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View Full Version : 10meg... not so super speedy...


h3llb1tch
23-06-2008, 00:05
Since receiving my 10meg upgrade last week, I have been making good use of it.

However, it's not as fabulous as I had imagined it would be.
It struggles to maintain a constant download rate of ~1200kb/s.
In fact, it has a rather infuriating habit of fluctuating all over the place, bouncing between 150-1200kb/s.
Sometimes it gets "stuck" around 150-500kb/s and then after around 30 mins will climb back to 1200kb/s.

It's NOT STM.
I'm very aware of STM times and limits and this is happening outside of those.
At the time that it happens, I am the only one in my household using the connection.
I am also downloading from news-servers which are quite capable of supplying a constant 10megs.

When I was on 4megs it was always fairly constant and reliable.
I posted my problem to the virgin media BB support newsgroup and was told that I needed a tech visit, due to the modem power level and Frequency
being incorrect.

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 6
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : -10.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 31.2 dB

To be honest, I don't really care if it fluctuates or not.
All I want to know is if everyone else experiences the same fluctuations.
Or is this a definite fault which can be rectified ?
Obviously, if it can be sorted I will arrange a tech visit.
However, if it is normal and simply due to strain on a congested network I will just shut up and learn to live with it.

Opinions welcomed and appreciated.

homealone
23-06-2008, 00:29
:welcome:

the Downstream Receive Power at -10.7 may be a factor - a tech visit is needed to sort that out ..

whydoIneedatech
23-06-2008, 00:33
Since receiving my 10meg upgrade last week, I have been making good use of it.

However, it's not as fabulous as I had imagined it would be.
It struggles to maintain a constant download rate of ~1200kb/s.
In fact, it has a rather infuriating habit of fluctuating all over the place, bouncing between 150-1200kb/s.
Sometimes it gets "stuck" around 150-500kb/s and then after around 30 mins will climb back to 1200kb/s.

It's NOT STM.
I'm very aware of STM times and limits and this is happening outside of those.
At the time that it happens, I am the only one in my household using the connection.
I am also downloading from news-servers which are quite capable of supplying a constant 10megs.

When I was on 4megs it was always fairly constant and reliable.
I posted my problem to the virgin media BB support newsgroup and was told that I needed a tech visit, due to the modem power level and Frequency
being incorrect.

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 6
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : -10.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 31.2 dB

To be honest, I don't really care if it fluctuates or not.
All I want to know is if everyone else experiences the same fluctuations.
Or is this a definite fault which can be rectified ?
Obviously, if it can be sorted I will arrange a tech visit.
However, if it is normal and simply due to strain on a congested network I will just shut up and learn to live with it.

Opinions welcomed and appreciated.

As homealone states your power level is high so a call to Tech Support on 151 maybe in order they are open 24/7.

h3llb1tch
24-06-2008, 12:45
Thanks for the replies.
What does the tech do to fix the power levels ?
Does he tinker with the modem or just swap it over for a new one ?

Also, the power levels I have now are the same as when I had 4meg, which was rock solid and consistant.

Are these power levels really likely to be causing a problem now that I have 10meg ? And if so, why ?

ceedee
24-06-2008, 17:02
Think of the high power level as grease on the hands of the data pixies in your connection -- the faster they push your data (and believe me, 10Mb/s is pretty fast for a bunch of pixies!), the more likely that some bits and bytes will slip through their fingers.
Then they'll have to wait for a goblin to pick up the dropped chunk and return it to the beginning of the queue, slowing the download rate for your line.

I've been out in the sun for too long, haven't I?
:D

Angry@VMedia
24-06-2008, 17:10
Think of the high power level as grease on the hands of the data pixies in your connection -- the faster they push your data (and believe me, 10Mb/s is pretty fast for a bunch of pixies!), the more likely that some bits and bytes will slip through their fingers.
Then they'll have to wait for a goblin to pick up the dropped chunk and return it to the beginning of the queue, slowing the download rate for your line.

I've been out in the sun for too long, haven't I?
:D

Out in the SUN???? what flippin sun? lol!:) you lucky so-and so! havent had proper sun in East Anglia for a few weeks now, certainly not enough to sit out and maybe even start working on a tan :(

h3llb1tch
24-06-2008, 18:25
Well there is definitely something strange going on.

My latest problem is that last night, around 1am, after an hour of downloading consistently at 10meg, download speeds dropped to ~250-300kb/s.

This morning, around 11:45 am, download dropped to ~250-300kb/s again. It had been consistent at 10meg from 10:30am until it dropped to ~2.5meg at 11:45 am.

