Off Topic Broadband Speeds

[askewshair]

I think Bashdabish's advice was for Leon. Based on your speeds there has to be something more at play. Even at the standard 2.4GHz you vcan get way higher download speeds than what you posted.

Yours might not be a wireless problem at all. Do you get speeds any better when plugged in?

Ok, ran some tests (Ookla).
WIFI In conservatory (where I use it most of the time but furthest point from the router)
Download 8.83. Upload 4.93
WIFI Next to router
Download 55.36 Upload 27.58
Wired
Download 238.56 Upload 29.11

So clearly an issue with WIFI in conservatory. Is the wifi speed next to the router acceptable? Wired seems ok?
I did try an antiquated plug in adapter and there was an increase to Download 26.33 Upload 16.51, though it came with a whistling noise, but shows it would work!!
What is the best solution?

 

[Amin Arrears]

Thanks for pointing that out.

I worded that post badly, admittedly immune was too strong, but I still felt safe in the mutual assumption that the reader would understand that I knew the basic fallibility of electrically powered items and vice versa.

For instance, my toaster has been burning bread for over five years, 100% upon request in fact, but even someone like me would realise that if the cable became defunct or if the toaster became immersed in water - it would no longer work. Likewise, if there was a power cut, I also understand that my electrical items (that are dependent upon it to work) would no longer work.

Your toaster wouldn't necessarily no longer work, as long as you didn't try to toast the water.

 

[GlassHalfHull]

Ok, ran some tests (Ookla).
WIFI In conservatory (where I use it most of the time but furthest point from the router)
Download 8.83. Upload 4.93
WIFI Next to router
Download 55.36 Upload 27.58
Wired
Download 238.56 Upload 29.11

So clearly an issue with WIFI in conservatory. Is the wifi speed next to the router acceptable? Wired seems ok?
I did try an antiquated plug in adapter and there was an increase to Download 26.33 Upload 16.51, though it came with a whistling noise, but shows it would work!!
What is the best solution?

Try a WiFi extender or a power line adapter?

 

[Amin Arrears]

Thanks for the advice. With the cost of an improved router being somewhat ‘costly’ I certainly intend to research all other avenues; including speaking with the KCOMs.

As stated in previous posts, I’ve put devices slap bang next to the router, and its yield has still been rather slim - so I can't imagine that the problem is positional.

Do you have any troubleshoot suggestions that would be prime to investigate? I did fanny about with the channels a while back, which didn't make a difference.

If you go the new router route make sure it's compatible with a fibre network. We spent quite a bit at work on firewalls, servers, expensive router, no sooner did we do that BT upgraded our line to FTTP (the thing that's only available in Hull and the rest of the country) and none of it would work

I didn't look into the why's but I think fibre uses a slightly different signal similar to how different satellite networks do.

 

[Amin Arrears]

I am paying for Lightspeed. Not sure it has made a lot of difference. I've just run a check (I turned off other devices in the house).


Testing upload...
8.33 Mbps
download
15.2 Mbps
upload
Latency: 88 ms

Going by some of the speeds some on here are getting, should I be on their backs? That's in Anlaby if it makes any difference.
I spent a lot of yesterday re installing Kodi to improve performance (struggling with sports channels, but that's for another thread), it hasn't made any difference.

That's low, but more than enough to run kodi. Your problem with kodi is the fact that kodi is a bag of ****.

 

[Fez]

Thanks for pointing that out.

I worded that post badly, admittedly immune was too strong, but I still felt safe in the mutual assumption that the reader would understand that I knew the basic fallibility of electrically powered items and vice versa.

For instance, my toaster has been burning bread for over five years, 100% upon request in fact, but even someone like me would realise that if the cable became defunct or if the toaster became immersed in water - it would no longer work. Likewise, if there was a power cut, I also understand that my electrical items (that are dependent upon it to work) would no longer work.

Wonderfully enlightened, thank you.

 

[askewshair]

Your problem with kodi is the fact that kodi is a bag of ****.

In what way? I still get movies. Its the sports channels, which I could get, but nothing now. I know Sky are trying their best to disrupt, but I'm just getting none, surely I wouldn't be able to get them on my laptop if they were that successful?

