For the last two weeks my connection speed (please, no comments about
correct terminology) has been below 400kbs. Previously it could reach
4000kbs and regularly reached 3400kbs.

My ISP (Plusnet) has checked my account and confirms everything is in
order.

I wonder whether there is a problem with my Belkin Router or D Link
Modem. Is it possible that a fault within the equipment would allow a
reduced flow of data rather than none, if it was failing? They have
worked with no problem for a number of years.

km

km wrote:

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:34:26 +0000, The Natural Philosopher <a@b.c>
wrote:

Do you mean in filters or my own cabling? Or is it more likely a BT
exchange problem? The ISP says that their checks reveal no problems.
Would that include the exchange?

I must admit that I do not have great confidence in Plusnet. In the
past I set up a Broadband connection for a Charity that did not
initially work. Plusnet were adamant that the fault lay at the
customer end until eventually thay discovered that they had not set up
the account properly.

km

km wrote:
Hard to say. Somewhere in the copper between the router and the
exchange. First of all remove *everything* from the~BT line, including
filters if possible and plug the router staright in. If that fixes it
you can gradually replace stuff till the culprit shows up.

This is necessary anyway before BT will come and fix the line.

If its still bad try and borrow a different router and try that.

If none of this works, you have the necessary armament to get your ISP
to get BT to frig with the line.



In this case its not their fault in all likelihood.

However understand that if they get a BT engineer out to check the line
and it turns out to be your microfilter, they get charged...so you have
to convince them that everything else has been checked first.

"km" <osb@all.co.uk> wrote in message
news:302cn3pese32pl19nfakfkk26gn7lmfkfi@4ax.com...

That is a big drop! You're not confusing bits with bytes are you?

ADSL connections reported by a router are normally expressed in bits/sec,
and is the raw speed including any overhead. (formatting information).

Download speeds are often expressed in bytes/sec and are usually net speeds
of useful bytes received that you might store in a file..


--
Michael Chare

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 10:23:08 +0000, The Natural Philosopher <a@b.c>
wrote:

All filters removed with no change. Speed still slow. The BT cabling
comes into and old hard wired box. Practically oval shaped. This does
not have a master socket. The router/modem set up allows a number of
PCs to be connected with all of them suffering the low speed so I have
ruled out the cause to be a virus.


tight and hope that Plusnet find something.

km

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:07:17 -0000, "Michael Chare"
<MunderscoreNEWS@chareDOTorg.uk> wrote:


Hello Michael. No the readings are accurate I have made use of
Plusnets own Download Measuring service and as part of their check to
try and identify why I am getting such slow speeds I used:

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html

initially I was told to use speedtester.bt.com but when I tried it a
message said it couldn't run the test due to an error. Having told
Plusnet this they then gave me the alternative of thinkbroadband and
didn't suggest that the message was some sort of warning of other
problems.

speedtester.bt.com error message said that I should refer back to my
ISP. Unsure if this is of any significance.

km

km wrote:

ANY piece of electronics can gradually fail.

Power supplies are a particular cause of trouble IME.

Graham

km wrote:

They were no help when I had a problem either. Changing ISPs to Idnet fixed
that.

Graham

km wrote:

Not unusual. So where does it go from there ?


So where is the master socket ? There IS one. Do you have any BT wired
extensions ? If none, then the one BT socket you have is the 'master' socket.

Graham

"km" <osb@all.co.uk> wrote in message
news:302cn3pese32pl19nfakfkk26gn7lmfkfi@4ax.com...
A friend of mine had similar problems, he was getting irate because plusnet
insisted all was ok at their end.
Anyway, I took my spare modem to test and the sync speed immediatly went
from less than 1meg to over 5meg.
Can't you borrow a modem or at the price they are now buy one, you will then
always have a spare if it's not a modem fault.
Do your testing from the master test socket to eliminate internal wiring
faults.
Do you hear any noise on the phone line, key any digit to clear dial tone
and listen, if there's any noise report it as an intermittent noisy line to
BT, best to a use a non cordless phone for this and test from the master
socket test socket.
Fred

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:41:43 +0000, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

connection. It doesn't have the split box that I expected for the
master. I take it that it is still the master though, from what you
say. There is no means of plugging in on the inside so I take it that
my connection is as good as it could be with the set up as it is.

km

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:35:38 +0000, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

Would the gradual failure of the Router allow for a reduced speed like
this?

km

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:48:42 -0000, "The Simpsons"
<fred.simpson@ditchthis.btinternet.andthis.com> wrote:

I will more than likely do this. As you say it is at least a standby
even if the problem isn't my current modem/router.


Checked for noise - none present.

km

The Simpsons wrote:

Good point about the cordless phone. My sync rate has recently dropped a little
and hey - I recently installed a cordless phone.

Graham

km wrote:

You mean an NTE5 with the removable front cover? Those are certainly not
universal. I don't have one either.


If there's just one socket it will be the 'master'.


Yes, plugging the adsl modem ONLY into that socker (without a filter if you can)
is as good as it will get. To test how good the adsl is, you will need to
disconnect all your phones for the purposes of the test..

Graham

km wrote:

Anyone's guess to be honest. Perfectly possible I'm sure.

Graham

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:58:15 +0000, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for the input. Have done as suggested with no improvement. Just
received e-mail from Plusnet to say they are asking their supplier to
check. This will take 2 to 3 days.

km

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:54:09 UTC, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

I think he meant to use a corded one because a lot of cordless are not
completely quiet. OTOH they *are* slinging RF around, but no more than
a WIFI base station - and they combine *those* with modems :-)
Micro-wave ovens and heating relays are the worst.

--
Regards
Dave Saville

NB Remove nospam. for good email address

Eeyore wrote:
Its QUITE unlikley, but not impossible.

A few things. like dry joints or failing resistors can raise noise
levels progressively, as can pure bad contacts.

However the outside line is more exposed and vulnerable, and far more
LIKELY a source of progressive decline.