Daily Speed drop off with Sky BB Max

[DaveP]

Hello, as with most users I'm now giving up with Sky Customer support in desperation to ask some more competent people who may be able to help. I'm reasonably computer savvy so understand most pc stuff - but the technicalities of ADSL and LLU are a bit beyond me

Attracted by 16Mbps@£10, I migrated in March from a rock steady 2Mbps Tiscali connection to Sky Broadband Max. The transition went ok, connecting via the Sky supplied router to both my PC via ethernet and wirelessly to my laptop.

After the initial setup without difficulty, my problems started.

Every day, when I get on the PC at about 1800, when it has been unused all day, the connection is very slow. On checking at thinkbroadband.com I am getting about 25kbps downsteam, though upstream 640kbps. If I disconnect at my BT master socket then simply plug back in, then I get 12Mbps downstream, 640Kbps up, and it seems to then be ok for the rest of the evening. When I pack up, leaving the connection unused overnight, the connection then drops back down to <25kbps. This happens every day, the downstream dropping to virtually zero overnight, the upstream consistently 640kbps regardless of the downstream connection.

I have also used l8nc.com to ping my router with interesting results (see link or attachment below which I hope you can see!).

L8NC graph - Monitoring your internet connection 24 hours a day has never been easier

When pinging the router, whilst the connection is at 12Mbps, the graph appears fine - then as the day goes by, on the example at about 0800, the packet loss jumps up - this seems to correspond to my slow connection. In the graph, the connection is fine to about 0800 (GMT), when the packet loss starts then stays like this with 25% packet loss (the connection is unused through the day) until about 1830 (GMT) - this is when I get on and disconnect it and reconnect it at the BT master socket, when its fine again. This happens day after day and is frustrating the hell out of me. Sky support (after many useless emails and calls) tell me 'check for virus/spyware, etc, etc - I've done all the obvious stuff, direct connection to the master socket, laptop alone, PC alone, reset the router, all that. No joy.

I'm resorting therefore to a plea - can anyone suss what the problem is?

Thanks in anticpation

DaveP

[DaveP]

Before anyone answers, I have solved the problem.

I currently have a final email ultimatum with Sky (lack of) Support to fix it or I leave, but that has been ignored for over 2 days.

So, last night I decided to have a go with old my Linksys WAG354G router which worked fine with my old Tiscali connection.

After a bit of digging round on here I worked out how to get my PPPoA logon and password, upgraded the firmware on the WAG354G and set it up. It is now running sweet as a nut at 11.9Mbps and has been for some time. Using l8nc.com, I am seeing virtually no packet loss and a good response when not in use.

So the upshot of this lot is that it appears that it was the router all along, so I will leave the WAG354G in place.

Now I realise I am in breach of Sky T's&C's by doing this, but so are they in not providing me the service, so I reckon we are all square at the moment. If I could get any sense out of them I'd chase up another router, but to be honest, given all the aggro, I'll just go as it is.

[IAmNotTheEnemy]

in al honesty, the Netgear is the source of almost all the issues regarding ADLS2+ problems, it just doesn't handle it at all well. I can undestand people using their own routers (and yes it is in breach of t&c) but if it means your connection is stable I don't see what the problem is.

If it meant users are happy I don't see why we don't just let people use what they want...

[DaveP]

I agree, I really like my Linksys, it has always been a good workhorse, was nicely mounted unobtrusively near my desktop and I had faith in it. The Netgear, as well as not working in my case, cannot be tucked away very well - it is now actually, in the bottom of my drawer!

The whole saga has been a nightmare for me, I have had Sky for years and think Sky+ is the best thing since sliced bread, however this has seriously dented my impression.

There are several lessons for SkyBB I believe, and I offer this as constructive feedback:

1. Get on top of Customer Support - the current system really is woeful. The web based email limits you to 1000 characters which is insufficient to really detail your problem, and then goes unanswered anyway. A phone call seems to connect you to someone with some basic checks on a script but are unable to answer any detailed questions. You then have nowhere to go.

2. Issue kit that is reliable - I have sweat blood trying to sort this, and if it weren't for this site and the fact that I had alternative kit, then I may still be no better off.

3. Finally, I fully support you IAmNotTheEnemy, in that the user should be able to use thier own kit - it would probably make life much easier for Sky in the long run. I don't really understand why its been made such a closed shop.

Anyway, problem solved, moans done, lets just hope for a quiet life and normal surfin'!

[IAmNotTheEnemy]

on another point (and it is one I get a lot of grief over), may everyone be reminded that Sky BB Max is an UP TO 16mbps service!!! So many people say 'Well I had 2mb fine but 16mb won't work!!'

In all honesty, what do you expect?? Yes, sales have a lot to answer for in that instance as they do a DSL check at POS so could say what the users line will accept but so many times we have people with wholely incorrect expectations coming through expecting 16mb just cause they pay for it.

Rant over, just wish people would read smal print now and again - and sorry to hijack the thread!!

[DaveP]

No problem, you are as equally entitled to a rant as me!

In answer to your point though, form my perepsective the issue was not that 2Mbps was fine but 16Mbps was not, that is a chance I agree you take and I didn't have unrealistic expectations here, but I know the system can deliver me 12Mbps as when it is working it is fine - as it is now. That said, I am probably only about 0.5km from the exchange so it wouldn't be unreasonable of me to expect reasonable performance I would offer.

Thinking about your point on sales though, thinking back they did advise me that my line was indicating greater than 16Mbps when they did the line check - an interesting observation! - Though one I did take with a pinch of salt of the time.

[Spyda]

It's interesting that your connection has settled at 11.9Mbps. Mine used to be very stable at about 15.5Mbps, (I can see the exchange from my house!)
Then for no reason at all it's dropped to 11.9Mbps. (11984000 bps to be precise)

Is this something that sky have put in place to try and cut their costs or improve network stability I wonder!

[richone54]

^^ most likely to be a wirirng problem (internal or external)

[Isitme]

@DaveP

Has your Netgear router had it's firmware updated? Many are reporting better performance with the new firmware, although some report a deterioration. If it has not it may be worth doing it manually and check the result.

The symptoms you describe seems to indicate noise on the line, which the old firmware did not handle very well, which the new firmware does. You should try plugging into the TEST socket which, if you have an NTE-5, is behind the Master socket faceplate. You may find that a few improvements to your internal wiring will give you the full whack. Posting your NM and attenuation would allow someone to say for sure.

[Spyda]

Originally Posted by richone54

^^ most likely to be a wirirng problem (internal or external)

Is it possible that the line quality has dropped between my property and the exchange?

As nothing at all changed inside the property.

Thought it was odd that we'd both sync'd at 11.9Mbps too. :|