20 Meg Avg 4.59Mb/s [Archive]

lampkin

27-03-2010, 10:03

Hi All,

I joined virgin at the start of this year on the 20meg connection. Since then I've used speedtest.net 15 times it seems, my stats are currently at:

Average Download Speed
4.59 Mb/s
Average Upload Speed
0.65 Mb/s

At the moment, I've just turned on today and am getting:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/762617125.png

How do I go about establishing if there's a fault or if they're just shaping the hell out of my traffic?

I schedule all my downloading so that anything between 3pm and 12pm, and all day at the weekends doesn't download faster than 200kB/s down and 20kB/s up. On top of that I'm not downloading a great deal (by my own standards, perhaps someone could point me at some software so I can see how much I'm downloading and when?).

No doubt you hear this a lot, but I'm actually amazed at how bad the connection really is, even for general browsing it's pretty sluggish.

I had a read of the top post about tweaking the tcp settings, which have made little difference, it appears that my underlying connection is just bad.

My best test is:

http://www.speedtest.net/rank/1444342607.png

Which also makes me think that it's not an issue with my machine (Running windows 7).

I was generally a heavy user before moving to Virgin but understanding the restrictions have also cut my own usage. I do require remote desktop access for work purposes, but this is infrequent.

Due to the fact my exchange offers a max connection of 6 meg (oddly, this would still be faster than my current) I'm a bit stuck with Virgin, I'm wondering if the 50 meg would genuinely remove these restrictions and I'd actually get a speed that I'm paying for?

Thanks for any help / feedback.

pip08456

27-03-2010, 10:09

We could start with the modem ststs (u/strem, d/strem & log file.)

192.168.100.1 in your browser.

User root pass root.

lampkin

27-03-2010, 10:13

Thanks!

Cable Modem Information
Cable Modem : Euro-DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 Compliant
MAC Address : ***
Serial Number : 00265EB51C53
Boot Code Version : 1.1.2c
Software Version : 2.111.1002
Hardware Version : 1.9

Cable Modem Status
Item Status Comments
Acquire a Downstream Channel 586750000 Hz Locked
Connectivity State OK Operational
Boot State OK Operational

Cable Modem Upstream Burst

Req
Init Maint
Per Maint
Short Data
Long Data
(1)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

Modulation Type QPSK QPSK QPSK 16QAM 16QAM
Differential Encoding Off Off Off Off Off
Preamble Length 64 128 128 200 216
Preamble Value Offset 244 6 6 504 504
FEC Error Correction (T) 0 5 5 5 9
FEC Codeword Information Bytes (k) 16 34 34 78 232
Scrambler Seed 338 338 338 338 338
Maximum Burst Size 0 0 0 19 139
Guard Time Size 8 48 48 17 77
Last Codeword Length Fixed Fixed Fixed Short Short
Scrambler on/off On On On On On

Cable Modem Operation Configuration
Network Access : Allowed
Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 20480000
Maximum Upstream Data Rate : 768000
Maximum Upstream Channel Burst : 3044
Maximum Number of CPEs : 1
Modem Capability : Concatenation Enabled, Fragametation Enabled, PHS Enabled

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 4
Downstream Frequency : 586750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 6952 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps12Increment17
Downstream Receive Power Level : 8.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 42.3 dB

Cable Modem Upstream
Upstream Lock : Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 2
Upstream Frequency : 29200000 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QAM16
Upstream Symbol Rate : 2560 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 53.5 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size : 2

Wed Mar 24 00:51:04 2010 Wed Mar 24 00:51:04 2010 Warning (5) DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response
Fri Mar 12 10:01:33 2010 Fri Mar 12 10:01:33 2010 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Wed Mar 10 00:51:04 2010 Wed Mar 10 00:51:04 2010 Warning (5) DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response
Sat Feb 13 08:32:14 2010 Sat Feb 13 08:32:14 2010 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Wed Feb 10 00:51:04 2010 Wed Feb 10 00:51:04 2010 Warning (5) DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) The s/w filename specified in the config file is the same as ...
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) A software upgrade filename was specified in the config file.
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) Authorized
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) Registration complete!
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) We registered with a DOCSIS 1.1 config file!
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) Received a REG-RSP message from the CMTS...
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) Sending a REG-REQ to the CMTS...
Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:12 2010 Information (7) CableModem SNMP configure complete
Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Information (7) IP init completed ok
Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Information (7) CableModem TFTP init ok
Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Information (7) CableModem DHCP client init ok
Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Sun Feb 07 12:24:11 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Beginning initial ranging...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) downstream time sync acquired...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) starting ds time sync acquisition...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Beginning initial ranging...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) downstream time sync acquired...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) starting ds time sync acquisition...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Locked on the downstream. Waiting for UCDs...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream lock ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Sync Start

Welshchris

27-03-2010, 10:17

Downstream power level is a bit on the high side. U need to arrange a tech visit with VM tech support to lower it.

