10Mb to 20Mb upgrade - a waste of money!!?? [Archive]

View Full Version : 10Mb to 20Mb upgrade - a waste of money!!??

pjcoop

07-07-2009, 16:23

daemon

07-07-2009, 16:43

There's obviously something wrong with your 20M service speed which is worth complaining about.

I recently upgraded from 10M to 20M as part of a 3-for-£58/month offer on the basis that, if I didn't, I would be paying £25/month for the same speed that 2M users would be getting as a free upgrade - which would make my existing 10M not good value for money.

At good times, I can achieve near 2.5MB/sec downloads which suggests that 20M does deliver (subject to available network capacity) and you get the benefit of higher capping limits.

I'd say your 10M to 20M upgrade should be worth the extra expense. You need to complain if you're consistently not getting what you pay for.

LaineY

07-07-2009, 18:02

First thing technical support would advise you to do ... is to remove the router.. plug the modem directly into the PC.. do a speed test from a website that requires you to download a file for Example "http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com"

if you are on a 20mb con and are getting above 1.8mb/s its fine.

broadbandking

08-07-2009, 07:18

bigsinky

08-07-2009, 07:52

6.0Mb/sec is better again ;)

BenRichards

08-07-2009, 10:53

Hi,

Decided to upgrade from 10Mb to 20Mb.
Before upgrade: Download = 9.67MB/s - Upload 0.48Mb/s

AFTER upgrade: Download = 2.45Mb/s - Upload 0.49Mb/s

Have I just been fleeced or WHAT!!!
I'm running OSX on Airport....
Feeling VERY ripped off right now......ugghhhh

This is exactly what happened to me!
Using an airport also. But when i plugged my macbook straight into the modem i still got the same crappy speeds.

Had multiple VM engineers out using different laptops (xp) and it was still slow. None of them could fix it.

I downgraded in the end back to 10 meg and i now get around a 6MB connection which i still worse than when i upgraded but I cant be bothered with all the messing anymore and am just putting up with it.

wilmslowwhite

08-07-2009, 13:45

I "upgraded" three weeks ago and practically cannot use the internet as it is so slow.

I've spent every night since trying to get it working!!

I've done all the help stuff, had the engineer out, used laptops from work that work fine in the office but are as slow as my home PC once I connect it up. It took my PC 8 minutes to download the home page for bbc.co.uk

I was told by an Engineer that there was a lot of migration going on at VM (from 20 - 50) which should improve the connection and that I should just hang on for another week.

I've had enough though.

I was offered "free" 8M internet from Orange and I am going to try that out this weekend or move elsewhere; I've lost patience with Virgin Media. I will also be moving my cable TV as I've resisted the move to sky as the previous broadband was a good deal at the time I first took it out with NTLW.

pjcoop

08-07-2009, 14:03

OP here,

Trouble is for me I'm in one of the slowest areas for 'non-cable' internet. (In the recently published map for slow internet connections my house is right under one of the 'black dots' on the map!!!).
I don't have an option - I have to go with VirginMedia.

I will re-test this evening and if it's still bad I'll be on the phone with my 'extra special whinging voice' on!!!!

No doubt I'll be on the phone to some numpty in India or something for hours.. asking if I have rebooted the modem etc.....

pjcoop

09-07-2009, 09:11

Update.....

Made the whinging phone call last night.. went through the 'usual questions'....
They manually 'processed my upgrade on the server' (whatever that actually means?).
Now I have varying performance. 9pm 1Mb/s (I could of cried) at 11:30pm I had a 'burst' of 13Mb/s (more like it but still not good enough really).
Anyway they said they are sending a new modem to me anyway... I'll give that a try and see what happens (although I doubt it will make too much difference)
I did power off the modem for an hour to see what that would do also.

It seems to me that the XL (20Mb/s) service has more 'potential' than the 10Mb/s service.
The 10Mb/s service was pretty constantly between 7Mb/s and 9.5Mb/s but the 20Mb/s service can run at 18Mb/s but because of more/different contentions cannot for most people. This would make sense if all 10Mb/s traffic was on one network (vLAN) and the 20Mb/s traffic was on another. Does anyone know if it is routed through different switches/networks??
Does anyone know how they differentiate between the 2 services?

Thanks
Paul

Peter_

09-07-2009, 09:16

Anyway they said they are sending a new modem to me anyway... I'll give that a try and see what happens (although I doubt it will make too much difference)
I did power off the modem for an hour to see what that would do also.

What model is your present modem

pjcoop

09-07-2009, 09:22

At work at the moment but will post the model later this evening!

EvilD

09-07-2009, 09:31

i had same issues 9-10 meg np on the 10meg service but once i hit 20meg i couldnt even get 8meg after full cable refit new modem and router it turnts out my lan card wasnt working properly i put in a new card and it instanly gave me 19.6 meg speed so that could be your issue

Peter_

09-07-2009, 09:42

At work at the moment but will post the model later this evening!
As you are NTL it will be one of these http://www.chetnet.co.uk/articles/index.php?page=index_v2&id=91&c=4

pjcoop

09-07-2009, 10:45

It's either a 255 or 256. I'll check which one later!

