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FTTC performance issue

Kits

ULTIMATE Member
Before anyone says it is my ISP fault I know this is not true, BT are consistent in saying I am not on a hot VP yet on certain days between certain hours my performance drops. Since this has been ongoing with a few improvements along, once when BT admitted after a fight I was on a hot VP all was good after the move to a new VP. Now they just say I am not on a hot VP since I know the only way to prove I am is to gather information over a period of time then submit like last time I started a spreadsheet.

This spreadsheet has highlighted a few issues which I feel needs to be brought out in the open for others to monitor on their connections plus if this is true then OFCOM need to add upload to any assurance on speed from BT.

When completing tap1 any time of day or night regardless of if download is fast or below fault threshold my upload stays between 5 Mbps and maxed at 15 Mbps. This year I have noticed that tap3 upload speed never top 2 Mbps but downloads tend to increase the one speed OFCOM make BT guarantee.

Todays test still fails in that this year I have not completed a tap 3 where upload has exceeded 2 Mbps yet never had a tap 1 with it below 5 Mbps. Todays test I have saved images again to show the uploads to change yet downloads show no improvement which would suggest there is no download bandwidth spare to give to me. This does prove tap 3 is limiting upload speed to 2 Mbps and images shows the system knows I am on a 20 Mbps upload.


This is tap1
 

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I have had to add the second image here to show the capped upload.
 

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All I know is BT say it isn't a hot VP evan though I have dropped to as low as 16Mbps on download on a 80/20 product.
 
According to speedtest.net, Aquiss use Entanet; perhaps the issue is with them.

My download speeds are not too good right now - just over 33Mb, but my upload speed is fine - 18Mb, on a 80/20 line.
 
No Captain I have data to prove the exchange is slow when logged in on BT's details what is more worrying is that everytime I do Tap3 which is off Enta's network and on BT's I lose upload speed.

So tap 1 on Enta's network gives me.

tap 1
1. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
19.2 Mbps

0 Mbps 64.17 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Download speedachieved during the test was - 19.2 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 51.34 Mbps-64.17 Mbps .
Additional Information:
IP Profile for your line is - 64.17 Mbps


2. Upstream Test: -provides background information.
Upload Speed
8.12 Mbps

0 Mbps 20 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Upload speed achieved during the test was - 8.12Mbps
Additional Information:

Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 20 Mbps

Tap3 you remove your login details and use BT's.

Tap 3
1. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
40.1 Mbps

0 Mbps 64.17 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Download speedachieved during the test was - 40.1 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 51.34 Mbps-64.17 Mbps .
Additional Information:
IP Profile for your line is - 64.17 Mbps


2. Upstream Test: -provides background information.
Upload Speed
2 Mbps


0 Mbps 20 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Upload speed achieved during the test was - 2Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 20 Mbps

Would be interesting if others needing to complete BT's TAP3 could watch for this happening on FTTC so we can at least try to get OFCOM to make BT accountable for uploads as well as downloads.

Edited to answer drsox.

Aquiss is my ISP but the slow upload is only when completing TAP3 on BT's speedtest@speedtest_domain. My download speeds have returned no complaints but I still would like an answer for the capped upload on BT's network as every one was below 2 Mbps but only TAP 3 not TAP 1..

So this would indicate that BT have something in place to limit uploads on tests and as we know slower upload faster download.

Until we get some sort of ruling from OFCOM stopping this practice BT will continue to use it.
 
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Good Morning,

Can I add on record that this is NOT a Aquiss issue or Entanet for that matter. We have been working extremely close with kits, directly via our support channels, as part of on-going evidence gathering, along with some other customers.

We are seeing more and more examples of the Openreach network coming under load, directly at the cabinet level, yet the backhaul to those cabinets are reported to not be under any load. Getting Openreach to admit issues and then action upgrades is proving extremely frustrating presently, even though evidence, from their own testers is showing Openreach to be at fault. For the record this is also happening when our network is no where near capacity.
 
According to speedtest.net, Aquiss use Entanet; perhaps the issue is with them.

My download speeds are not too good right now - just over 33Mb, but my upload speed is fine - 18Mb, on a 80/20 line.

Presumption is a dangerous thing ;)

You know what I am going to say, as I told you on the very first day you went live, issues SHOULD be reported to us. I know you have no open tickets in with us, at the time of writing.
 
Thank you Martin, my main objective is to raise awareness amongst BT customers plus hopefully gain enough support from public to go to OFCOM to get things changed.

BT needs to have guarantees on both upload and download speeds.
 
Presumption is a dangerous thing ;)

You know what I am going to say, as I told you on the very first day you went live, issues SHOULD be reported to us. I know you have no open tickets in with us, at the time of writing.

Speeds go up and down, it may be I have a neighbour hammering the fibre with torrents; if speeds stay low for a week or so I will raise an issue.
As for mentioning it might be Entanet, well they did have issues a few years prior to fibre being available, and at that point Kits hadnt mentioned them - and as even the best of us forgets things once in a while........
 
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Today due to Microsofts update things slowed down again but yet again this highlights how on BT's network the upload is capped to 2Mbps. Also shows that the congestion is off Enta's network and on BT's who say I am not on a hot VP and want an engineer out to check. Since BT now charge for engineer visits where the pairs pass which makes this look like a way to take money from me when their network is what cannot cope.