 

[balkan tiger]

Ok, ran some tests (Ookla).
WIFI In conservatory (where I use it most of the time but furthest point from the router)
Download 8.83. Upload 4.93
WIFI Next to router
Download 55.36 Upload 27.58
Wired
Download 238.56 Upload 29.11

So clearly an issue with WIFI in conservatory. Is the wifi speed next to the router acceptable? Wired seems ok?
I did try an antiquated plug in adapter and there was an increase to Download 26.33 Upload 16.51, though it came with a whistling noise, but shows it would work!!
What is the best solution?

The best solution and the cheapest is to move your chair out of the conservatory and place it next to the router.

 

[PLT]

Ok, ran some tests (Ookla).
WIFI In conservatory (where I use it most of the time but furthest point from the router)
Download 8.83. Upload 4.93
WIFI Next to router
Download 55.36 Upload 27.58
Wired
Download 238.56 Upload 29.11

So clearly an issue with WIFI in conservatory. Is the wifi speed next to the router acceptable? Wired seems ok?
I did try an antiquated plug in adapter and there was an increase to Download 26.33 Upload 16.51, though it came with a whistling noise, but shows it would work!!
What is the best solution?

Depends what problem you want to solve. For best speeds in the conservatory a Powerline adapter would be a good idea as already suggested, but I think they only work if the conservatory is on the same electrical ring main as where the router is plugged in.

If you go the new router route make sure it's compatible with a fibre network. We spent quite a bit at work on firewalls, servers, expensive router, no sooner did we do that BT upgraded our line to FTTP (the thing that's only available in Hull and the rest of the country) and none of it would work

I didn't look into the why's but I think fibre uses a slightly different signal similar to how different satellite networks do.

Basically one is listening for a noise based signal on a wire and one is looking for light fed down a tiny tube. As for FTTP availability. BT only claim to have 345,000 premises in the entire country with access to it, including business and residential. The majority of Hull and East Yorkshire has it right now and soon it will be the whole area.

 

[askewshair]

The best solution and the cheapest is to move your chair out of the conservatory and place it next to the router.

Mrs A did suggest that!

 

[Fez]

Bish knows what he's on about and what he says is true. Locating the exact cause of any issue is trial and error though. All these things being discussed are possibilities. It needs a systematic troubleshooting process to pinpoint, which is why I advocate giving KCOM a call.

When I worked there, people used to get a bit irritated sometimes about being asked to check various different things, but it's the only way to find out for definite what's wrong and fix it. It's very rare that it's just something at the provider's end to fix.

If posters are using web links to test for speed I would advise that they do at least a couple of re-tests using the same link, as I have found that the first test is considerably lower yhan subsequent ones - mine went from 5 to 10mbps.

 

[swftiger]

Bit bemused about the speeds you guys are getting. My download speed is 1.6 or plugged directly into the telephone socket without a splitter there is a huge increase to 1.8.( both wireless speeds) These figures confirmed by Talk Talk who were surprised at the low speeds. They will send out a technician to look into the problem but if they find it does not come within its responsibility they will charge me £65. Where its responsibility stops I know not but assume it is then BT.. I expect getting a better router won't help?

 

[askewshair]

If posters are using web links to test for speed I would advise that they do at least a couple of re-tests using the same link, as I have found that the first test is considerably lower yhan subsequent ones - mine went from 5 to 10mbps.

Yeah, I have re run it with Ookla and get reasonably consistent results. Tried another company and download speed doubled, upload halved!??
Bollox just retested and its 50% faster !

 

[RicardoHCAFC]

several hundred miles away in London, with a decent Virgin fibre service, my bb slows down when it rains also. anyone care to explain how rain affects bb speeds?

I live in Scotland. If we get a sunny day I'll check if I'm any faster for you.

At the moment I get 17Mbps download, and about 1Mbps upload over the wifi (the TV, Bluray, and PS3 are wired but I haven't got a tester on them). That's obviously not a fibre connection, but as my 18 month contract works out at an average of £16/mth for line rental and unlimited internet it's not really a problem (Plusnet, which is BT infrastructure and support as it's the same company). That lets me stream in HD to the telly with no buffering, be downloading on 2 phones (updates etc) and downloading and browsing on my laptop at the same time. I'm guessing the streaming requests so much bandwidth from the router and the rest is then carved up, so faster speeds would let the other downloads complete faster. Otherwise, if it's an even split between devices I don't know why anybody needs faster than that, because that would be 4 at once with no problem*

*I know on KCOM it's regularly slow, even my gran has had to upgrade to fibre (at a lower price anyway so she should have done it before) because the slowness of her standard connection was so cack, but most of you are talking about fibre speeds as though 80Mbps needs improving. Are you hosting iplayer for the BBC or something?

