Broadband Speeds

[jamsh]

I am paying for the lowest of the low broadband - 2mb - yet it is annoyingly slow at 939.69Kbps (SPEEDTEST). It really is pathetic that they can't deliver even the minimum speed!

[bomb #21]

Try this one (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/speed.php).

[Ben B]

I am paying for the lowest of the low broadband - 2mb - yet it is annoyingly slow at 939.69Kbps (SPEEDTEST). It really is pathetic that they can't deliver even the minimum speed!

have you downloaded anything over 350mb between 4pm and 9pm? If you have you could be being shaped.

:)~Ben B~:)

[bomb #21]

have you downloaded anything over 350mb between 4pm and 9pm? If you have you could be being shaped.

:)~Ben B~:)

That would've been my 2nd comment. ;)

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html

(It's actually up to 2Mb, as in that's the maximum speed ; minimum speed would be zero, at a guess)

[Ben B]

(It's actually up to 2Mb, as in that's the maximum speed ; minimum speed would be zero, at a guess)

in most places you get perfect 2mb, I do anyway, and they say manchester is oversubscribed :D

[jamsh]

I haven't downloaded anything to-day. Thanks for the link to their Control Policy, I wasn't aware of any restrictions when I signed up.

[bomb #21]

I haven't downloaded anything to-day. Thanks for the link to their Control Policy, I wasn't aware of any restrictions when I signed up.

Are you connecting directly, or using some kind of wireless set-up?

[jamsh]

Actually their site (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/specialoffers/broadband.html) says that there is unlimited downloads.

[saabmania2]

Actually their site (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/specialoffers/broadband.html) says that there is unlimited downloads.

Thats because they don't stop you downloading they just shape your service when it's busy so everyone gets a share of the bandwidth :rolleyes:

[bomb #21]

Actually their site (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/specialoffers/broadband.html) says that there is unlimited downloads.

Agreed. There is a T&Cs link at the foot of that page though, leading to "Virgin Broadband: Fair usage policy applies."

[bomb #21]

TBH, while I'm more than happy with Virgin's service(s), I'm not here to beat their drum. However ...

for any service to be truly "unlimited", it would have to be capable of downloading the entire interweb in a nanosecond. I expect that any company advertising "unlimited" has something in place. I checked "BT Total" Options 1-3 ; while 1 & 2 have monthly allowances, 3 is touted as "unlimited". But unsurprisingly that's "unlimited" followed by the dreaded "*", and if you check further the straight answer to "does the Fair Usage Policy apply to Option 3?" is "Yes".

No doubt Virgin's lawyers have made sure they're on solid enough ground with respect to "shaping" <> "limiting". But the bottom line is that if you're getting naff speeds 24/7, "something" is wrong. It's mid-morning & I'm consistently getting 1.8 plus with an ethernet cable that's seen far better days.

So ... did you try the other test site?