ADSL speed dropping

Title says it all
Message
Author
User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

ADSL speed dropping

#1 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sat Apr 17, 2021 8:57 pm

The RiS family have a secondary residence in the Northern part under LGAV north-Westerly departure track. It is an old house but it has a telephone line. From 2014 to 2018 there was a decent speed on the basic ADSL line (around 10 Mbps - nominal speed up to 24 Mbps) I stayed there in late 2018 and the internet speed was acceptable. However due to covid and the associated locked-down we didn't get there for a long period of time. Today I noticed a very very slow speed of download - the ops-normal page was taking about a minute to open. I have been approached several times in the recent years by the phone company to upgrade to (a very expensive) VDSL about 30% more than the current monthly feel. In one of those sales calls I was told by the sales lay I might not be able to find a suitable package if all lines become VDSL. I follow the speeds on three other lines and they seem to be fairly stable.

My question is: is it technically possible for the download speed to deteriorate after time or should I become suspicious of the phone company slowing down the line to make me buy into the most expensive solution?

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#2 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:04 pm

Ask them why it is slower

User avatar
ian16th
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 10029
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:35 am
Location: KZN South Coast with the bananas
Gender:
Age: 87

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#3 Post by ian16th » Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:17 pm

What speed are you paying for?
Cynicism improves with age

User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#4 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:29 pm

ian16th wrote:
Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:17 pm
What speed are you paying for?
Up to 24 Mps and they say as long as it is above the minimum speed of 1.3 Mps they don't plan to do anything. The last speed test they had is from November 2019 and they claim it was slow too but I don't remember it as being so slow.

jimtherev
Station Padre
Station Padre
Posts: 1417
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:40 pm
Location: A country mouse in Derbyshire
Gender:
Age: 85

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#5 Post by jimtherev » Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:21 pm

Presumably you've tried the old trick of switching the router off for a few seconds and letting the thing reset again?

Noisy line here - cable to the cabinet, but then overhead copper - but 65+ Mb normally available. However, after a couple of weeks this 'trains down' to about 20, rectified by a 'reset' as above.
Openworld say it's the isp, a blatant lie... but I can stand it, 'cos I don't really need 65+ anyway.
But that's what I'm paying for, so why not?

User avatar
llondel
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5913
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:17 am
Location: San Jose

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#6 Post by llondel » Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:39 am

Corrosion has gotten in somewhere along the line. If you pick up the phone and dial a digit to silence the dialtone, does it crackle a lot?

Of course, getting them to fix it is well nigh impossible.

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17210
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#7 Post by Boac » Sun Apr 18, 2021 7:26 am

RiS - not sure how the telephone system works in Greece! As llondel says - do you have a noisy line? If so the people providing that (voice) line (in the UK) are responsible for sorting it out - free of charge UNLESS it is being caused by something in your property.

User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#8 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:11 am

Thanks for the ideas. The line is a PSTN so I can switch off the router and still have voice calls, so I switch off the router every time I leave the house. The house is near a complex of radio antennas and I can hear the radio station over the phone for some years now which is a mystery. A former friend who is an experience radio amateur couldn't figure out why I can hear the radio over the phone.

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17210
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#9 Post by Boac » Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:21 am

If the broadband system is similar to the UK, leave the router on. On and off causes resets of supply speed each time.

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#10 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:58 am

I had problems last home and this. In both cases the problem was probably the cables. In the first the engineer found the wiring predated master sockets and fitted one. That I had installed the cable some 50-60 from the original hard wire point to my study phased him not a bit.
In the second, no matter what, he could not get the speed up. They found a closer cabinet - FTTC - and used that for a small gain. He then ran a new cable from the property junction to the Master socket leaving the original cable for phone alone.
How are you measuring the speed?
Are you logging in to the router or using a speed test program?
If I log in to my router I get a rock solid 40 down 10 up. If I use software such as OOKLA I get much lower readings.
At 2.4 gbs I might get 12-15 down and 8-9 up. At 5 gbs I get around 37 down and 9-10 up.
We have lots of devices all connected, devices such as power sockets, range extenders, smart phones, ereaders, tablets and a lap top. Probably around 22 devices.
Most of the devices are 2.4 only and speed measured on one of these is lower than on the 5.0 and if used on an extender also lower.
Just checked on my phone while sitting by the router 12.7/9.3. Then my Kindle Fire 37.5/9.3
I then rebooted my phone and got 18.0/8.9.
So you see there are many variables.

