Broadband download speed
 

I have tried a few 'testers' and to be honest I cannot work out which one is telling the 'truth!' What with k/b's, KB's and Mb's

Anyone know of one that will allow me to get a simple answer. Like, exactly what download speed in MB's I am getting - ta!

I've used this one seems ok.

Although the speed will be say 5370kbps that is 5.37 MB/s (the speed dial shows it in MB's)

another one

Thanks spanners, always helpful.

Well, I did three tests and not one went over 439kb/s. I reckon this works out at close on 1/2mb - is that right? I am supposed to get 8mb but most people don't get that. OR have I got something wrong?

No POP, unless you are a long, long way from your telephone exchange there is something wrong. Speedtest.net is the most reliable tester I know of (did you try alternative locations on the test?).

You are right, you have less than half a meg there.

PP - If you are on an ADSL connection via your 'phone line then you are unlikely to ever achieve anywhere near 8.0mbps. In these rural parts we have been told that 1.5mbps is a good day and 750 to 850kbps is about average due to the fact that the telephone wiring is old and not of sufficient capacity to give much more.

If you are on cable then you really do have a problem as that should deliver what it says on the box.
Cheers,
PB.

Thanks again. I am 1830mtrs from my exchange. I tried alternatives and could not raise it above 490kb/s.

Seems I have been reasonably happy with TalkTalk but now its time to have a TalkTalk with them! :ugh:

Thanks again

PPP

There seems a confusion here, so lets define something
Kbs = kilobits/sec KBs = kilobytes/sec xxx KBs is 8 times faster than xxx Kbs in terms of download speed.

Mine seems to be spot on. 2.5 miles from the exchange and a down speed of 1.2MB. Better than the dial-up we had till last year.

:ok:

Top reading is download, second box is upload which always considerably slower. Just done one here and got 5311 kbps, sometimes though its only about 1Mb though eg in the evening - seems to depend on the local time in USA.

As a general guide, I use a factor of 10 in calculations, not 8. This is because the kb/s figure is "raw", covering all bits that come down the pipe. However, when you download a file or do other things, the protocols you use are imposing an overhead on your bandwidth.

For example, when you download a file, each packet has multiple protocol layers: HTTP [ TCP [ IP [ MAC ] ] ] ]
On my 1Mb/s connection, I can get 105 kB/s downloads, which I suppose I can't complain about. (Ireland is some way behind the UK in the bitrate races.)

Thanks for all your help guys, I really appreciate it.

I got in touch with TalkTalk, which took me 18 minutes of holding on, and they told me that they had good news for me. Ready for this?

Apparently my speed, and hundreds of others, was set at 1/2mb! As it had been for the past 15 months. It was a mistake and they were full of apologies. However, they invited me to undertake a speed test there and then and the result is that I am now on 6mb download speed!!!! Wonderful! :D I could kick myself but the speed I had was better than dial-up but fell well short of what was really available

So, those with TalkTalk, and who have a slow download speed this is for you. Direct line to an English guy :D:D and discuss it with him on 0870 087 8080.

He even knew when my router was switch off and the date............!

I'm gonna go and play now.

My current speed with TT is 3mb & 300kb. Not the greatest, but I'm not unhappy with that.

I would be chasing them for compensation or free service for a year. Afterall you've paid for something and they have not supplied it, and worst of all they knew about it.

You are right spanners, except that TalkTalk broadband is 'free' otherwise I would. Ummmm I still might!

We are semi-rural, and the last 50m of the wire that carries the broadband is my own piece of semi-illicit work from the house to the back-end of the garage where I work.

With Eclipse Networking, I got 0.7 - 0.9mbps according to most speed testers. The "paid for speed" was 2mbps.

I blamed the distance and my wiring.

Then I switched to Utility Warehouse as ADSL supplier and the same testers now routinely vary between 4 and 6 mbps. The paid for speed is 8mbps, I think. And I saved £25.00 or so per month in charges by changing.

There's a lesson there somewhere! Eclipse is a perfectly reputable and good company, if expensive, but they do prioritise their business customers who pay a lot more.

You do need to talk to them! I'd expect you to get consistently better than 2 meg.

My Essex place is 3.7km from the exchange and I get around 2.2meg (on an ADSLMax connection, so theoretically up to 8 meg available).

Up here in the wilds of rural Norfolk, I just happen (quite by chance) to be about 50m from the exchange. I get between 5 and 6 meg on ADSLmax. I've seen 7.x on occasions, but usually around 3 am.

For those able to ascertain the downstream attenuation figures from their router or modem, the folllowing graph gives a good estimate as to the speeds you should be achieving..

For example, I'm on an ADSL 2+ service and have an attenuation of 45db, about right for my 2.5km line length. I synch at around 7.2 meg and get around 6.5 meg down (difference down to overheads).

http://www.beforum.co.uk/adsl_att_vs_speed_chart.JPG

A useful chart - thanks.

This is PlusNet ADSLMax from the cottage, on a quiet night:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/229378027.png


More usual is a bit slower, but still not bad.
Line atttenuation is 21dB.

Keefy, I did answer you but in the excitement today I think I must have forggoten to hit the submit button!

If you look at my post further up you will note that my chat with TT produced a brilliant result and I now have over 6mb download.

Spanners thinks I should get some compensation, I think I will try that.

PPP

I use thinkbroadband.com. I like the site as you can run regular checks and maintain a graph. There is a forum and you can rate your ISP.

Just checked my speed which has dropped from 1.8 to 0.8 :(

I'm even more confused now!
 

You've just reminded me...........

About a year ago I changed from a BT 2Mbps to a BT 8Mbps service. BT did a line check and told me that I would get up to 6.5Mbps, which seemed OK to me, so I went ahead.

For the first few months I was getting about 6Mbps, but then it dropped to about 5, then 4, with occasional bursts up to 7.6Mbps while they were working on the exchange. These were all displayed on a little icon on the start bar. After that (last October) it went down to 3Mbps which was confirmed by the speedcheck on the Channel 5 Gadget Show website, and has remained there ever since.

Seeing this thread, I've just checked again with these results.

Thinkbroadband.com Download 2.9Mbps Upload 0.37Mbps
Speedtest.net Download 3.36Mbps Upload 0.37Mbps
Gadget Show Download 1.53Mbps Upload No result

Hmm, 8Mbps seems a distant memory!

How far am I from the exchange?...........................85 metres - I could practically hit the d@mned building if I threw my PC hard enough, and, believe me, I have been tempted on occasions!

It's just the thought of trying to explain it to someone in Bangalore that depresses me.:{

GG

Ahh, GG, this is where some people trip up.

Just because you are so close to the exchange physically, it doesn't always mean that is the length of the cable run from the exchange to you. That could easily be over 1km! Add is assorted "joints" in the cable as lines are tapped off to others, cable degredation, bad connections in said joints and things like that then you can see where things can go bellyup.

Now, iirc there is a UK number for BT which doesn't go to Bangalore. Of course, it ain't freephone but a local call but you get straight through to UK techies. Of course, since I been over here for a couple of years I don't have that number any more but I would get onto them somehow as there could be a fault building up which could cause problems.