In regards to network cards, I have and 24" iMac connecting via Airport, a MacBook Air (using the USB/Ethernet adaptor) and an G4 MacBook (built in Ethernet) - They all display the same problems with download speed. I have connected both laptops to the modem directly using an Ethernet cable with the same results. I'm pretty sure it's not a 'network card' issue.

Perhaps they will send the 256 modem with the updated chipset - and that will fix it??? (he says hopefully!)
Paul

BenRichards

09-07-2009, 10:52

pjcoop

09-07-2009, 18:03

Modem is a 255
Waiting for a 256... for whatever that's worth...we'll see.

---------- Post added at 18:03 ---------- Previous post was at 17:52 ----------

It's just tragic!!
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/07/76.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

BenRichards

09-07-2009, 19:46

OK, well my connection has JUST gone back to normal (full 10Meg)
I changed a few things on my Airport which may be worth a try.

1. Turned off "enable NAT port mapping protocol"
2. Set channel to Automatic
3. Untick "Set time automatically"

Has improved things somewhat

pjcoop

10-07-2009, 01:14

OK....
1am test gives me this result.....
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/07/73.png (http://www.speedtest.net)
I can only assume that there is heaps of contention on the 20Mb/s service.
I guess they can pull out the big 'UP TO 20Mb/s' card.
Doesn't explain why I got almost 10Mb/s on my 'un-upgraded' connection at all times of the day.
Still sucks.....
Also hearing more and more horror stories from friends who 'upgraded' and have since left VM.....
If only I had the option...
Paul

Traduk

10-07-2009, 01:54

I would guess that you probably changed to 20Meg at a time that your area is well and truly messed up with the debacle that is the intended migration of 20Meg users to connect with 50Meg users.

I am a long term user of 20Meg and although there have been more than a fair share of problems, the service was brilliant last week when I was migrated.

Unfortunately as is typical of everything VM does the long awaited good results didn't even make it through a whole week before it fell apart and collapsed into the biggest mess I have ever seen with the years I have had BB.

I have been switched back and forth between the broken new and the now well and truly broken old connections several times. Two long and tortuous calls to India have been a complete waste of time as they are limited to simplistic tests and although are convinced that nothing is wrong with my line have booked an engineer anyway simply because their little flow-chart runs out of options.

In desperation at the futility of not being able to get through to anybody to even hopefully get an escalation of a network problem I got put through to retentions and a guy who sounded more fed up than me asked three times if I wanted to terminate all services as he could willingly do so there and then. When I asked if his job was to retain customers he came across as more than surprised and fortunately the goading manner of his first exchanges changed to a long diatribe about the limitations of inter departmental communications.

The area where I live (nr Guildford) has been the subject of months of STM trials which all failed to achieve anything beyond disruption. The migration to the 50Meg connections is in a whole different league of mess ups but knowing my luck they will resolve the issues soon after I leave.

These are the incredible 20Meg speeds I get now;

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:20:26 GMT

Test 1: 1024K took 6647 ms = 154.1 KB/sec, approx 1270 Kbps, 1.24 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 9298 ms = 110.1 KB/sec, approx 907 Kbps, 0.89 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 16059 ms = 63.8 KB/sec, approx 526 Kbps, 0.51 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 25059 ms = 81.7 KB/sec, approx 673 Kbps, 0.66 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 844 Kbps, 0.83 Mbps

To repeat this test from the source server click here (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.marsden/newspeedtest.html?1247185284719).

Fobic

10-07-2009, 02:09

I find Speedtest.net to be a complete waste of time. Just tested my 20Mb connection there 3 or 4 times and got this as the best result:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/07/72.png

Then tried downloading XP SP3 direct from microsoft and got the full 20Mb/s throughout the download.

Also confirmed by downloading from the NewsGroups with 4 connections giving a sustained 20Mb/s.

Not saying that you don't have a problem , just don't trust web based speed tests :angel:

Traduk

10-07-2009, 09:51

Speedtest.net was the one I was asked to use by the Indian CS. I agree that speed testers give results that are dubious at best but there is one thing that I have found to be a fact and that is a selection of the best ones from the best locations gives back full speeds when the connection is running at best performance.

I have been using BB since the beginning and back then testing the service was a boring side effect of being an early adopter. When service is bad I use Pingplotter to create trace graphs of each hop to a destination and at the moment no connection returns traces without multiple packet loss from virtually every hop within VM. That is a sure sign that the network is well and truly struggling and near collapse.

If you favour download managers or multiple link connections you are synthetically bonding multiple download links and will get the combined results of the cumulative links. Your results will be false by virtue of link combining but for speed it is something that we all do in normal service but it does not give true results on the state of the connection.

This is my current speed test and its on a service that is crippled for even surfing. Today I will plug all the ethernets into my ADSL connection and leave this high speed cable alone just to preserve my sanity.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/07/71.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

pjcoop

10-07-2009, 09:55

I have other 'evidence' of poor performance - downloading from Newsgroups and from the Apple website (which is usually very fast).

