New to cable, is this right?

[NewToCable]

Hi,

I got connected to Virgin broadband today and got the 10Mb connection.

Most online speed tests suggest my speeds are around 4Mb.

This seems a little slow although I appreciate that they aren't the most accurate way of testing a connection. However with all sites suggesting a similar speed it was making me wonder.

I remember several years back having this service at a different address and the person who installed it checked my connection at the time. He then called someone on his phone and asked for my signal to be boosted or something and I got the full speed. This time nobody tested it, they just gave me the modem and router and then left me to set it all up. So is it worth calling VM and asking them to boost it or whatever they do?

Thanks

[Gary L]

Hi,

I got connected to Virgin broadband today and got the 10Mb connection.

Most online speed tests suggest my speeds are around 4Mb.

Let's see if we can determine if you are STMd, shall we? :D

If you right click and save target as on all of these files. so they are all downloading at once. what is the total download speed?

http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/halflife2/demo/steaminstall_hl2demo.exe
http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/etf_instinct.avi
http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/Everyone's%20a%20jerk%20but%20me.avi
http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/etfstandingfast.avi

[NewToCable]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I can only download 2 at once, if I click 3 it waits until one of the first 2 has finished before starting the third.

The first 2 files are downloading right now and I'm getting the following speeds,

410kb/sec
290kb/sec

The speeds are fluctuating slightly, but that seems to be what they are hovering around while downloading at the same time.

---------- Post added at 19:01 ---------- Previous post was at 18:59 ----------

Just to add to the above, when I stopped the first two and started the third on it's own I got up to 445Kb/s maximum when it was downloading on it's own with nothing else at all using the internet on my connection.

[Gary L]

From those results it looks like you're downloading at 5Mb (The Magic STM number)

To be able to download more than 2 files at once and to improve webpage loading. you can apply the patch from speedguide.net.

http://www.speedguide.net/files/sg_webtweak_2k.zip
http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

I should have said earlier that you don't have to download the entire file. just long enough to get a steady download speed.

[NewToCable]

Ok. So what does STM mean?

[kpanchev]

You are not STMed, it's probably an oversubscribed area or there is something wrong with your settings. The STM speed on 10 mbit connection is 2.5 mbits, you're getting twice that speed.

[Gary L]

Ok. So what does STM mean?


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

[NewToCable]

You are not STMed, it's probably an oversubscribed area or there is something wrong with your settings. The STM speed on 10 mbit connection is 2.5 mbits, you're getting twice that speed.

Is there something I can do or someone I can contact to sort this out?

[Gary L]

If you know how to do news groups you can ask virgin support to look at your connection.

news:virginmedia.support.broadband.cable

[NewToCable]

I reported the problem to Virgin and nothing happened, I wasn't even contacted by them.

I decided in the end to downgrade my package and went from the 10mb to the 2mb package. I then upgraded my TV package to L, so it cost me pretty much the same per month.

I'm a lot happier now, I get a lot more channels and the broadband is actually running at 2Mb without problems, so I don't feel like I'm getting ripped off. I get what I pay for now instead of 40-50% of the speed I was paying for as with before.

Much happier and won't be bothering with the higher speeds offered by Virgin again I don't think. It doesn't seem to be worth the money as it doesn't seem you get what you pay for and I'm happier with the extra channels instead.

[General Maximus]

fyi dude it it is speed you really want give it a couple months and you should be able to get what you pay for. They are introducing a new 50mbit tier and that along with 20mbit are moving onto a new network where you are supposed to be able to get your full speed guaranteed. 50mbit is probably a bit much for you but 20mbit will be quite nice.

[xspeedyx]

The 50Mb service is meant to be brilliant they have had lots of problems, but most are ironed out, I have heard good things but still wont pay £50+ for a internet service

[General Maximus]

i am more than happy to pay for it as long as i get the speed and they dont impose any stupid stm's. I wont download or upload any more than I currently do atm, it will just be nice to get it done faster. Some people spend a lot of their money clothes, dvds or alcohol, I am a sado and spend it on my pc :)

[Jonathan90]

He'snot capped gary just alittle oversubscription.

[Joxer]

If you can only start 2 downloads at once and aren't getting full throughput tcpoptimiser can often help.

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

[Chris]

Let's see if we can determine if you are STMd, shall we? :D

If you right click and save target as on all of these files. so they are all downloading at once. what is the total download speed?

http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/halflife2/demo/steaminstall_hl2demo.exe
http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/etf_instinct.avi
http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/Everyone's%20a%20jerk%20but%20me.avi (http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/Everyone%27s%20a%20jerk%20but%20me.avi)
http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/movies/enemyterritory/etfstandingfast.avi

I know you've got a bee in your bonnet over STM, but seriously, how about not letting it cloud your judgement just for a second. The OP said he had just had cable installed and right from the very beginning he wasn't getting full speed. What are the chances of him being in STM from the moment his line's activated? To say nothing of course about the fact that his throughput doesn't in any way correlate with the STM speed on the 10Mb service.

[NewToCable]

fyi dude it it is speed you really want give it a couple months and you should be able to get what you pay for. They are introducing a new 50mbit tier and that along with 20mbit are moving onto a new network where you are supposed to be able to get your full speed guaranteed. 50mbit is probably a bit much for you but 20mbit will be quite nice.

I doubt I'd ever bother with the 20 or 50 service, having seen that they couldn't even provide me with 10 when I was paying for that.

I'm happy as I am on the 2 because I'm getting what I pay for and that feels better than paying for a high speed and getting a standard one. It doesn't seem that Virgin's adverts about their broadband are quite as reflective on their true service, in my experience sadly.

However I am enjoying having more TV channels (when the box doesn't freeze or the error tells me my card isn't valid every night).

---------- Post added at 17:46 ---------- Previous post was at 17:45 ----------

If you can only start 2 downloads at once and aren't getting full throughput tcpoptimiser can often help.

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

The majority of sites appear to allow me to do more than 2.

[NewToCable]

The above mentioned errors on my TV service are now fixed. It was caused by a faulty viewing card, now replaced, and since then there's been no further problems :)