 

[askewshair]

Depends what problem you want to solve. For best speeds in the conservatory a Powerline adapter would be a good idea as already suggested, but I think they only work if the conservatory is on the same electrical ring main as where the router is plugged in.
.

It is a separate ring main.
So leaves a wifi extender? Any recommendations?
Also a thought I had, was to move the router to the conservatory. Would need to extend the lead from the kc 'box' to the router,. Would need to run it externally. Is this an Ethernet cable? I assume standard one is waterproof?
Any thoughts?

 

[bashdabish]

It is a separate ring main.
So leaves a wifi extender? Any recommendations?
Also a thought I had, was to move the router to the conservatory. Would need to extend the lead from the kc 'box' to the router,. Would need to run it externally. Is this an Ethernet cable? I assume standard one is waterproof?
Any thoughts?

One thought would be could you use a wireless powerline to bring it closer to your conservatory? For example into the room adjoining?

I have fitted external Cat5e before, used something like this http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/categ...MIucWEyfC21QIVjantCh09hgY3EAAYBCAAEgJK5PD_BwE

 

[askewshair]

One thought would be could you use a wireless powerline to bring it closer to your conservatory? For example into the room adjoining?

I have fitted external Cat5e before, used something like this http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/category.php?cat_id=346&ST=External Cat5e Cable&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIucWEyfC21QIVjantCh09hgY3EAAYBCAAEgJK5PD_BwE

Sounds good, Would need someone to fit plugs to each end. Surely I could get same lead with plugs?
Edit..
Just noticed the third product on the list with plugs! Still not sure why I would go into the room adjoining the conservatory rather than straight into conservatory??? We live in there 9 months of the year, when it gets really cold and we move to the front room (next to the router), we can revert to what we are using now. These are the only rooms we really use it.
Before I start drilling into walls, I cant achieve similar with any plug in devices (adapters)?
Also presumably I'd get 55 Ghz as I get that now when next to the router... is that workable?
Also would I lose anything extending the powerline?

 

[Plum]

Sounds good, Would need someone to fit plugs to each end. Surely I could get same lead with plugs?
Edit..
Just noticed the third product on the list with plugs! Still not sure why I would go into the room adjoining the conservatory rather than straight into conservatory??? We live in there 9 months of the year, when it gets really cold and we move to the front room (next to the router), we can revert to what we are using now. These are the only rooms we really use it.
Before I start drilling into walls, I cant achieve similar with any plug in devices (adapters)?
Also presumably I'd get 55 Ghz as I get that now when next to the router... is that workable?
Also would I lose anything extending the powerline?

If you're going to start spending money, drilling holes, etc I'd be inclined to get a network specialist in. They'll tell you what you can realistically expect to get and if it then doesn't work you've got someone to complain to and an invoice you can argue about. It might not cost as much as you think.

I'm not saying the advice you're getting on here is wrong, I'm sure it's all sound, but it's all been given blind so it could be inappropriate for your particular circumstances.

 

[PLT]

It is a separate ring main.
So leaves a wifi extender? Any recommendations?
Also a thought I had, was to move the router to the conservatory. Would need to extend the lead from the kc 'box' to the router,. Would need to run it externally. Is this an Ethernet cable? I assume standard one is waterproof?
Any thoughts?

Yes it's an Ethernet cable. It's only waterproof in the same way any other cable is; you obviously need to be certain that no water can run along it and get it into either end. It's probably not ideal running it outdoors to be honest. But if you're confident...

I have no experience of using Wi-Fi extenders so can't offer much advice there. It sounds like that's probably your simplest way of maximising the speed in the conservatory.

 

[PLT]

Sounds good, Would need someone to fit plugs to each end. Surely I could get same lead with plugs?
Edit..
Just noticed the third product on the list with plugs! Still not sure why I would go into the room adjoining the conservatory rather than straight into conservatory??? We live in there 9 months of the year, when it gets really cold and we move to the front room (next to the router), we can revert to what we are using now. These are the only rooms we really use it.
Before I start drilling into walls, I cant achieve similar with any plug in devices (adapters)?
Also presumably I'd get 55 Ghz as I get that now when next to the router... is that workable?
Also would I lose anything extending the powerline?

Yeah 55Mbps is more than enough for most purposes. The higher speeds are great when it's a few people using it or if you want to download stuff like video games, but for ****posting on here and Facebook and stuff you'd be fine with about 10-15Mbps to be honest.