Strange intermittent connection/speed issues

[wanttosurf]

Hi all,

this is my 1st post on this forum, and I realize the topic is similar to some other threads already posted, but wanted to give this a fresh approach.

I am on the 20mb XL package, and have until recently enjoyed a very fast connection for both browsing and downloading - but in the last 2-3 weeks this has gone seriously downhill. The problem is characterized by either incredibly slow internet page loading, or total timeouts, but mysteriously Virgins homepages will generally work ok. Even sites like Google and Facebook and the BBC have become nearly inaccessible at times.

I scan my computer for viruses/spyware/malware on a daily basis, and know that my problems are not being caused by one of those.

This evening I was searching the web for a possible solution to my sorrows, when I came across this guide on the virginmedia website:

http://www.virginmedia.com/help/20mb...timisation.php

I was following the guide word-for-word and using this speed tester to test my connection speed:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/testyou...?1212436196406

Initially my overall average speed was being returned between 4-6 Mbps, dipping to 1.5 Mbps intermittently. I then messed about with my speed/duplex settings and found that when set to 'Autonegotiate for 100 Half Duplex' my speed instantly jumped to 18-19 Mbps.

Resetting to 100 Full Duplex dropped it back down to 3.5 Mbps. Switching between the two seemed to consistently show this pattern.

Cool, I thought, problem solved. I then enjoyed 15 minutes of blissful surfing, with no hitches, then thought I'd try utorrent to see if that would work as well. As soon as I started a torrent download (topping out at a wopping 150kb/s), I was unable to browse the web. All pages were timing out. I am not running Vista, and have in the past been able to surf & torrent at the same time.

I exited the torrent program and found I was still having problems surfing. Rebooted my PC and found that my average overall speed was back down to around 3Mbps with intermittent periods of pages timing out.

Surely with this many people experiencing the same issues, this has got to be something happening on Virgin Media's end of the connection?

[A$h X]

Originally Posted by wanttosurf

As soon as I started a torrent download (topping out at a wopping 150kb/s), I was unable to browse the web. All pages were timing out.
Surely with this many people experiencing the same issues, this has got to be something happening on Virgin Media's end of the connection?

Join the club m8, there's plenty of us in the same boat. The sooner we can get mass complaints (or better still mass dis-connections ) going the quicker VM will have to do something about this shambles.

[davidb24v]

Originally Posted by wanttosurf

Initially my overall average speed was being returned between 4-6 Mbps, dipping to 1.5 Mbps intermittently. I then messed about with my speed/duplex settings and found that when set to 'Autonegotiate for 100 Half Duplex' my speed instantly jumped to 18-19 Mbps.

Resetting to 100 Full Duplex dropped it back down to 3.5 Mbps. Switching between the two seemed to consistently show this pattern.

I have a duff port on a gigabit switch at work. Anything connected that tries to negotiate (or even mandate) anything above 10Mbit can't connect. The 10Mbit control connection on a RAID array works fine. Don't rule out hardware as the cause of this.

That switch is still under warranty. That's really useful. Like I'm ever going to turn it off to worry about one port when I've got a workaround

Just my 0.5p worth, er, for what it's worth (about 0.5p I'd say)

Dave

[wanttosurf]

I honestly don't think this a hardware issue on my end.

It reminds me somewhat of when I was with Tiskillme, and they introduced a new traffic management system that totally wiped out all P2P traffic (including any games that communicate on P2P ports, such as Eve Online) - something they vehemently denied for a number of months - before finally admitting they knew all along.

Luckily there was a loophole in the Fair Usage Policy where if you exceeded your download limit more than 3 times they gave you a final warning and then throttled your connection speed, at which point you could come out of your contract with no penalties.. started downloading like there was no tomorrow at that point.

That's when I moved to VM. Seems like history repeats itself.

