. Serial number:
3. Firmware version:	Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.263 Last updated Unknown
4. Board version:	Plusnet Hub One
5. DSL uptime:	0 days, 01:27:28
6. Data rate:	9999 / 39950
7. Maximum data rate:	10746 / 60618
8. Noise margin:	6.9 / 14.2
9. Line attenuation:	33.7 / 22.2
10. Signal attenuation:	33.7 / 20.7
11. Data sent/received:	113.9 MB / 1.9 GB
12. Broadband username:
13. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID:
14. 2.4 GHz Wireless connections:	Enabled (802.11 b/g/n (up to 144 Mb/s))
15. 2.4 GHz Wireless security:	WPA2
16. 2.4 GHz Wireless channel:	Automatic (Smart Wireless)
17. 5 GHz Wireless network/SSID:
18. 5 GHz Wireless connections:	Enabled (802.11 a/n/ac (up to 1300 Mb/s))
19. 5 GHz Wireless security:	WPA2
20. 5 GHz Wireless channel:	Automatic (Smart Wireless)
21. Firewall:	Default
22. MAC Address:
23. Modulation:	G.993.2 Annex B
24. Software variant:	AA
25. Boot loader:	1.0.0

Also here's a bit of the event log :-

10:06:27, 17 Oct.	( 5262.630000) Admin login successful by
10:05:50, 17 Oct.	( 5225.920000) New GUI session from IP
10:04:58, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [9] Packet invalid in connection (Invalid tcp flags for current tcp state: TCP [13.224.132.22]:443-​>[217.32.112.213]:9792 on ppp3)
10:04:09, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [9] Packet invalid in connection (Invalid tcp flags for current tcp state: TCP [143.204.198.37]:443-​>[217.32.112.213]:37218 on ppp3)
10:02:59, 17 Oct.	OUT: BLOCK [7] ICMP replay (ICMP type 3 code 3 192.168.1.65-​>185.153.237.98 on ppp3)
10:00:33, 17 Oct.	OUT: BLOCK [7] ICMP replay (ICMP type 3 code 3 192.168.1.65-​>185.153.237.96 on ppp3)
09:59:03, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [57] Connection closed (Port Forwarding: UDP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [217.32.112.213]:1024 local_dev NAPT)
09:59:03, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [57] Connection closed (Port Forwarding: UDP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [217.32.112.213]:1025 local_dev NAPT)
09:57:40, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [57] Connection closed (Port Forwarding: UDP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [87.116.172.102]:63382 ppp3 NAPT)
09:57:37, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [57] Connection closed (Port Forwarding: TCP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [58.10.154.105]:61503 CLOSED/SYN_SENT ppp3 NAPT)
09:57:30, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [9] Packet invalid in connection (Invalid tcp flags for current tcp state: TCP [13.224.132.87]:443-​>[217.32.112.213]:3322 on ppp3)
09:57:25, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [9] Packet invalid in connection (Invalid tcp flags for current tcp state: TCP [13.224.132.95]:443-​>[217.32.112.213]:7278 on ppp3)
09:57:23, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [9] Packet invalid in connection (Invalid tcp flags for current tcp state: TCP [13.224.132.123]:443-​>[217.32.112.213]:11758 on ppp3)
09:57:08, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [9] Packet invalid in connection (TCP [58.10.154.105]:61503-​>[217.32.112.213]:17279 on ppp3)
09:57:08, 17 Oct.	( 4703.100000) Port forwarding rule deleted via UPnP/TR064. Protocol: UDP, external ports: any-​>17279, internal ports: 17279, internal client: 192.168.1.64
09:57:07, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [54] Connection opened (Port Forwarding: TCP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [58.10.154.105]:61503 CLOSED/SYN_SENT ppp3 NAPT)
09:57:05, 17 Oct.	IN: BLOCK [7] ICMP replay (ICMP type 3 code 3 135.148.100.25-​>217.32.112.213 on ppp3)
09:57:05, 17 Oct.	BLOCKED 4 more packets (because of ICMP replay)
09:57:05, 17 Oct.	( 4700.280000) Port forwarding rule deleted via UPnP/TR064. Protocol: TCP, external ports: any-​>17279, internal ports: 17279, internal client: 192.168.1.64
09:57:04, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [54] Connection opened (Port Forwarding: UDP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [87.116.172.102]:63382 ppp3 NAPT)
09:57:01, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [54] Connection opened (Port Forwarding: UDP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [217.32.112.213]:1025 local_dev NAPT)
09:57:01, 17 Oct.	IN: ACCEPT [54] Connection opened (Port Forwarding: UDP [192.168.1.64]:17279 <-​-​> [217.32.112.213]:17279 -​ -​ -​ [217.32.112.213]:1024 local_dev NAPT)
09:56:59, 17 Oct.	( 4694.550000) Port forwarding rule added via UPnP/TR064. Protocol: TCP, external ports: any-​>47002, internal ports: 17279, internal client: 192.168.1.70
09:56:57, 17 Oct.	( 4692.430000) Port forwarding rule added via UPnP/TR064. Protocol: UDP, external ports: any-​>17279, internal ports: 17279, internal client: 192.168.1.64
09:56:55, 17 Oct.	( 4690.450000) Port forwarding rule added via UPnP/TR064. Protocol: TCP, external ports: any-​>17279, internal ports: 17279, internal client: 192.168.1.64

