20mbit ? I want my 10mbit back !

[cage]

When on NTL 10mbit I used to hit 1.1mb/sec downloads all the time. No problems and the service was superb.

Today I am now on Virgin 20mbit and the speeds are simply awful... I have maxed out at 587k/sec no matter where I download from, wither its newsgroups, microsoft, gamefiles.virginmedia.com etc etc.

Its seems to me I'm capped in some way ? I really dont know, but why would this be ? I thought I would have been hitting at least 2mb/sec :confused:

This is the config from my modem...

Cable Modem : DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 Compliant
MAC Address : xxxxx
Serial Number : xxxxx
Boot Code Version : 2.1.6d
Software Version : 2.94.1010
Hardware Version : 1.19

Acquire a Downstream Channel 402750000 Hz Locked
Connectivity State OK Operational
Boot State OK Operational

Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 41
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 40.6 dB

Upstream Lock : Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 2
Upstream Frequency : 25600000 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QPSK
Upstream Symbol Rate : 2560 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 51.0 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size : 2

Network Access : Allowed
Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 20480000
Maximum Upstream Data Rate : 768000
Maximum Upstream Channel Burst : 1600
Maximum Number of CPEs : 1
Modem Capability : Concatenation Enabled, Fragametation Enabled, PHS Disabled

Sun Jun 03 13:08:31 2007 Sun Jun 03 13:08:31 2007 1 Warning(5) 68010300 DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response
Time Not Established Time Not Established 2 Critical(3) 68000300 DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Time Not Established Time Not Established 1 Critical(3) 82000200 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established 1 Critical(3) 84000200 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Time Not Established Time Not Established 82 Critical(3) 84000100 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q...

[on in an hour!]

When on NTL 10mbit I used to hit 1.1mb/sec downloads all the time. No problems and the service was superb.

Today I am now on Virgin 20mbit and the speeds are simply awful... I have maxed out at 587k/sec no matter where I download from, wither its newsgroups, microsoft, gamefiles.virginmedia.com etc etc.

Its seems to me I'm capped in some way ? I really dont know, but why would this be ? I thought I would have been hitting at least 2mb/sec :confused:

This is the config from my modem...

Cable Modem : DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 Compliant
MAC Address : xxxxx
Serial Number : xxxxx
Boot Code Version : 2.1.6d
Software Version : 2.94.1010
Hardware Version : 1.19

Acquire a Downstream Channel 402750000 Hz Locked
Connectivity State OK Operational
Boot State OK Operational

Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 41
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 40.6 dB

Upstream Lock : Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 2
Upstream Frequency : 25600000 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QPSK
Upstream Symbol Rate : 2560 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 51.0 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size : 2

Network Access : Allowed
Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 20480000
Maximum Upstream Data Rate : 768000
Maximum Upstream Channel Burst : 1600
Maximum Number of CPEs : 1
Modem Capability : Concatenation Enabled, Fragametation Enabled, PHS Disabled

Sun Jun 03 13:08:31 2007 Sun Jun 03 13:08:31 2007 1 Warning(5) 68010300 DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response
Time Not Established Time Not Established 2 Critical(3) 68000300 DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Time Not Established Time Not Established 1 Critical(3) 82000200 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established 1 Critical(3) 84000200 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Time Not Established Time Not Established 82 Critical(3) 84000100 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q...

tough titty,get on ADSL on a BT line,then you might appreciate what youve got :tu:

[TraxData]

tough titty,get on ADSL on a BT line,then you might appreciate what youve got :tu:

Wow such a helpful reply! idiot.

Anyway, seems like you've passed th 3gb download limit and be put on traffic shaping config (5mbit down, 192k up) for 4 hours, not alot you can do, another smart idea of VM's.

[pedrohizzo]

tough titty,get on ADSL on a BT line,then you might appreciate what youve got :tu:

and he might pay less and get more at the same time ;)

[xspeedyx]

The upload is 256k when you are shaped on 20mb

[Wiggz]

Hi Guys,

I have to say that things have gone from bad to worse this time. 20MB with Traffic Shaping is great in terms of keeping network uptime in the high 90%'s, however I doubt it will prove the same in Customer retention.

The reason being that this is causing those who are used to half decent speeds to moan a lot more than they usually would. I know there are a few that will say "traffic shaping benefits all", however those people are quite frankly missing the point.

Why move everyone to 20MB, thus exacerbating the issue, and then traffic shape? Hardly makes sense. Penalising those who use the network most, which, is the whole point of paying for the service.