16.06 11th Feb 2015
Manchester bandwidth dial 86%


1. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
27.5 Mbps

0 Mbps 66.97 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Download speedachieved during the test was - 27.5 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 53.58 Mbps-66.97 Mbps .
Additional Information:
IP Profile for your line is - 66.97 Mbps


2. Upstream Test: -provides background information.
Upload Speed
5.87 Mbps

0 Mbps 20 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Upload speed achieved during the test was - 5.87Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 20 Mbps

tap 3

1. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Download Speed
31.61 Mbps

0 Mbps 66.97 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Download speedachieved during the test was - 31.61 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speedsis 53.58 Mbps-66.97 Mbps .
Additional Information:
IP Profile for your line is - 66.97 Mbps


2. Upstream Test: -provides background information.
Upload Speed
1.7 Mbps

0 Mbps 20 Mbps
Max Achievable Speed

Upload speed achieved during the test was - 1.7Mbps
Additional Information:
Upstream Rate IP profile on your line is - 20 Mbps

Would like thank Martin for checking what percentage the Enta bandwidth dial was showing for my area.
 
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I've never seen CVLAN congestion on the upstream.

Are you seeing packet loss? Are the speeds variable all the time or specific times of day? Are neighbours also experiencing issues? Have you tried another speed tester (like TBB)? What about file downloads/uploads?
 
I do not have any packet loss those speeds tests were taken in my priority window daytime since I chose business package, we noticed things slower so completed speed test which failed plus TAP 3 failed yet BT insisted we were not on a busy VP. I had to complete speedtests at regularly to try to prove them wrong.. Every single TAP 3 failed to have more than 2 Mbps upload which had me start this thread to see if other FTTC users were seeing the same on TAP 3.


TBB speedtest tonight http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results.html?id=14246481721411228583

Image of BT's right after
 

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Then it's bizarre how Aquiss can attribute this to CVLAN congestion if you're not seeing any dropped packets. The very nature of Openreach's Prioritisation Rate means that packets will drop and downstreams will be limited to either 15Mbps or 30Mbps depending on the provisioned product. Openreach publish each month a list of links/cabinets where the PR has been enforced and the progress of increasing that link.

I am also a little bit confused what "evidence, from their own testers is showing Openreach to be at fault" actually means? Which testers are those? The GEA Line Checks only look at synchronisation speed, not actual throughput.

I would not read too much into the slow TAP3 upstream results if your normal results are fine as it's essentially irrelevant.
 
Hang on the reason for slow performance was congestion since TAP 3 failed that is off Aquiss network and logged in on BT's network also only on the TAP3 was the upload capped to 2Mbps on Aquiss Tap1 was always higher.

Irrelevant Ha Tap 1 is a different network to TAP 3 very much relevant if BT are capping upload speeds on their network when testing TAP 3.

Also seems funny that there was suddenly urgent work carried out on the FTTC network in my area recently.

My bet is BT's network was hot and their networking system was giving wrong data out.

Plus you say 30Mbps then why was I down to 8Mbps on the 80/20 when Entanets network dials showed 83% so not into the area of dropping packets.

As far as I know I wasn't dropping packets but could have been as I didn't check, do I need to buy professional software just to get BT to comply and admit when they have over subscribed their cheaper fttc in my area causing congestion on my vp to the exchange.
 
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You're aware of the difference between BT Wholesale and Openreach? You seem to be linking the two together, when they are totally separate with different networks.

What is the relevance of a TAP3 upstream test result when your normal upstream speeds are fine? There could be a configuration setting error, but this doesn't matter if your normal upstream speeds are not an issue.

Which BT network do you think is hot? Which "urgent work" was carried out to your FTTC network?

The Openreach 30Mbps Prioritisation Rate is solely between your premises and the GEA L2 Switch in the exchange - it has nothing to do with the backhaul (BT Wholesale). Openreach regularly publish the cabinets which have had the rate enabled (we're talking a tiny percentage).

Which wrong data were BT giving out? BT Wholesale have had issues with their SVLAN reporting data and there haven't been any updates since 6 Feb.
 
Then it's bizarre how Aquiss can attribute this to CVLAN congestion if you're not seeing any dropped packets.

Where have we commented that Kits issue is congestion?

Whilst I won't comment in public about customer cases, I am aware that this circuit, along with some other customers, were affected by an emergency MSO, due to a PEW going wrong.
 
Why did you say this?

We are seeing more and more examples of the Openreach network coming under load, directly at the cabinet level, yet the backhaul to those cabinets are reported to not be under any load. Getting Openreach to admit issues and then action upgrades is proving extremely frustrating presently, even though evidence, from their own testers is showing Openreach to be at fault. For the record this is also happening when our network is no where near capacity.

I attributed what you wrote here to Kits' issue. It would be strange to make such a statement (when I'm pretty sure you mean the BT Wholesale network) if it was completely irrelevant.
 
Well the proof is in my recent speedtests with no changes my side plus no engineer visit, my speeds have increased on both up and down after BT openreach completed the work on the FTTC in my area increasing the capacity.

During all this time I was monitoring the speed had dropped to below 60Mbps with BT giving a BRAS of 55Mbps no reason given for the repeated drops in sync after being kicked from the network.

Now almost back to the speed I had when I first moved to FTTC almost 2 years ago still on same copper line I had before the move FTTC.
 
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