WAN log:-

08:40:56, 17 Oct.	( 130.160000) WAN operating mode is VDSL
08:40:56, 17 Oct.	( 130.160000) Last WAN operating mode was VDSL
08:40:55, 17 Oct.	( 129.100000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:40:55, 17 Oct.	( 129.100000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:40:55, 17 Oct.	( 129.090000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration NAK
08:40:55, 17 Oct.	( 129.090000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration ACK
08:40:55, 17 Oct.	( 129.090000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration Request
08:40:55, 17 Oct.	( 129.080000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.200000) PPPoE is up -​ Down Rate=39950Kbps, Up Rate=9999Kbps; SNR Margin Down=14.1dB, Up=7.0dB
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.190000) CHAP authentication successful
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.140000) CHAP Receive Challenge
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.140000) Starting CHAP authentication with peer
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.140000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.130000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.130000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Reject
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.130000) PPP LCP Send Configuration ACK
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.120000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Request
08:40:54, 17 Oct.	( 128.120000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:40:05, 17 Oct.	( 79.380000) PTM over DSL is up
08:39:16, 17 Oct.	( 30.730000) WAN Auto-​sensing running.
08:42:40, 16 Oct.	( 129.730000) WAN operating mode is VDSL
08:42:40, 16 Oct.	( 129.730000) Last WAN operating mode was VDSL
08:42:39, 16 Oct.	( 128.670000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:42:39, 16 Oct.	( 128.670000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:42:39, 16 Oct.	( 128.660000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration NAK
08:42:39, 16 Oct.	( 128.660000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration ACK
08:42:39, 16 Oct.	( 128.660000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration Request
08:42:39, 16 Oct.	( 128.650000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.780000) PPPoE is up -​ Down Rate=39950Kbps, Up Rate=9999Kbps; SNR Margin Down=14.3dB, Up=7.1dB
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.760000) CHAP authentication successful
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.710000) CHAP Receive Challenge
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.710000) Starting CHAP authentication with peer
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.700000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.700000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.690000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Reject
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.690000) PPP LCP Send Configuration ACK
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.690000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Request
08:42:38, 16 Oct.	( 127.690000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:41:49, 16 Oct.	( 78.960000) PTM over DSL is up
08:41:01, 16 Oct.	( 30.880000) WAN Auto-​sensing running.
08:15:05, 15 Oct.	( 129.730000) WAN operating mode is VDSL
08:15:05, 15 Oct.	( 129.730000) Last WAN operating mode was VDSL
08:15:04, 15 Oct.	( 128.670000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:15:04, 15 Oct.	( 128.670000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:15:04, 15 Oct.	( 128.660000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration NAK
08:15:04, 15 Oct.	( 128.660000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration ACK
08:15:04, 15 Oct.	( 128.650000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration Request
08:15:04, 15 Oct.	( 128.650000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.760000) PPPoE is up -​ Down Rate=39950Kbps, Up Rate=9999Kbps; SNR Margin Down=14.1dB, Up=7.3dB
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.750000) CHAP authentication successful
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.700000) CHAP Receive Challenge
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.700000) Starting CHAP authentication with peer
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.690000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.690000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.680000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Reject
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.680000) PPP LCP Send Configuration ACK
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.680000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Request
08:15:03, 15 Oct.	( 127.680000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:14:14, 15 Oct.	( 78.960000) PTM over DSL is up
08:13:26, 15 Oct.	( 30.920000) WAN Auto-​sensing running.
08:59:26, 14 Oct.	( 129.840000) WAN operating mode is VDSL
08:59:26, 14 Oct.	( 129.840000) Last WAN operating mode was VDSL
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 128.790000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 128.790000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 128.780000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration NAK
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 128.780000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration ACK
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 128.770000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration Request
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 128.770000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 127.890000) PPPoE is up -​ Down Rate=39950Kbps, Up Rate=9999Kbps; SNR Margin Down=14.2dB, Up=6.9dB
08:59:25, 14 Oct.	( 127.880000) CHAP authentication successful
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.830000) CHAP Receive Challenge
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.830000) Starting CHAP authentication with peer
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.830000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration ACK
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.820000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.820000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Reject
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.820000) PPP LCP Send Configuration ACK
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.820000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Request
08:59:24, 14 Oct.	( 127.810000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
08:58:36, 14 Oct.	( 79.090000) PTM over DSL is up
08:57:47, 14 Oct.	( 30.720000) WAN Auto-​sensing running.
17:09:54, 13 Oct.	( 130.600000) WAN operating mode is VDSL
17:09:54, 13 Oct.	( 130.600000) Last WAN operating mode was VDSL
17:09:53, 13 Oct.	( 129.540000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration ACK
17:09:53, 13 Oct.	( 129.540000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
17:09:53, 13 Oct.	( 129.530000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration NAK
17:09:53, 13 Oct.	( 129.530000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration ACK
17:09:53, 13 Oct.	( 129.520000) PPP IPCP Receive Configuration Request
17:09:53, 13 Oct.	( 129.520000) PPP IPCP Send Configuration Request
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.640000) PPPoE is up -​ Down Rate=39950Kbps, Up Rate=9999Kbps; SNR Margin Down=14.2dB, Up=7.0dB
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.630000) CHAP authentication successful
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.580000) CHAP Receive Challenge
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.580000) Starting CHAP authentication with peer
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.570000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration ACK
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.570000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.570000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Reject
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.560000) PPP LCP Send Configuration ACK
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.560000) PPP LCP Receive Configuration Request
17:09:52, 13 Oct.	( 128.560000) PPP LCP Send Configuration Request
17:09:04, 13 Oct.	( 79.850000) PTM over DSL is up
17:08:15, 13 Oct.	( 31.040000) WAN Auto-​sensing running.