What they are doing is simply moving the issue onto the consumer and blaming those who use the connection 24/7 (as we are entitled to do) for the decrease in speed across the customer base (shaping).

What they should have done is keep the speeds the same and do what no other company is doing (rather than follow the sheep), namely, network infrastructure upgrades. Plough the £2 extra a month into sorting out UBR's and congested areas and actually providing a network on which 20MB can be rolled out.....not the other way around!!!

I have been with NTL, now Virgin for quite some time with my broadband, however this has caused me to rethink my custom. I'd prefer to have my 10MB unlimited back.

As for the "3GB limit and then being put on Traffic Shaping" - 3GB over what period of time? I haven't used my net for over a week due to being away. Come back and I have 5MB download speed (from .AC.UK sites).

Sucks to be Virgin Media customer :(

[Rone]

I agree with some of that, having a steady no nonsense 10 meg would have been worthwile sorting out first. ;)

[Wiggz]

I agree with some of that, having a steady no nonsense 10 meg would have been worthwile sorting out first. ;)

Glad somebody does. I don't want cable to be like ADSL "up to 16mb broadband" equalling just 5mb for most users etc..

I know the technology is different for these solutions, but the end result is the same it seems - less speed for more money.

[Incomplete]

tough titty,get on ADSL on a BT line,then you might appreciate what youve got :tu:

You mean ADSL like mine on a BT line no less? ;)

Download Speed: 15040 kbps (1880 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 2002 kbps (250.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/res...3260&v=1497079

Pinging www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.226.232] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=119
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=119
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=119
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=119

Ping statistics for 212.58.226.232:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 5ms, Maximum = 5ms, Average = 5ms

[Wiggz]

^^ that helps us VirginMedia customers doesn't it!

Thanks a lot for your helpful contribution

[Incomplete]

^^ that helps us VirginMedia customers doesn't it!

Thanks a lot for your helpful contribution

Ooo sarcasm.

It might help actually. Shows that contrary to the second post in this thread and the information that some people would have you believe there are quality ADSL options available, albeit perhaps not to the standard of a very well functioning cable connection.

[dev]

Ooo sarcasm.

It might help actually. Shows that contrary to the second post in this thread and the information that some people would have you believe there are quality ADSL options available, albeit perhaps not to the standard of a very well functioning cable connection.

and i'm sure i'll see those speeds if i used ADSL, me being over 4km from the exchange won't have any affect will it? :rolleyes:

To wiggz:

the traffic throttling applies on all tiers not just the 20Mb. Secondly, although you can use the connection 24/7, you have no guarentee of speed and you shouldn't be allowed to affect the speed of the other customers who share the same bandwidth as you.

[Wiggz]

Ooo sarcasm.

It might help actually. Shows that contrary to the second post in this thread and the information that some people would have you believe there are quality ADSL options available, albeit perhaps not to the standard of a very well functioning cable connection.

Whilst I agree that there are not the amazing alternatives that some elude to, I definately think that there are more options which can only be a good thing.

I have seen unlimited access packages, unlimited use packages, unmetered packages.....whereas we are at Virgin's mercy with regards to this.

I simply think that they should get their own house in order and delivery rather than cover up.

---------- Post added at 13:09 ---------- Previous post was at 13:07 ----------


To wiggz:

the traffic throttling applies on all tiers not just the 20Mb. Secondly, although you can use the connection 24/7, you have no guarentee of speed and you shouldn't be allowed to affect the speed of the other customers who share the same bandwidth as you.

This is where I disagree. 10MB service was "guarenteed" in terms of service, albeit in the event of an issue with the network infrastructure. They have basically reworked their ToS and have adopted the more generic ADSL route which is to give an "up to" speed rather than an actual speed that people should expect.

They are covering up the glaring holes in their infrastructure by raising the bandwidth and implementing traffic shaping.

[punky]

The ADSL / Cable BB flame war stops now.

If you can't help, then don't post.

[Wiggz]

The ADSL / Cable BB flame war stops now.

If you can't help, then don't post.

I didn't think there was a 'war'. I was simply pointing out that the 20MB upgrade has meant that a large proportion of users (based on my own experience) will have less than 5MB download for a large amount of their use.

I also pointed out that the wording surrounding this 20MB 'upgrade' seems to have taken a leaf out of our ADSL cousin's phrase book.