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#11 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:09 am

Boac wrote:
Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:21 am
If the broadband system is similar to the UK, leave the router on. On and off causes resets of supply speed each time.
This contrasts with Jim the Rev suggestion which is also supported by others. I think the point of the reboot is to reset the throttle that has been imposed. I believe that you then get the highest speed albeit with losses due to noise. Over 2-3 days the speed is progressively reduced to minimise losses. Is that wrong?

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17210
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#12 Post by Boac » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:23 am

It is impossible to determine the correct answer without knowing how the Greek system works.- in the UK a reset 'resets' the router which may well improve speed but then it can then take several days to settle down, often lower!
PN wrote:At 2.4 gbs I might get 12-15 down and 8-9 up. At 5 gbs I get around 37 down and 9-10 up.
You are now confusing wifi performance with router performance which are separate issues! The aim should be to sort out the router first and not worry about wifi.

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#13 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:31 am

BOAC, not at all. I am illustrating that how and what you measure affects the speed you get. RiS has not, AFAIK, said how he is measuring the speed.

User avatar
unifoxos
Capt
Capt
Posts: 959
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:36 am
Location: Twycross Zoo, or thereabouts
Gender:
Age: 78

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#14 Post by unifoxos » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:52 am

Is contention a factor? If more people are working from home (or playing games etc.) due pandemic and it's not a great line to the local exchange start off with?
Sent from my tatty old Windoze PC.

User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#15 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Apr 18, 2021 9:56 am

PN, I compare the perceived speeds in other words: in the past even in the summer or 2019 I could use my mobile easily even at a distance from the router. Maybe next time I would use a netbook to count the speed using the app of the local OFTEL. I asked the tech agent if the speed deterioration is due to the fact I don't use the router very often and he said no.

unifoxos I don''t know how busy is the network around. I thought about checking the neighbourhood and ask what speed they get for those who have ADSL connections

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17210
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#16 Post by Boac » Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:44 am

RiS - best to forget wifi in all this. Check the speed direct at the router. Do you know how to do that?

User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#17 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Apr 18, 2021 11:09 am

Boac the local OFTEL offers this app to do a speed test. I need to see its validity and also how minimum speeds are defined - I feel the OFTEL sides with the companies.

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#18 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Apr 18, 2021 12:18 pm

Boac wrote:
Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:44 am
RiS - best to forget wifi in all this. Check the speed direct at the router. Do you know how to do that?
I rest my case.

As for Unifox's point, try checking the speed at several times through the day. If you guess when local usage is low then you might get a higher reading and similarly much lower at other times.

Only you can guess local usage. It may be lower usage when your neighbours are enjoying outdoor socialising for instance.

There is another App you can try called WiFi Analyser (there are others) which shows the signal strengths of other routers in range. The more you see the greater the 'noise' but also an indication of local use.

As BOAC says, log on to your router and get the actual speeds at the router.

User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#19 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sun Apr 18, 2021 12:24 pm

I would start from router and then see how is the local traffic so to speak. Useful advice everyone. Thanks

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17210
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: ADSL speed dropping

#20 Post by Boac » Sun Apr 18, 2021 12:29 pm

RiS the speed I am talking about is not a 'speed test' speed it is the downstream speed AT YOUR ROUTER. You can only see this by accessing your router's control panel. If that speed is satisfactory then your perceived 'loss' of speed is down to either your kit or your wifi signal. Using 'an app' to do a speed test is fraught with all sorts of complications.

If it is NOT satisfactory then in simple terms either there is a fault on your telephone line, the ISP delivered speed has worsened (as you are wondering) or there is a house telephone wiring issue.

Difficult to analyse at this distance. It is not worth messing about with wifi for this.

Post Reply