[SydneyHopper]

wanttosurf

I had the same problem with a general deterioration to my service, which include bursts of 20mb speeds, coupled with the most turgid flow of information that barely sprung out of the 3mb trap but I solved the problem and it had nothing to do with extreme downloads but something to do with IP addresses and whether they were dynamic or fixed

When I first connected my router I was asked whether I had a dynamic ip address or fixed, in automation, it suggested dynamic which I went along with even though I was with NTL broadband, which provides a fixed ip address. Anyhoo that’s when the problems started. I reconnected computer to internet, copied all the information down: IP addresses, subnet blah blah, reconnected router, opted for fixed address, entered information and viola!

Blissful, full fat connection, constantly.

[wanttosurf]

Thanks, that may be worth trying out to see if it works.

Do any of the techies on this forum know whether VM 20mb uses fixed or dynamic IP adresses?

[chickendippers]

VM don't provide static IPs. I think SydneyHopper is referring to his router settings.

[wanttosurf]

Chickendipper

Do you think that this is unlikely to be the cause of the problem in that case? If I had my settings on static IP would I even be able to connect if the service is Dynamic IP?

Or would I experience the type of unstable up/down connection speeds that I am getting?

[SydneyHopper]

No, NTL doesn't supply a fixed ip address, but a dynamic one, but I used the dynamic IP address and entered it into my router set up as a fixed ip address and then I got full service. It works.

I know the router has an ip address as that is effectively your service provider, but after disconnecting my router, going on-line, taking down the dynamic ip address and the other gubbins and then entering them into router set up as fixed, it worked, where it didn't work before.

I may have to do it again if the dynamic address changes. Or, it may be something else like the DNS information, but then my solution works again.

Some ISPs do provide a fixed isp address if you pay a little extra

Or, this might be a happy happen stance and nothing to do with me peering under the hood

[wanttosurf]

Sydney,

How difficult is this? can I ammend my router settings through device manager? and where do I go online in order to obtain the various settings such as the dynamic IP address?

I'm slightly dubious about messing about with things I only half understand in case the whole thing naffs up on me and I suddenly find myself with no internet at all.

[SydneyHopper]

wanttosurf

You're making me very nervous as I was singled out in my School's year book as 'most likely to blow up computer and half the known world with him' So, between you and I it's goodbye world.

I have a Mac as well, which makes it a little more awkward

We can't do anything unless you have a router that you can access- what make/model is it?

Here's a great guide:

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/h...rconfigure.htm

When you have access to your router, disconnect and connect to the internet without router, go into settings/connection and copy ip address and everything below it, around it. Then reconnect with router, enter router and copy information into appropriate spaces, but make sure you make a copy of every bit of information that you are deleting. Just in case.

[wanttosurf]

Im at work atm.. will have to answer that question for you when I get home. It's one of those small sleek black ones you get from Virgin when you sign up for their broadband service.

Must be a standard issue one, probably the same as anyone elses who's signed up with them in the last 12 months.

[SydneyHopper]

wanttosurf

Just in case you missed it:

Here's a great guide:

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/h...rconfigure.htm

When you have access to your router, disconnect and connect to the internet without router, go into settings/connection and copy ip address and everything below it, around it. Then reconnect with router, enter router and copy information into appropriate spaces, but make sure you make a copy of every bit of information that you are deleting. Just in case.

[wanttosurf]

Thanks for the tips Sydney,


I'm not sure how I'm supposed to connect to the internet without my router, as the cable (coaxial) that comes from my wall will not fit into the back of my PC anywhere.

It connects to the router which then connects to my PC via the ethernet port. I'm guessing most Virgin Media cable customers have this same setup.

Whilst I am incredibly tempted to tinker with the settings to see if it improves things, I also think this may prove counterproductive - and possibly cause more harm than good.

I will leave it to braver souls than I to try.

[SydneyHopper]

Oh I see, that's your cable modem. Not a router <unless it's a hybrid> A router is altogether something else.

The mistake was mine, I got way ahead of myself.

Unfortunately that does seem to be a problem only Virgin
can solve. Which is a shame, as I was hoping to help.