Will I have to change my routerm

[#1]

Due to poor BB connections from plusnet It has been suggested I upgrade too fibre, should I decide to go down this route then my Q is will my TP link Archer D7 1750 dual band router work with fibre.

many thanks.

[#2]

@longshanks67  assuming this https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/dsl-modem-router/archer-d7/ is the router you have , then it will not work with Fibre. PlusNet should offer you a Hub 2 for the cost of P&P (£6.99).

If there are functions in your existing router that you wish to keep (and the Hub 2 doesnt provide them) , then it would be possible to use the Hub 2 in bridge (modem) mode and connect it to the EWAN port on the Tplink.

[#3]

@longshanks67 

If you're getting poor connections on your current service this could indicate a poor quality line or a line with a fault.

You can check the following link to see what's available to you. If you post a screen image hide your personal detailes.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Brian

[#4]

Brian Thanks, 

the problem I have which has prompted my overall question is that Plusnet have been throttling back my BB speed over the years and my last complaint prompted an explanation which would suggest I upgrade too fibre.

  My line has been checked out on various occasions and has proven too be good, I constantly monitor my BB speeds which at it’s best is 4.2 Mbps which is dropped to around 3.5 or lower and mostly at the weekends, which makes it annoying when using Netflix and other streaming services. The normal load on my service is one ipad and one laptop with the occasional Netflix watch at the weekends, as you can see we are not big users, no gaming machines ect. It was suggested by Plusnet that perhaps the cabling too my house has degraded over the years! and that could be the problem, funny how that only comes into contention at the weekends.

[#5]

@longshanks67 

Just for information the PlusNet HubTwo is a slightly modified BT Smart Hub2.

To the best of my knowledge PlusNet do not throttle lines. It may be the OpenReach system is doing this but if so I suspect it would be an automatic adjustment to maintain line stability. Could it just be the system is busier at weekends hence the slower speed.

If you look at the link I previously posted it'll tell you what the expected speeds are available for you - note this is based on the 80/20 service so if you went for the 40/10 you would not necessarily get the full 40/10 if the expected speeds are say 60 - 50 down.

Brian

[#6]

Interesting alternative explanation to throttling back but two years ago whist having an in depth discussion on this same subject with a Plusnet tech service guy he did admit that throttling back does occur, and if by magic and after his suggested wait of 24 hours my BB speed increased by about 1.5 Meg.

many thanks again 

regards

 Brian

[#7]

@longshanks67 

 It all depends on what you mean or understand by ‘throttling back’.
With ADSL Plusnet can try to increase the real world download speed on very long lines such as yours by increasing the target SNR. This will reduce the sync speed but also reduce the number of errors that need to be retransmitted. The purpose is to try to improve your service, it’s not a plot to reduce your speed.

[#8]

Thank you Baldrick1 for your explanation it is appreciated.
Hopefully if Ii choose to go fibre it will be FTTC with not with not that much of a loss from the cabinet to my house. regards

Brian

[#9]

Hiya @longshanks67, thanks for getting in touch. I am sorry that you are seeing some issues with your service and for the disruption this causes.

I have tested your line and we are seeing no faults, and a sync speed of 5.5mb. The test hasn't highlighted any issues though looking at your usage, this is sometimes higher over the weekends which could explain why you notice issues more.

When you are seeing the drops in speed, are you testing over WiFi or connecting the laptop via Ethernet to test? Also when testing, do you ensure that nothing else is using the service in the background (ie no other devices connected/ no updates/ downloads happening)?

[#10]

Thank you for your reply and explanation

As I have explained I have been having issues with my download speed which has mainly fluctuated down more so over the last 3-4 months. I mostly test the speed via wifi for convienience and usually done when problems occur whllst watchng netflix or other streaming services, I do use the BT wholesale site via ethernet at times as a cross check, no other devices are being used at the time of testing accept for the Netflix program or other streaming services being watched at that time.

  My only concluson is that my service is being throttled back, since my recent complaint converstion with plusnet on the 2nd February my BB speed increased the next day by half a meg and has kept that level since. It is reasonable for me to assume that my service was/is being throttled back until I complained,. I have had this problem for at least five years and each time after complaining  my BB speed has increased as if a magic wand has been waved.

regards

Brian

[#11]

@longshanks67  Speed tests carried out while streaming services are active whether by Wi-Fi or Ethernet are a complete waste of time and meaningless, particularly on a low speed ADSL connection. To get a true speed test it must be by an Ethernet connection and there cannot be any other download or upload activity on the line. You seem convinced that Plusnet are throttling you but that is not the case, your speeds are limited by physical line length.

You would be wise to upgrade to  FTTC to get better speeds.

[#12]

Hello, 

thanks for your reply, all you have said is known to me, I am aware that low speed adsl is probably not the best and FTTC for me is a pending upgrade. But in my messages I have stated that my speed drops at the weekends And in the past sometimes as low as 1.3 Mb or less. When I contacted Plusnet to complain within 24 hours my speed has increased, this has been going on for about 5 years now. Although I appreciate that there are other factors that can influence speed fluctuations it seems strange that when I complain it’s put right by the next day. 
  Some two years ago whilst in conversation with a  Plusnet tech Guy about this same issue he did admit that throttling back does go on and this fly’s in the face of denials I receive. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say. I do not consider myself an expert in this field but I’m not totally ignorant. 

regards

Brian

[#13]

Hi @longshanks67,

I'm really sorry to hear about the issues you're currently experiencing with the service. I wish to reassure you that no intentional throttling of the service occurs - faults may crop up from time to time, but as soon as we're made aware of these we'll do everything we can to resolve them as soon as possible. In this case, I noticed that you mentioned you had been testing the speeds over Wi-Fi out of convenience. I'm afraid that to investigate this further as a speed fault, we'd need to confirm the throughput speeds you're currently receiving whilst connecting over a wired Ethernet connection. This isn't to say we won't help with Wi-Fi issues, it's just that we cannot guarantee a minimum download speed over Wi-Fi and these wireless speeds are expected to fluctuate over time.