It has just come back up to 10meg at 5pm.

I suspect STM.
3 zones of STM ???
10am-3pm
4pm-9pm
12midnight-7am

Surely if power levels were the problem, I would not get some consistent periods of 10meg ?

ceedee
24-06-2008, 18:42
Hmmmm. That does indeed sound like mis-timed STM.
Recommend you contact TS when it next happens and ask them to check if STM has been applied and under which rule.
It's quite possible that the times have been set incorrectly for your UBR.

Zain
24-06-2008, 20:04
ive got the similar problem although im sure its been done by purpose, 10am-3pm then 4pm-9pm im not sure about midnight to 7am though...

whydoIneedatech
24-06-2008, 23:52
Thanks for the replies.
What does the tech do to fix the power levels ?
Does he tinker with the modem or just swap it over for a new one ?

Also, the power levels I have now are the same as when I had 4meg, which was rock solid and consistant.

Are these power levels really likely to be causing a problem now that I have 10meg ? And if so, why ?

I am surprised you did not suffer the same problem before because what you describe as your fault is caused by the power levels being out like yours is now.

The Tech would either adjust the power in the green cabinet or possibly fit an attenuator to your modem.

windy
26-06-2008, 01:55
Since receiving my 10meg upgrade last week, I have been making good use of it.

However, it's not as fabulous as I had imagined it would be.
It struggles to maintain a constant download rate of ~1200kb/s.
In fact, it has a rather infuriating habit of fluctuating all over the place, bouncing between 150-1200kb/s.
Sometimes it gets "stuck" around 150-500kb/s and then after around 30 mins will climb back to 1200kb/s.

It's NOT STM.
I'm very aware of STM times and limits and this is happening outside of those.
At the time that it happens, I am the only one in my household using the connection.
I am also downloading from news-servers which are quite capable of supplying a constant 10megs.

When I was on 4megs it was always fairly constant and reliable.
I posted my problem to the virgin media BB support newsgroup and was told that I needed a tech visit, due to the modem power level and Frequency
being incorrect.

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 6
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : -10.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 31.2 dB

To be honest, I don't really care if it fluctuates or not.
All I want to know is if everyone else experiences the same fluctuations.
Or is this a definite fault which can be rectified ?
Obviously, if it can be sorted I will arrange a tech visit.
However, if it is normal and simply due to strain on a congested network I will just shut up and learn to live with it.

Opinions welcomed and appreciated.

Well this is mine i havent got

This is mine and my Downstream Receiver is lower then yours and ive got an engineer coming out on the 3rd july..ive had no end of problems with my internet..i rang them the other day and they have givem me £25 off my next bill for the internet....:)


Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 2
Downstream Frequency : 586750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 6952 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps12Increment17
Downstream Receive Power Level : -7.3 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 32.2 dB

sstainer
26-06-2008, 02:18
Well this is mine i havent got

This is mine and my Downstream Receiver is lower then yours and ive got an engineer coming out on the 3rd july..ive had no end of problems with my internet..i rang them the other day and they have givem me £25 off my next bill for the internet....:)


Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 2
Downstream Frequency : 586750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 6952 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps12Increment17
Downstream Receive Power Level : -7.3 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 32.2 dB


hmm not much difference from mine ? bar the downstream power levels & ch ID
and all works fine [using a VM 255 sacm]
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 0
Downstream Frequency : 586750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 6952 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps12Increment17
Downstream Receive Power Level : -3.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 33.9 dB

whydoIneedatech
26-06-2008, 11:58
hmm not much difference from mine ? bar the downstream power levels & ch ID
and all works fine [using a VM 255 sacm]
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 0
Downstream Frequency : 586750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 6952 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps12Increment17
Downstream Receive Power Level : -3.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 33.9 dB

Your power levels are more or less what they should be, the previous poster will be getting the Tech because of the -7.5dBmv on his downstream

h3llb1tch
28-06-2008, 00:14
Well just to update my situation, I am able to get rock solid 10meg outside of STM hours but between 10am and 9pm forget about it... pish, waste of time. (Support have confirmed that the new STM policy is in effect in my area.)

I think all the fixating on power levels is slightly unhealthy. Mine have always been around -10.5 dBmV but I in no way believe they are responsible for any of my speed issues. I can see how VM would rather have us believe it is a fault rather than their ridiculous and draconian STM.

Did they even bother to look up the definition of "unlimited" in the dictionary ? Shower of robbing b*stards...