Spectato

27-03-2010, 10:52

If you were being throttled (traffic management policy) your upload would be closer to 20KB/s, so you can rule that out.
If it's not a technical fault, it may be good old over-subscription/congestion again.

Welshchris

27-03-2010, 11:01

i say its due to a high downstream power level and btw Edit ur first post and remove the mac address.

Peter_

27-03-2010, 11:07

Ring technical support on 151 from a Virginmedia phone or 0845 454 1111 from any other line.

Welshchris

27-03-2010, 11:10

Or make a post on the Official VM Help Forums... http://community.virginmedia.com/

lampkin

27-03-2010, 11:35

Thanks very much for your replies, I'll give those a try!

Andrewcrawford23

27-03-2010, 12:34

i say its due to a high downstream power level and btw Edit ur first post and remove the mac address.
dependng on who you talk to enginereer or secodn lien that is acceptable level but -46 is probalyl the best downstream and 50 for upstream esicpalyl for 50meg

Welshchris

27-03-2010, 12:37

-46 best downstream? ur joking?

pip08456

27-03-2010, 13:26

dependng on who you talk to enginereer or secodn lien that is acceptable level but -46 is probalyl the best downstream and 50 for upstream esicpalyl for 50meg

Doc Sis 3 may be different but for 10Mb & 20 Mb within -5db and +5db would be acceptable perameters for me.

Welshchris

27-03-2010, 13:41

The last engineer i had here insisted that for 50mb power downstream should be atleast 5dB and when he raised them to that my downstream went pairshaped and really sluggish to which he witnessed to less than half what i should have been.

As soon as he lowered them to just under 3dB i now get 46 - 49mb almost all the time.

Peter_

27-03-2010, 13:42

Welshchris

27-03-2010, 13:44

Those levels u cannot always go by its not the same for every part of the network all over the country.. What should be ok doesnt always work out in the field and ive been told that by quite a few techs.

bayonet

27-03-2010, 14:07

Is this is connected via a router of some sort, have you tried connecting (if possible) the modem direct to PC/laptop via RJ45 and rerun the speed tests. It's worth a try

calmpitbull

27-03-2010, 21:16

Is this is connected via a router of some sort, have you tried connecting (if possible) the modem direct to PC/laptop via RJ45 and rerun the speed tests. It's worth a try

I would go further than that and say you must try it directly into the modem.

lampkin

28-03-2010, 10:07

I can save the carting my machine about, tried speedtesting my wife's mac (both machines are wireless) she benchmarks at about 10meg, I get 2meg..

I'm using a netgear WG311T wireless adapter, there are no official windows 7 (x64) drivers for this card and I'm not actually sure how I could fix this issue, save buying a new adapter.

I hate wireless networking, when I own my own house it's cat6 all the way around...:|

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll try and dig out a spare wireless card and see if that helps.

pip08456

28-03-2010, 10:28

If you have cat6 throughout your house why are you using wireles? Just read again When you own your own house.ie in the future.

Your problem is obviously the card drivers.

bayonet

28-03-2010, 14:13

You could try changing the wireless channel on the router from channel 6 to channel 11 but 10 meg on wireless isn't too shabby. When my son was on wireless he was getting about the same. Mine's wired through a Belkin N router model F5D8233-4v3 and I'm getting about 18 and a half meg. I,ve got a few different routers and I get the same speed which ever one is connected.

lampkin

28-03-2010, 22:37

I've actually tried a few channels already, channel 9 seems to work best.

11 is in use by a neighbour, as well as 1.

I'm currently connected at 54Mbps. Tempting to try installing the netgear software so I can make it connect at a lower speed, I can't see an option with the windows 7 software.

pip08456

29-03-2010, 00:56

Why would you want it to connect at a lower speed?

lampkin

04-04-2010, 02:10

Zee

04-04-2010, 06:45

Got myself a wireless n card:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2010/04/76.png

Improvement, but still not often seeing above 10 meg, (only at at this time of day). Guess the rest is down to virgin..

Thanks again for all the help, took stating the obvious to see where the issue really was :)

exactly the same issue if you check my threads. usually doesn't go over 10Mb and drops to 4Mb and even as low as 0.7Mb its really annoying.must be a VM problem.

pip08456

04-04-2010, 08:08

exactly the same issue if you check my threads. usually doesn't go over 10Mb and drops to 4Mb and even as low as 0.7Mb its really annoying.must be a VM problem.

Until such time hat the OP tests with a hard wired connection direct to modem Virgin cannot be blamed.

ATM it could still be a wireless problem either routet/PC config or interference etc.As with most fault finding it is a matter of logical progression.

Signal comes to modem-start there. To keep plugging away looking for a solution at the opposite end of the chain seems ridiculous to me, or do I just have a different kind of logic to everyone else?

nn012

04-04-2010, 10:19

I had the same problems and figures as the OP and the visiting tech. couldn't figure out what was causing the low download speeds even after reducing the signal power levels. He then swapped out the modem and then immediately the speed went up to 19.5Mb and have stayed like that ever since, so it could be a faulty modem?