This topic

Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:47:05 GMT

I've noticed a slow down and used the official BT app speedtest. This asks me to run more tests, which fails. Pics included.

any ideas how to get this checked? Arrange a callback?

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

imjolly — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:58:34 GMT

are you running test using ethernet cable not wifi?

it maybe there are other customers online at same time hence slower then normal. have you tried later?

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:10:43 GMT

I upgraded to the 900 a week or so ago.

This has happened at multiple times. Hub is connected to the fibre point via ethernet.

The test was over WiFi. Which I always do, and has always been above the stay fast guarantee up until recently. I've tested a few times today now, some fail (as shown) and others pass.

Ps. It's not other users. Only got the kids using mobiles right now, and it's pretty much Snapchat only 🙂

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

imjolly — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:22:50 GMT

by other user I meant other customers with whom you share your fibre connection

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:26:02 GMT

Ah, I see.
I'm in a house with fibre directly into it, and never had speed issues until the last couple of weeks. The neighbours are not relevant, as the stay fast guarantee is not being met?

I should be able to receive my promised speeds, even if they were downloading 24/7 shouldn't I?

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

licquorice — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:27:47 GMT

30 customers share 2.5Gbs backhaul, you do the maths.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:37:16 GMT

I'm not really sure what that means or why it's relevant to me?

BT charge me for 900 internet with a stay fast promise of 700. That's not been happening today so surely I'm ok to query that?

Also, as in the second picture the error when I try to run more tests is worth BT looking at?

That's on their app when trying to run tests/fix

It's also getting worse

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

imjolly — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:37:09 GMT

you need to test with ethernet connection not wifi as wifi is subject to interference from your home and neighbours. only ethernet test are acceptable

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:42:42 GMT

That's not possible to the device.
The hub from cable box is connected via cat 6 ethernet cable
The speedtests I've being checking for the last 14 months or so have always been ion WiFi, a few feet from the hub. Never been an issue until last couple of weeks

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:00:19 GMT

@dksglen

Bit of a waste really. Unless you have lots of users connected to the home hub using Ethernet cables, you are not going to be able to take full advantage of any increase to 900Mbs.

This issue crops up again and again on this forum. Upgrading the speed to the hub is not going to improve the wireless speed, as that would be the slowest part of the network.

You could try changing wireless channels to find one that is less congested, as its possible a neighbour is using the same channel.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:23:02 GMT

Thanks. I took the upgrade offer as the price increase was minimal. At busy times in the house we can have Xboxes, Netflix (x3) and multiple phones / Alexa, TVs etc. I thought the speed increase would be helpful.
The point really is that the speedtests are failing to meet guaranteed speeds and the run more test option isn't working.
That's something BT should look at, and remedy.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

ptrduffy — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:24:33 GMT

To be fair to @dksglen using the My BT app is the one time when speed testing on WiFi makes sense - the app uses BT servers to connect to the Hub and check the speed (well, at least, that's what it claims to do).

And the speed is below the BT Stay Fast guarantee, so the OP could indeed complain to BT.

However, as @licquorice has pointed out the GPON network provides 2.5 Gb/s to be shared among ~30 users - so if all are highly active at the same time, each will get ~80 Mb/s on average.

The BT Stay Fast Guarantee only says that if the speed is not back to its guaranteed level after 30 days then you are entitled to £20 compensation. It absolutely does not guarantee that you can download at 700 Mb/s (on the FTTP 900 package) 24/7 - because the network simply can't support that.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:28:57 GMT

Thank you @ptrduffy

That's interesting and it's certainly not me looking for 20 pounds. I do however don't want to pay for a service that's not going to be given as advertised for the next 2 years.

It seems to be quite misleading from BT tbh.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:34:02 GMT

@dksglen

All your devices will be sharing the same wireless channel, competing for an available timeslot.

You may find it an advantage to connect a separate wireless access point to a port on the home hub, with a different SSID, and a different channel, and move some devices onto it, to reduce the load on the home hub channel.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

ptrduffy — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:35:01 GMT

I'm not convinced that it's misleading from BT (and if it is, then all other ISPs are guilty of the same), but I think it is going to be a big source of confusion for many.

As you've found, you will get above the 700 Mb/s the vast majority of the time, as it's unlikely that all other users are downloading at the exact same time as you - the system relies on this "statistical multiplexing" to give people bandwidth as and when they need it.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:40:07 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

Thanks. The hub obviously has the 2.4 and 5 GHz on different channels. Nothing really connects to 2.4 these days, and no way of forcing that.

Another access point is a good idea, but Im not sure I should have to be going done that route. I do have a disk that covers everything upstairs and the hub all down.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:50:33 GMT

The disk uses the same wireless channel and simply adds to the congestion.

I would be surprised if just 5GHz alone covers all devices, but you can prove that by turning off the 2.4GHz wireless on the home hub and see if everything still works.

5GHz should be less congested, but speed will drop off quite quickly as you move away from the home hub.

Unless you can actually prove that a wired connection does not give the minimum speed specified by BT, then there is not much you can do, as this is just a local networking issue and not a BT Broadband issue.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:56:49 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

The BT app tells me what is connected to what channel (2.4/5)

As I speak right now, everything is on 5 apart from one echo dot.

I'm not sure I need to prove anything to BT as their own app is telling me the stay fast guarantee isn't being met. Obviously this may change.

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

dksglen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:13:35 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

"The disk uses the same wireless channel and simply adds to the congestion."

Thanks. This is interesting to me. I know they use the same channel, but it gives a very strong connection to all the upstairs devices. Surely that's better than a lot weaker one to the main hub?

BT promote these disks well for coverage, and they are not cheap.

Also, the disk has an ethernet connection. Would it be better to have it wired to the main hub (via connections in wall )

Re: Broadband Speed Dropping on and off all day

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:10:30 GMT

It will give a strong signal, but its still relies on the wireless link back to the home hub, so the signal may be strong, but unlikely to give the same speed, as the throughput will be less.