Line speed continually dropping

[#1]

Hi there,

Would someone be kind enough to take a look at my line? Gandalf? My line speed has continued to drop over the last couple of months. Speed tests are pretty much what I would expect from my router stats. Just annoying that the DLM is revising my line speed downwards every 4 or so days. Currently at 26mbps from 39. Done all the usual checks, been in the test socket for years as internal wiring is awful!

Thanks in advance

AMC

[#2]

@AMC1973 Are you saying that your actual observed speeds are dropping, or that your connection speed is dropping - I can't quite understand your question?

[#3]

Sorry John, and thanks for your reply. My upload speed is fine, about 7mbps, my download speed should be between 36 and 39, it's fallen to 26. My observed speeds are just below my router stats - as you'd expect. My router stats posted below will clear up any confusion.

1. Product name: Plusnet Hub 2. Serial number:   3. Firmware version: Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.289.1.3 Last updated 06/12/21 4. Board version: Plusnet Hub One 5. DSL uptime: 0 days, 09:13:52 6. Data rate: 7748 / 26156 7. Maximum data rate: 7748 / 40812 8. Noise margin: 6.0 / 12.7 9. Line attenuation: 31.1 / 21.8 10. Signal attenuation: 30.6 / 19.6 11. Data sent/received: 3.7 GB / 70.8 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: 10:d7:b0:06:02:44 23. Modulation: G.993.2 Annex B 24. Software variant: AA 25. Boot loader: 1.0.0

[#4]

@AMC1973 No problem, and thanks for that Help Desk page. Looking at it, unless it was something you did, you have only had your current connection for around 9 hours, which if it wasn't you, suggests there is an issue somewhere - most likely the BT/OR network. Your D/S noise margin is also rather high, again  suggesting an issue.

If you have a landline phone:dial 17070 option 2 from a (preferably corded) phone. After the confirmation of your phone number, there should be total silence apart from the regular 'Quiet Line Test' announcement. Any other noise - report a PHONE fault first.

[#5]

Thanks John, doing a quiet line test completely slipped my mind, and yes, crackling on the line.

Thanks again, and have a good Weekend.

[#6]

Let us know how it goes.

[#7]

Thanks for getting in touch @AMC1973 and I'm really sorry for the issues that you're having on your line at the moment. The RRT clearly shows that the line has become banded, which I believe is a symptom of an underlying issue here, particularly with the crackly line.

Looks like and engineer visit has been arranged for the 11th though so hopefully the source of the issue can be identified, and the DLM profile can be reset.

[#8]

Thanks for the reply Adam, It's a strange one, I unplugged the phone, plugged it back in, no crackling, completely clean. Did a quiet line test again this morning, again, absolutely silent. The lady I spoke to on the phone yesterday informed me that from your end, no problems could be detected - she also said the line wasn't banded, but I thought it must be, and you've conformed that. I'm beginning to think this cheap Argos phone I bought - specifically for the purpose of conducting the "Quiet Line Test", if I have speed issues (which I did a while ago, due to a fault at the cabinet) - is actually causing the speed issues in the first place! Ironic indeed. Yep, engineer booked in for the 11th, so be interesting to see what he finds.

Thanks again Adam for the reply, and have a great Weekend.

[#9]

No problem at all @AMC1973

Let us know if you're still having issues after the visit and we'll follow up.

[#10]

Hi Adam,

So the engineer came out, checked my line, confirmed that It was of excellent quality, reset the line, and was kind enough to cover over my messy test socket with a new 5C MK4 master socket. Unfortunately, two days later, the DLM decided to drop my download to 33 from 38 and the noise margin is back up to 9. I've posted my router stats below. As you can see, my data rate is nearly 10mbps short of the max. If I have a high quality line, (quiet line test is silent) these stats don't seem to make sense - unless I have an unresolved fault, or my line is banded again. There is one possible explanation that occurred to me; having reset my line, the engineer then went out onto the road to do some work, which caused a couple of disconnections - after the reset. I voiced my concern that those disconnections may cause my line to become banded again (I know from previous experience how few disconnections it takes for a line to be banded) but he assured me it shouldn't make any difference. Hmmm.

Would you be kind enough to check if my line is banded again. and if so, push another reset through?

Thank you kindly in advance

1. Product name:	Plusnet Hub
2. Serial number:	+081441+NQ04412654
3. Firmware version:	Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.289.1.3 Last updated 06/12/21
4. Board version:	Plusnet Hub One
5. DSL uptime:	0 days, 05:42:35
6. Data rate:	7867 / 33478
7. Maximum data rate:	7867 / 42149
8. Noise margin:	6.1 / 9.3
9. Line attenuation:	31.3 / 22.2
10. Signal attenuation:	30.7 / 20.5
11. Data sent/received:	2.3 GB / 79.9 GB
12. Broadband username:
13. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID:	PLUSNET-95WT
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:	PLUSNET-95WT
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:	10:d7:b0:06:02:44
23. Modulation:	G.993.2 Annex B
24. Software variant:	AA
25. Boot loader:	1.0.0

[#11]

Hi there, I've just checked on this for you and line tests aren't showing any banding or other issues in place at the moment, are the speeds you're seeing over a wired or a wireless connection? - Adam

[#12]

Hi Adam, thanks for the quick reply,

My speeds are pretty much identical over wired and wireless - 31mbps. As you can see from my router stats, I'm synching at 33, so a download of 31mbps is excellent. The problem is I'm synching lower than I should be, and as a consequence, my speed is also lower than it should be. I used to sync at around 38/39, and appropriately my download would be 36/37mbps. The noise margin is also predictable higher than it should be - 9 on a dead silent line? I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it should be around 6. I've checked BT's Broadband Availability Checker, and it confirms my line is more than capable of delivering the speeds quoted above. Something is causing the DLM to drop my speed, and raise my noise margin, but what? I'll wait for the DLM to intervene on my line again, it usually does every 4/5 days, and as you've confirmed I'm not banded, maybe my speeds will return to normal. If not, I'll apologise in advance for moaning on here again in a few days time!

Thanks again Adam

[#13]

Hi @AMC1973 cheers for getting back to us.

I'm really sorry to see you're having on-going speed issues. 

Upon further investigation looking at the latest data (Friday the 18th) I can see from a different diagnostics tool, it's showing your line is banded at "Downstream: 0.128M-35M with Retransmission (Low). Upstream: 0.128M-10M with no error protection" and your sync speed then was hitting the banding at 34998 kbps. 

Today looking at your router's stats, your speed seems to have dropped slightly so doesn't appear to be banded anymore, however I've arranged for a caution counter reset, which should lift the banding within 3 working days.

Based on what you've said though, I suspect your speed may drop again and we'll likely need to arrange another engineer visit to investigate further and see if we can get to the bottom of the issue, and if it comes to that, I think it'd be best if we book a broadband engineer next, but let me know how it goes over the next few days.

[#14]

Hi Gandalf,

Thanks for your speedy and helpful reply, and I really appreciate the caution counter reset - although, as you say, it seems likely my speed will drop again. Having said that, I'm grateful for your input - you've always been very helpful, and I'm glad you're on the case. I shall keep an eye out for the reset, see how the DLM responds in the following days, and report back with the results.

Thanks again, and have a great week

AMC

[#15]

No problem at all, sounds like a plan. 

Have a good week as well.