[Rik]

Im extremely happy with my 20MB.
2.3MB/s download speeds when I download most of my Linux Isos. ;)
Excellent.
5MB if i go over the 3gig cap? works for me, because i download in the day ;)

[Wiggz]

Im extremely happy with my 20MB.
2.3MB/s download speeds when I download most of my Linux Isos. ;)
Excellent.
5MB if i go over the 3gig cap? works for me, because i download in the day ;)

Can somebody explain exactly what this cap is then? is it a daily/weekly/monthly (god no!) limit?

[dev]

This is where I disagree. 10MB service was "guarenteed" in terms of service, albeit in the event of an issue with the network infrastructure. They have basically reworked their ToS and have adopted the more generic ADSL route which is to give an "up to" speed rather than an actual speed that people should expect.

They are covering up the glaring holes in their infrastructure by raising the bandwidth and implementing traffic shaping.

The 'up to' (on ADSL services that is) is mainly there due to the distance factor. The 'up to' on cable is to signify it is not a dedicated service, but a shared one.
The 10Mb connection you have is in no way guaranteed 24/7. If everyone else in your area downloaded 24/7 your speeds would drop dramatically, this is typical of every ISP as residential services are just shared ones.
The traffic throttling therefore comes in to play so that those in areas with lots of people downloading are given a more fair chance of getting decent speeds.
If you want a connection that gives a guarantee of the speed 24/7 and no usage limit [at all], get a leased line with an SLA, but don't come complaining at how much it costs :p:

[Wiggz]

The 'up to' (on ADSL services that is) is mainly there due to the distance factor. The 'up to' on cable is to signify it is not a dedicated service, but a shared one.
The 10Mb connection you have is in no way guaranteed 24/7. If everyone else in your area downloaded 24/7 your speeds would drop dramatically, this is typical of every ISP as residential services are just shared ones.
The traffic throttling therefore comes in to play so that those in areas with lots of people downloading are given a more fair chance of getting decent speeds.
If you want a connection that gives a guarantee of the speed 24/7 and no usage limit [at all], get a leased line with an SLA, but don't come complaining at how much it costs :p:

I could not agree more with one slight exception. The 10MB service (before it was 20MB) was to my knowledge a static 10MB service, congestion or routing issue permitting. My issue is that they have taken me away from my perfectly working and stable 10MB service, and made life better for others by effectively removing some of my bandwidth. I didn't max my line often for large periods. Whist I understand the idea behind traffic shaping, and in concept I agree with them, however I have a problem when said service changes cause my new service to dive below that of the one I previously had.

[Altern8]

I have just moved from VM over to orange's max dsl service, atm, I max around 6MB, which is not too bad.

Before I moved house, I was upgraded to VM's 20MB service, and it was not what I expected, the fastest I ever got from it was around 13MB, and when 4pm hit, it went down to around 4MB. I normally d/load between 500mb - 800mb per day, mainly listening to online radio, sometimes I would go over the 1GB limit, but not oftern. My 10MB service was fab, was hitting around 9.5MB all the time.

I would have been happy to stay with my 10MB connection, surely, as customers, we should of have had the option to upgrade to 20MB, rather than 'forced' too.

Just my thoughts

-A8

[Wiggz]

<SNIP>

I would have been happy to stay with my 10MB connection, surely, as customers, we should of have had the option to upgrade to 20MB, rather than 'forced' too.

Just my thoughts

-A8

I'd have been happy too. I doubt it was viable for them to provide an "option" as to whether or not to upgrade as their idea of traffic shaping would have fallen flat on it's ass.

I do however share your comments regarding the former and present services and their respective differences

[blade85]

Can somebody explain exactly what this cap is then? is it a daily/weekly/monthly (god no!) limit?

for a 20 meg connection, its a maximum of 3gb bandwidth use between 4pm and 12 midnight daily. If you hit that target, your speed will go down to 5 meg for 4 hrs (even if you hit the target at 11:59 you'll be capped for 4 hrs from then, atleast that is what i have read). Rest of the day....do what u like :angel:

[Wiggz]

well I've just got home and decided to conduct a test. I've had absolutely no bandwidth use until I got home. (well very little...text based transfers). I go to download a 100mb file from ftp.mirror.ac.uk (possibly the fastest or one of FTP sites around in the UK for edu stuff) anmd im getting less than 100k.

This NEVER happens...it maxes you out, that's the point. So are Virgin still p***ing about or is this what I have to get used to?

[Bill C]

tough titty,get on ADSL on a BT line,then you might appreciate what youve got :tu: :erm:

[cage]

This capping is not good, surely Virgin would have to change my contract for these new rules to be implemented ?

If this is the state of play then I want my unlimited 10mbit back, is that possible ?