This topic

Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

wesley — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:57:46 GMT

I am coming to the end of my 24 month contract at £69pcm. Although full speeds are recorded to the router, wifi speeds are generally in the range of 75-150 Mbps. This includes standing next to router with mobile and confirmed by Ookla / fast.com for wifi speeds. I also have 3 wifi discs dotted around the house.

If I downgrade to 300 FF, can I expect a corresponding significant drop off in wifi connection - or does anyone have experience that wifi would hold up in the 75-100 range with a 300Mbps service.

Am looking to reduce the monthly cost and also account for the fact my son who games/streams has now gone off to Uni ha ha. We only use wifi for wfh / facetiming and firestick streaming - sky q boxes are hard wired.

Thanks

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:35:49 GMT

Speed to the router & across WiFi are independent. Although you obviously can't get a higher speed Internet connection than whatever your package delivers. From your stated use you could probably safely drop to 100Mb.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

licquorice — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:29:30 GMT

WiFi speed is totally independent of broadband speed. They are 2 totally separate links in a chain. Total speed will be at the speed of the slowest link.

Typing as @Anonymous posted

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

iniltous — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:23:10 GMT

It doesn’t follow that if you reduced your FTTP ‘speed’ by 2/3rds that your WiFi performance would also decrease by 2/3rds, it doesn’t work like that.

TBH , I don’t think 300Mb is an offered speed by BT anymore, so it’s probably a 500Mb service you would select , but as already stated , you probably would be better off with 100Mb ( which on FTTP is actually 150Mb ) which will probably be more than adequate for your needs, and on single WiFi devices you likely wouldn’t notice any difference to when you had 900Mb , unless you have many devices constantly making large bandwidth demands

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

HHGTTG — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:56:50 GMT

Can someone explain why, when people buy these expensive Fibre packages they often don't get anywhere near the speeds they expect?

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:06:40 GMT

Its because they do not take into consideration the weakest link in the chain, their own internal network, that is what normally causes the disappointing performance.

Find what your local network is capable of first, then find a package that matches that, probably 100-200 Mbs in most cases. Do you really need more that about 20mbs to a phone or tablet?

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

licquorice — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:06:31 GMT

Mainly, folks have unrealistic expectations of WiFi.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

HHGTTG — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:16:02 GMT

Precisely but so many people have upwards of 50+ devices connected including cameras and all sorts of Wireless Smart stuff. I can't abide that to be honest but each to their own, I suppose.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:25:11 GMT

All sharing the same wireless bandwidth and competing for channel occupancy. Overall, I would expect the actual throughput on a specific channel to be poor, especially if there are adjacent properties using the same channel.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:34:05 GMT

I doubt is as many as 10% with a 900Mb connection need it for any reason other than because they can.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

WSH — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:52:46 GMT

And let’s not forget that the fibre connection is actually shared media. Potentially, if everyone is downloading at the same time, you may only get 1/30 of the bandwidth.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

HHGTTG — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:56:53 GMT

Di it it better than ADSL my current preference whilst still available. My 17Mbps is more than adequate for my needs atm.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:11:47 GMT

And now we have folk desperate to move to EE so than can get 1.6Gb...

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

WSH — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:21:36 GMT

@HHGTTG

I take it that is “Is it better…”. Well, GPON is 2.49 Gb/s down. Potentially it can be split 32 ways but I believe Openreach are using 30 as the limit. So, 2.49Gb/s/30 = approx 83 Mb/s. Hence, the “up to” 900Mb/s.

Of course, this is an artificial situation where all 30 people are downloading at the same instant so, in reality, it won’t happen.

The upgrades to XGS-PON will make this even more less likely.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

HHGTTG — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:34:27 GMT

Sorry re typo. Not sure what I actually typed on my phone!

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

WSH — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:37:28 GMT

@Anonymous

I really don’t understand this obsession with excessive speed.

OK, if you have half a dozen kids who are avid gamers and you stream 4k movies I can understand it, but for most people these speeds are way more than they’ll ever use.

I’m still on 58Mb/s FTTC and its perfectly adequate for what I do. Stability is more of an issue, if you ask me.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

marco806 — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 19:54:53 GMT

Curently in italy , new customers can get full fibre 2.6GB......for 24 euro per month....makes one think...

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

WSH — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 19:59:01 GMT

Well they don't call it "rip-off Britain" for nowt you know.

Re: Downgrading from Full Fibre 900

wesley — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 14:27:13 GMT

I can happily report that the downgrade has had virtually no impact on wifi speeds - so over a 2 year contract that's a saving of £744 from what I'm currently paying.