I do also normally turn the hub off at night along with all electrics in the house.

[#10]

Thanks. From the Helpdesk: You appear to have had a DSL drop about 90 minutes ago - which suggests there could be network problems on the BT network. Your downstream SNR may be a bit high (a consequence of this/previous drops?).

That is your LAN log, which doesn't give much useful data in this case - can you post the WAN log?

[#11]

Hello @sanguinius

Thanks a lot for reaching out and I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems with your service. Tests on the line from my end are showing that the line has consistently been syncing at 80Mbps since your upgrade to fibre was completed.

How are you doing your speed tests? Is it over WIFI or are you using an Ethernet connection? Bare in mind that WIFI speeds can fluctuate based on what else might be connected and is in use at any given time, WIFI channels, bands etc.

That;s not to say that there aren't any faults on your line though, because there is, while running a test on your phone service I've found a disconnection in the network. This has now been raised to Openreach and we#re hoping to have it resolved by Wednesday. I've created an open fault Ticket which you can both view and comment on for direct comms with our Tech Support Team here.

One last thing, are you turning your router off through the night? A visual radius appears to show that you are, this can make the line more susceptible to being banded if DLM assumes that there's an issue with the network.

[#12]

@adam945 Thanks for that. At least you have found a line fault, which I 'suspected', but you have definitely found a huge contributory factor if the OP is switching the hub off every night. I'm surprised DLM hasn't intervened and banded the line severely.

[#13]

Will an engineer be coming to my house? Also why is it a problem to turn the hub off at night? I've not been told that before and normally turn off all electrics at night or when leaving the house.

[#14]

@sanguinius From what @adam945  has posted, I doubt the engineer will need to visit you.

The reason it is always advised to leave the hub powered up is that continuously turning it on and off will lead the automatic Dynamic Line Management equipment in the street cab to assume there is a problem, and it will at some point decide to massively reduce your speed, and/or increase the SNR (as it appears to be doing) in an attempt to maintain stability.

You don't turn your fridge/freezer off, do you?

[#15]

Okay, no I don't turn off the fridge or the electric light there are a few exceptions, though the reason is because they are always needed to work all the time. So I have to leave the hub on all the time, even when not using it. Seems like a poorly designed system but if that's how it works okay. I'll see if things improve after Wednesday with the engineer even if he doesn't come here.

Thanks.