Broadband speed tests

[mabozaritchie]

thought i'd try again URL=http://www.speedtest.net][/URL]
is this good?
URL=http://www.speedtest.net][/URL]
how about this one from south america,i don't have a clue

[Moog]

no worries mabozaritchie, it suggests you choose the server nearest you, ie in the UK for most of us!
that will give the most accurate check. having said that, yourcheck to Dublin is still way better than mine to the London connection!

[mabozaritchie]

good show

[Mr Stuey]

My internet speeds have been very strange lately...been getting as low as 256kbps download. Just disconnected he router and reconnected and got the normal speeds like the one above.

Someone clever help , I have just upgraded from my old Bt voyager 205 to a Belkin ADSL Wireless Router. ( Model Number - F5D7632-4 ) a couple of days ago and was wondering if anything in the settings in their maybe affecting it.
I have basically left it all at factory settings so it has the WEP key on and the onboard firewall turned on as well as ICMP ( - think thats the proper letters ).
My Xbox is fine and always shows an OPEN NAT without having to give it a Static IP or put it in the DMZ so i have no problems with that . Its more the fact that when i speedtest on my laptop i get very different speeds ( ranging from 256 - 2meg download ) until i disconnect and reconnect then it goes back to normal.
Im with Pipex homecall and have never really had any bother with them , so is it a problem with my ISP ? Or is it something with the router settings and if so how can i improve it ? Or is it something normal like the weather or the wiring in my box ?

Either way i blame Tony Blair

<EDIT> Just thought i would try it again because it has been so hitty missy and its making me out to be a liar....My highest one yet

[LordOfKaos207]

Certainly looks very weird. Are you using a wireless connection for the laptop? If yes, have you tried a wired connection instead?

Otherwise do you know what speed the router is connecting at (after it goes slow) along with the Signal-Noise Ratio? SNR should be over 6 for a reasonably stable connection, some routers are better than others with low SNR.

Link here for where to find SNR, etc if you're not sure www.freedom2support.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6476

Problems with firmware levels also seem to crop up for that router, e.g. www.expansys.com/ft.aspx?i=108159&thread=53

[Mr Stuey]

Yes my Laptop is wireless...thats the main resaon i upgraded to a wireless router.

When my internet speed was dropping off the router was still connecting at the full 8meg speed but the speedtests were showing very slow speeds...its been okay since i disconnected and reconnected yesterday.

Ill have a look see if i can find my SNR and maybe even upgrade the firmware and report back.

Well i cant seem to find the SNR mentioned anywhere on the router page.

All i can see is :
Firmware Version 6.01.06 ( Jun 7 2006 )
Boot Version 0.70.2v6
ADSL Status Connected
Data Rate Down/Up 8157kb/287kb
Connection Type PPPoA

UpnP - Disabled
NAT - Enabled
Firewall -Enabled
Wireless - Enabled
Mode - Mixed 11b+11g
ESSID Broadcast Enabled
Channel 11
Security - Enabled


Think it might be something silly....just tried a speedtest and got the following result :


and then disconnect the internet through the router page and tested again and got this result :



Confused . Like i said my xbox is wired into the router and never have any problems with my speed when playing online. Its always been great. Its more of a problem with either wireless settings in the router or something interfering with the wireless signal.
The laptop is pretty new . 1.4ghz processor - 512mb ram - 60GB Hard Drive and has onboard wireless not an adaptor or a card and is running Windows Media Centre Edition on it.

Im just wondering if its the position of the router....As i am limited for space and the wife doesnt want wires all over the place my router is sitting on top of my SkyBox and within 1 metre of it i have my xbox , tv and a cordless phone base.

If i get a lengthy DSL cable i may be able to move it , but if its connected further away from the Bt box will then not impair my speed ? Just means running a wire under the carpet for the router and then hiding the ethernet for the xbox as well.

<EDIT>

Well maybe not an interference issue...I have just stuffed the router right back into the corner and moved the laptop to the furthest point away in the house and still got a decent speedtest.



So im not sure , i will leave it connected for a few hours and see whats its like later on....Maybe something is causing it to drop speed after a while as it seems that the only way i can cure it is too disconnect and reconnect.

Cheers for the help so far , ill try and find the damn SNR . Must be somewhere.

<EDIT AGAIN >

This post is getting massive .. sorry bout this.
Found a hidden page on the router and im not 100% sure what SNR even is but this might be of use.

Operation Data -- Upstream -- Downstream
Noise Margin -- 25db -- 14db
Attenuation -- 22db -- 33db

[LordOfKaos207]

Well the ADSL side looks fine except for the upstream connection, would expect something nearer 400kb/s for that. The SNR margin is absolutely fine.

The cordless phone is on the same frequency as the wireless router, but I've got mine a couple of metres away from each other and don't seem to have any problems.

The only way I can think to prove it is the wireless connection is to use the ethernet port on the laptop and see if you get the same problem. On the laptop what does the wireless network connection report, there should be a speed and strength reported. Does that change at all?

[Mr Stuey]

Its nearly always connected at 56mpbs ... Sometimes upstairs it will drop but only to 40mbps so its still okay.

My upstream used to be around 350 / 400 kbps until around a month ago. Dont know if thats down to my ISP or not.

It seems fine today , only thing that baffles me is when the speed drops i get the slow speeds like the ones above and then after reconnecting it shoots back up to normal.
Next time it dies off ill do a few tests with the ethernet and wireless and compare them.

[LordOfKaos207]

I've not heard of problems like your's before. In the good old days of dial up, re-dialling used to sort out slow downloads. Guess we've got that back again...

[Mr Stuey]

Looks that way , Just been away for a few hours and instantly again my speed is rubbish , both wired and wireless....reconnected and its mint.

[Mr Stuey]

Again its slow as out...even reconnecting doesnt fix it....reset the whole router to factory settings and went through setting it all up carefully making sure it was right. Doesnt want to know.

Had a cuppa and a tab , plugged my old Bt Voyager 200 that served me well for many moons and still the internet speed is disgracefully slow....think its with my ISP as i had simalair problems last year with them but it sorted itself after a day.
Gonna give them a ring and twist , think i will be after my MAC code and go with someone more reliable....pretty sure its not the router because the old one is still the same , plus its sincing at 8meg on the router page but not delivering it , if you know what i mean.

[LordOfKaos207]

Good luck with the ISP. Yet to find one that is helpful.

[dragonattack]

With 3 x box 360 on Live plus my Laptop






With 3 x box 360 switch off

[Biscitt]

that's one fast connection.

[dragonattack]

thanks i have 10 mb broadband with Ntl but now they with Virgin media lol
they are talking about getting 150 mb gosh lol i wish they hurry up

also when i host in gears of war i give everyone in uk a better ping but if west usa is in it may cause lags not alot we can do lol