This topic

Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:43:52 GMT

Hi all,

The BT support chatbot sent me here as nobody was available to talk to - I hope you can help. I'm currently having problems with my BT Infinity 2 FTTC where the upload bandwidth suddenly drops to 266Kbps. A router reboot and/or firmware upgrade didn't solve it but a modem reboot (original openreach modem) did, albeit only for a few hours before it would happen again. In case it was the modem at fault I've tried a different modem (Draytek Vigor 130) and I still see the same issue. On the Draytek Online Status page on the modem it shows a consistent 3199 Kbps down (slower than I'm used to, but workable), and it can be like this for hours then suddenly it'll drop to 266Kbps up (though still reported as SHOWTIME in the status). It stays like that until I restart the modem, which usually fixes it. It always drops to the exact same speed when it happens. The download bandwidth remains consistently over 40 meg in either case.

I've read similar threads on here which seem to end up in an Engineer sorting the issue, so I expect that's where this will need to end up, but without anyone to chat to at support I'm hoping someone here can be of some assistance?

Thanks!

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:53:09 GMT

welcome to the BT community forum where customers help customers and only BT employees are the forum mods

can you post connection stats from the hub or the modem if unlocked

Have you tried the quiet line test? - dial 17070 option 2 - should hear nothing - best done with a corded phone. if cordless phone you may hear a 'dull hum' which is normal

enter your phone number and post results remember to delete number https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Someone may then be able to offer help/assistance/suggestions to your problem

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:06:22 GMT

Thanks. I'll try the noisy line test when I can. For now, here's the speed test result right now (which is "good" 3meg up). I'll see if I can get a result from there next time it drops to really bad too.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:22:46 GMT

Your connection speed of 44/3mb shown on dslchecker is nowhere near the expected speed for your connection

are you using test socket with a filter to see if that improves your connection - assuming quiet line test is ok

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:33:07 GMT

I don't think I have a test socket (the wall socket is the one with two sockets in it, one for phone and one for broadband)

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:42:10 GMT

Also tried the quiet line test and it sounded fine.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:59:33 GMT

You do have a test socket

The test socket is shown by black arrow. You need to remove the middle section shown by yellow arrow before you can get to test socket. You will need a filter to connect cable to socket and hub

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:06:55 GMT

Thanks - I'll have to order a filter as I'm not sure I still own any, will report back.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 18:51:40 GMT

Ok, I managed to find a filter and have connected to the test socket through that. The results still look the same:

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:06:29 GMT

Now in test socket it is hub stats you need to post as dslchecker results will be the same as it checks on your phone number not your actual connection

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:21:31 GMT

Thanks. Here's the connection speed reported by the modem. I can't find any info on connection speed in the router (it's an ASUS RT-AC87U) but I'll keep looking.

speedtest.net is also showing the same results.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:48:42 GMT

Is there anywhere in stats that shows attainable speed?

have you been having connection problems with router dropping connection or trying manual reset to improve speed or maybe a combination of both

you are currently in a banded profile hence why you keep getting a connection speed of just short of 44mb

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:57:54 GMT

Yes I’ve been restarting the modem whenever I notice the upload speed has dropped to 266kbps as I can’t work from home with that bandwidth and restarting the modem fixes it.

While searching around this issue I did read that doing that can put you in a banded profile and that it needs to be left for 10 days, but like I say that’s not a workable solution for me while trying to work from home. I can cope if it stays at 3/40 but when it drops to 266kbps on the upstream I have to do the restart.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:12:02 GMT

Unfortunately if you continue with your restarts then hub will not recover and in fact your connection could get worse as DLM drops you to lower band to try and stabilise your line

it will take longer than 10 days stable for banding to release

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:16:55 GMT

Ok, thanks for all the help so far. Any idea what my best next steps are other than just trying to wait it out? Whatever is causing the speed to drop to 266kbps up is the real problem that I need to sort out.

I’ve not had it do that yet since switching to the test socket so is it best to stay connected to that to see if I still get the drop in order to help figure out if that’s an issue with the line vs. internal wiring?

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

pippincp — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 06:51:10 GMT

Yes, stay in the test socket for now.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 08:27:10 GMT

Just wanted to report back that since switching to the test socket I've not experienced the odd drops in upstream bandwidth, so it looks likely to be an internal wiring issue. I'm still banded, but the speeds have also jumped up to 20 up / 60 down. This has all been without the phone connected to the micro filter, which I'm going to try over the weekend. Given that in this case the "test" socket actually is the socket I'll just continue to run this way until I can get someone out to take a look at the wiring. Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 10:56:53 GMT

Looks like I spoke too soon! I didn't end up plugging the phone back in (I forgot), and this is still in the test socket. Just now I noticed the internet seemed slow. Checking in the modem I'm getting 234kbps up and down has dropped back to 45 meg. Any further suggestions? I'm not going to restart the modem this time, I'll just leave it and see if it recovers.

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

imjolly — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 11:11:16 GMT

is it a new filter you are using? have you checked to see if any line noise that could be causing drops in test socket?

Re: Upload bandwidth keeps dropping to very slow speed

cravo — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 11:30:03 GMT

It’s not a brand new filter, it’s borrowed.

Tried the quiet line test on this socket (still through the filter as I’m trying not to disconnect the modem as advised) with a corded phone and can’t hear any line noise...