FTTC to FTTP 900 - Still on FTTC speeds

[#1]

Hi, i'm hoping someone can assist as I don't feel I am getting anywhere with phone support on my issue. I had OpenReach install the ONT on Monday 5/12, all working as expected with my Asus AC55U router other than my speed profile seems locked at my FTTC speeds. I was advised that night they would switch off my copper/FTTC line and would need to reboot ONT and router after midnight to get full speeds.  My Plusnet account reflected the completion and new connection speed at around 10:30pm as well.  I raised this with Plusnet the following morning after no change, and a BT engineer double checked the ONT light levels this morning and found no issues with the install.  Called support and they want to send me a new router as they feel this is all they can see that's wrong and will fix the speed issues, yet I still have an active phone line/dial tone so I believe something hasn't switched over fully to allow a new line profile to apply on the fibre line.

[#2]

From what I can see there's nothing our side limiting your speed as your account has fully updated to the FTTP product. Also it's normal for a stopped phone line to have a dial tone but you won't be able to make and receive calls.

If you run a speed test, what sort of download and upload speeds are you getting?

[#3]

I get 62Mbps Down and 18.3Mbps Up using Speedtest Windows App, pretty much what my FTTC was on a perfect day.  I still have the same static IP as my FTTC service.

[#4]

Unless you are on a static IP address, there is nothing Plusnet side which might in the extreme cause what you are describing.

Are your speed tests over WiFi or an ethernet connected device with the WiFi switched off on the speed test device.  At 62mbps, you could be maxing out the capability of your test device.

The total inability to determine the uplink speed of the ONT was a predictable "tears before bedtime" I'm not getting the speeds I expected discontent from users.

That said, you state that you are on a static IP address - check your profile (current line speed) here https://portal.plus.net/member-centre/broadband

[#5]

Digging further...

@bobpullen - is this relevant - ISP BT Working to Fix Slow FTTP Broadband Speed Profile Bug - ISPreview UK ?

Is the Plusnet Hub Two similarly affected?

From the above...

"Meanwhile some customers have been told by support staff that a new firmware (software) update, which could arrive in October 2020, may provide a general fix."

I note that my Hub Two had a firmware update on 27th Oct 2022 (v0.08.00.08297-PN) - are these one and the same?

[#6]

Hi Townman.  I do have a static IP, which has caused some back and forth with support in the past when I have raised line issues on my FTTC.  I'm testing with my PC hard wired to my ASUS router, with new CAT6 running to the ONT, and from my router.  The member center updated at 22:30 on Monday with the below.

Product:  Full Fibre 900

Estimated Download Range:  900 - 1000Mbps

Estimated Upload Range:  104 - 115Mbps

Minimum Guaranteed Speed:  500Mbps

Current Line Speed (Download):  1000Mbps

[#7]

That is very helpful.

• You do not have the long in the tooth static IP address data profile not updating issue
• You do not have the suspicion of a BT / Plusnet firmware issue

So, the big question is "Can your PC saturate your very fast FTTP link" or has the test device maxed out at sub 70mbps?

If you stream a film and run a speed test, do you get different results?  If they are similar, to me that would suggest that the PC has run out of puff ... or the ASUS router cannot handle the throughput on the LAN (is that 100mbps or 1Gbps)?

PS: Is the PC to router ethernet cable also CAT6?

[#8]

This is definately not hardware related, both my Home PC and laptop are modern enough with gigabit LAN, and I've used both on a 1Gbit leased line at work which hits max speeds when available.  Wondering if the Hub2 I am receiving will perform any kind of DLM reset when plugged into the line, but wish this could just be investigated at that level as it's what this appears to be in my experience.

[#9]

Let us see what Bob has to say.

This is a common theme - FTTP pipes might be "hot", but people are not "seeing" the throughput that they hope they might get.  This is the exact concern the SUs discussed with Plusnet before FTTP was released.

Have you tried other speed test tools, such as Think broadband?

Have you tried concurrent testing (home PC and laptop at the same time) alongside other bandwidth consumers?

Does your work environment use the same ASUS router?

[#10]

I know you said you were using CAT6 cables ... but this sounds too similar not to ignore!!

https://community.plus.net/t5/Full-Fibre/Underwhelming-FTTP-switch-from-FTTC/m-p/1900068#M19867

[#11]

Except I would have thought the upload throughput would be higher even on a 100mbit cable.

[#12]

Yes, in the previous cases where speeds havent reached the product expected, its been the downstream that's wrong, the upstream hasn't usually been a problem.

The 18Mb upstream looks very strange...

[#13]

---

@Townman wrote:

Digging further...

@bobpullen - is this relevant - ISP BT Working to Fix Slow FTTP Broadband Speed Profile Bug - ISPreview UK ?

Is the Plusnet Hub Two similarly affected?

From the above...

"Meanwhile some customers have been told by support staff that a new firmware (software) update, which could arrive in October 2020, may provide a general fix."

I note that my Hub Two had a firmware update on 27th Oct 2022 (v0.08.00.08297-PN) - are these one and the same?

---

You can rule that out as it's CPE-related. Add to that the fact that the only limitation as far as the Hub Two is concerned, is a ~50mbps upstream shaper on some of the older firmware. Even if one of those older devices is plugged in, it will upgrade within a day or two to remove the limitation anyway.

Speaking of which, I'm a little confused by what support have told you as no router has been ordered for you
I'll get one in the post today.

This is the sort of scenario where speedtesting across the OR network would be helpful, however Wholesale haven't yet exposed that functionality to us. I'm assuming a basic test will have been run as part of the engineer booking process and that it failed to identify anything obvious.

@WishmasterUK - do you have any QoS funcitonality enabled on the Asus unit? It might be worth you factory resetting and configuring from scratch, or alternatively sharing your WAN configuration in case anybody can spot anything questionable with it.

[#14]

Hi Bob.  No QoS enabled, and I appreciate you sorting the router order, I received a text yesterday but also just got an email confirmation after your post. I'm still not hopeful that this is the issue, I have 25yrs experience in IT, work for an MSP/ISP and am proficient in understanding hardware requirements, I've been waiting for FTTP availability for a long time and bought the ASUS router specifically so it was future proof.  I haven't had to reconfigure it since moving it over from the FTTC line on Monday.  I had an old OpenReach modem doing the line sync and only use the ASUS in router mode.  I have attached pictures of my router settings in any case.  I have not factory reset this router yet.

[#15]

@WishmasterUK - yeah, that all looks OK to me.

Agree that it doesn't sound like the typical local/hardware-related issue.