The decision I now have to make is...... do I downgrade to 2Mb - so at least I'm not paying a fortune for a rubbish connection... or do I hang on and see if they can actually find the problem and fix it...???

Or perhaps... go with Sky (although I'm too far from the exchange to get a really good broadband connection)

hmmmmmmm

Traduk

10-07-2009, 11:29

The only reason I hang on is because in time these problems do get resolved and when the service is good it is often very very good.

Disruption is a certainty with change within VM and for the competitive edge over ADSL change is an annual event so the good service is at best several months before trouble. Of course there are many lucky customers who never see problems and I was one before my area saw mass connections. Contention has been an issue but very poor network problems exceed contention issues.

I have an ADSL line which is slow but ultra reliable and returns exactly the speed of connection 24/7. If I was fortunate enough to live within a decent distance of a BT exchange I would have been gone from VM long ago.

BenRichards

10-07-2009, 14:26

i downgraded back to the 10 meg connection.
At least now i'm getting what i'm paying for.

pjcoop

10-07-2009, 14:39

Not sure if it is related... but VM sent me a 'Customer Satisfaction Survey' this morning... mmmmmm ... big mistake...
I hope Sir Richard reads it!! :-)
It's a STINKER!!!!

Peter_

10-07-2009, 19:43

Not sure if it is related... but VM sent me a 'Customer Satisfaction Survey' this morning... mmmmmm ... big mistake...
I hope Sir Richard reads it!! :-)
It's a STINKER!!!!

No he will never read it or ever have the need to read an NPS email, but if you were not given good customer service then it is a good way to feed it back to management as they do get read.

pjcoop

11-07-2009, 12:10

OK... new modem fitted...
Just done about 10 tests in a row...
Results range from 3Mb/s to 12Mb/s (certainly NOT 18Mb/s)
It seems to me that the speed is erratic at best.
Certainly not worth the money I've paid for the ugprade.
Think I'll be downgrading to 2Mb/s (which is 10Mb/s now right?).
The difference in price between 2Mb/s and 20Mb/s compared to the actual performance I get makes the decision to downgrade a 'no-brainer' in my opinion.
Final evaluation....
NOT WORTH THE MONEY.. DON'T BOTHER.

---------- Post added at 12:10 ---------- Previous post was at 12:02 ----------

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2009/07/66.png (http://www.speedtest.net)
Nuff said....

Ben B

11-07-2009, 13:24

Are you using Windows XP or Windows Vista? If you are using Windows XP go to http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php and download TCP Optimizer, open the program and move the slider to 20000 and then click optimal settings at the bottom and then 'Save Changes'. Apply the changes and reboot. I had similar problems on one of my wireless computers when I switched to 10mb, optimizing my connection for 10mb sorted it.

Hope this helps :)

pjcoop

11-07-2009, 15:59

Neither....
OSX 10.5.7 - 24" iMac.. Airport...
I also have a few laptops that have the same issue even when plugged directly into the modem..
Trust me... it's not a PC/Mac/Wireless issue...

Traduk

11-07-2009, 18:58

My issue was resolved today with an engineer's visit.

After tweaking the near perfect line to a bit nearer perfection he still couldn't better 1Meg on his laptop connected straight into the modem.

It was concluded that the modem was faulty and that the highest probability cause was the switching last week between the 1.0 and 1.1 software and back again. Software corruption was the conclusion and a new modem was the simple answer.

Fortunately the engineer that visited was determined to troubleshoot the problem to a conclusion even though it took well beyond the usual time allowance. In the past some TV STB's died on major software re-writes and it looks like modems are no more immune to the own goal of change.

The saddest part of these experiences is that over the years there have been so many things that have gone wrong that I feel the compulsion to leave every time a new issue crops up.

pjcoop

11-07-2009, 23:14

I connected a new modem today (arrived in the post this morning)... it's still basically much slower than my old 10Mb/s connection.

Traduk

12-07-2009, 00:29

I connected a new modem today (arrived in the post this morning)... it's still basically much slower than my old 10Mb/s connection.

Due to the speed you saw once in post #18 (this thread) I doubt if any settings will help you much. I was one of the early adopters of 10meg to 20Meg and had to reset the tcp/ip configurations plus chuck out an old router. The new router needed two new firmware flashes before full speeds were possible. I do not think that any of this is applicable to your situation.

A new modem has eliminated any problems such as the ones I experienced. If I were you I would phone faults and get an engineer out to specifically deal with slow speeds. Get the person who calls to use their own laptop and if he\she cannot get decent speeds, ask why.

If the answer is over subscription and contention then the next stop is retentions to ask why you have been sold an upgrade into a service that cannot support the service level applicable to the extra cost.

It is morally indefensible to sell a higher level of service which is worse than the lower cost one from which you came, therefore some satisfaction should come your way at some point.

pjcoop

13-07-2009, 10:59

Given my recent aggro with download speed I thought I would try speedtest.net from my workplace - The result just made me laugh!!!