PC Pals Forum

Technical Help & Discussion => Broadband, Networking, PC Security, Internet & ISPs => Topic started by: Clive on May 18, 2012, 20:21

Title: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 18, 2012, 20:21
Without warning, my broadband speed has gone from 5Mb/s to 25Mb/s.  Why should this happen?
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 18, 2012, 22:07
Are you complaining?  ;D  I would imagine your package has been upgraded.  You can check by logging into your IDNet Customer Portal (http://).
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 18, 2012, 22:47
Seems to be down Simon.   :laugh:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 18, 2012, 23:06
Must have got the url wrong - try this:  https://www.idnet.net/secure/
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 09:00
I tried it again last night and it had gone up to 59Mb/s!!!  However, it's returned to its usual sedentary 5Mb/s this morning.  The website requires a password etc so I will have to search for that! 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 09:16
I can't understand how it could fluctuate quite so much in a few hours.  Perhaps Rik has more of an idea?
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: daveeb on May 19, 2012, 10:56
I can't understand how it could fluctuate quite so much in a few hours.  Perhaps Rik has more of an idea?

Clive if you tried the speed test more than once then the info may have been cached thereby giving the illusion of speed. Try a download from somewhere if it speeds up again, that will give a more realistic result.
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 10:59
I've now found my log-on details and nothing seems to have changed.  The peculiar speeds were taken from the netbook (I clicked on Namesco by accident) so I'll have another click.   ;D
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 11:06
So the super-high speed is only on the netbook.  Today I had 26Mb/s and then 69Mb/s when it actually broke the needle,  But my PC shows 4.5Mb/s.  Not sure what's going on here!
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 11:41
The speed is determined by your connection, not the device using it!  What IDNet package are you on?
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 11:44
Oh, hold on, what are you doing your speed tests through?  Some speed testers give false results if you got anti-virus and firewalls running.  Try a BT Speedtest. . 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 12:46
I'm on IDNet lite which allows me 10Gb peak.  BT test says 4.8 for the PC and the netbook just 3.3Mb/s.  Other people around me have been upgraded to 20Mb/s - can I expect the same? 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 13:29
I've read about this probably thousands of times, but it still hasn't sunk in, so Rik would probably be the best one to answer, but when you go into your IDNet account, is there an option to upgrade on the main page?  It will be pretty obvious if there is, but I think you have to ask them to perform the upgrade - it won't just happen automatically.
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 13:50
Yes there is, but won't I have to pay more money for it?  OAP card shown again.   ;D
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 19, 2012, 14:19
The price is the same for ADSL & ADSL2 packages, Clive. You get a larger data allowance on the latter. An automatic upgrade may have taken place but only support could tell you.
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 15:44
Well I can see that I am on ADSL Max whatever that means.  But I now have 15Gb peak and 65Gb non peak which is a great improvement. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 19, 2012, 15:54
You've been upgraded, they do mass, free, upgrades an exchange at a time.
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 15:58
But why hasn't my speed been increased?   :dunno:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 16:04
 :bawl:  I think the maximum speed for ADSL Max is 7.15 Mb/s. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 16:12
It seems I will have to pay another £7 a month to get the fibre thingy plus a one off installation fee of nearly £100.  Has anyone done this yet? 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 19, 2012, 16:18
Not available here. You're currently modulated as ADSL Max, but that can be switched to ADSL2.
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 16:20
Is ADSL 2 the fibre thingy? 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 19, 2012, 16:22
No.
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 16:55
ADSL 2 would technically give you the increased speed, but it can be more sensitive to line quality, and there's no certainty that your speed would increase by all that much, again, depending on the line. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 19, 2012, 17:28
 :aarrgh:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 17:39
I think you can opt to try it, and they can move you back to modulated Max, if the connection becomes unstable, so you have nothing really to lose, and it could work out well. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 19, 2012, 18:23
Absolutely correct, Simon. :thumb:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 19, 2012, 18:33
I must go and lie down now...  ;D
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 19, 2012, 18:37
 :laugh:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 20, 2012, 01:00
 :stars:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: TR on May 20, 2012, 09:56
But why hasn't my speed been increased?   :dunno:

So you can download viruses quicker  :laugh:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 20, 2012, 09:58
Fair point.   ;D
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 20, 2012, 10:29
Basically, you can upgrade to try for the higher speeds, Clive, and if that produces problems, you can go back to how you were.   If you have a stable connection now, though, and don't really need the higher speeds, then perhaps, if it ain't broke... 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 20, 2012, 11:37
I'm wondering the same Simon.  I can't say I have ever seen a huge difference in speed when I've had upgrades in the past, but I don't download a great deal anyway. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 20, 2012, 11:45
Except when filling up your iPod.  :o:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 20, 2012, 20:15
I actually went over my limit that time and I had to pay extra.  They should have given me a rebate for the 3 months I didn't use it when I was away!  :bawl:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 20, 2012, 21:30
I wonder if they would have, had you asked?  :dunno:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 20, 2012, 22:49
It's a monthly contract so technically I could have cancelled it and re-ordered.  But it seemed too much hassle and I just let it ride.  My other ISP (Plusnet) would not have charged me for exceeding the limit if I was normally well under.  They call it 'fair usage'.  But I still would have had to pay the £5.99 a month fee and I let that ride too. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Simon on May 20, 2012, 23:51
I think PlusNet services would be capped nowadays, like most others, unless you paid a premium.  Your £5.99 per month contract was probably long standing.  You'd probably get about 2Gb a month allowance for that now, if it's gone up from the 1Gb it used to be, that is.  Of course, you're getting the allowance uplift from IDNet now, anyway. 
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 21, 2012, 08:01
PlusNet has always been capped although I thought the cap was 10Gb but I may be wrong.  I don't use it a great deal anyway.   :)
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Rik on May 21, 2012, 08:03
But how about your broadband?  :devil:
Title: Re: Broadband speed
Post by: Clive on May 21, 2012, 08:22
 :pmsl: