BT Speed Test

[Rev_Hill]

Hi all,

Sorry if you all know about this but only found out last night after pestering my ISP (Virgin.net).

I have had great service from them for the last couple of years but all of a sudden my ping is stupidly high and connection speeds are useless. (I have an 8 meg connection.)

Logged an issue with my ISP and sent them a traceroute etc. Having finally convinced them its nothing to do with the wiring in my house or my desktop (check connection from main telephone point and all that rubbish) they pointed me to....... drum roll please.

(see instructions in below post - original site did not work)

You enter your phone number and broadband login and from what I gather it tests your line.

This information (Virgin.net tell me) is accessible to your ISP. They can then identify if the problem is them or your line. I'm guessing the site itself can probably tell you this aswell but I'm yet to test - it was too busy last night!!! hahahaha.

Anyway, thought this might be useful for anyone with connection issues as the information can be accessed by all ISP's.

Think my issue may be due to NTL routing - Virgin were good until NTL came along. Now everything is being routed via NTL.

Rev

[Zak33]

I think Virgin have been NTL for along time chap. I was with Virgin back in May 2005 and it was NTL then.

[Rev_Hill]

Don't know what they did but my connection issue has been resolved.

Routing appears to have been modified and my ping is now in the 30's instead of nearly 300!

WOOHOO!!!

Rev

[listy]

site is always busy with me too when ever i run it

[dave87]

The other thing to check is this:

http://status.zensupport.co.uk/exchanges/

This will tell you how your exchange is performing, if its in the red, then its likely your ADSL speeds are suffering as a result. Moan at BT

[kopite]

The other thing to check is this:

http://status.zensupport.co.uk/exchanges/

This will tell you how your exchange is performing, if its in the red, then its likely your ADSL speeds are suffering as a result. Moan at BT

Thats my exchange checker.

I work at Zen and I made the checker last year


Its been updated today as well. the only problem at the moment is that loads of exchanges are red at the moment and BT are taking ages to upgrade them

[Rev_Hill]

Have been given some new steps to test which actually work. My connection is useless again - damn virgin.

I hope these help:

In order to diagnose the problem you have mentioned, please follow the step given below:

Connect to the Internet using the following connection details (these should replace your Virgin.net Broadband login details)

Username: speedtest@speedtest_domain
Password : testing

Once you are connected to the Internet using these details, please go to the following web address:

http://217.32.105.42/cgi-bin/home.page.pl

A new page will open up requesting you for your phone number. Please enter the phone number on which your Broadband service is supplied. I would like to inform you that you have to perform several speed tests during different times of the day.

Once you have done this, please contact us on our technical support number given below, where we will be able to check the results of this test and if necessary escalate this to our Faults department.

[kopite]

Thats the BT speedtester again.

What speeds are you getting atm?

[Rev_Hill]

Yeah I know but the last site didn't work and they hadn't provided the correct password.

I have done the exchange test and my exchange is due for upgrade on 28/12.

My ping is around 280-290+ and I'm normally getting a connection of around 3.9 meg.

Up to a month or so ago it was ping of around 40-50 and connection speed of 6.1 meg.

Hopefully the upgrade will sort the issue out. Waiting for a response from BT and Virgin.

Rev

[kopite]

Even if the exchange is red you shouldnt be getting pings that high.

Do you have any torrent software running or anything similar? Also have you done a full virus and spyware check lately.

To me a ping over 50 to your ISP`s gateway is high.

I get a ping of about 25 on the first hop.

[Rev_Hill]

No torrent software and always do a full virus check (Adaware + Spybot)

It is very strange because at the weekend my ping was under 50 (around 35) but then this week its been 250+.

Cannot explain it but I did notice from doing a tracert that the routing had changed since the weekend ???

Rev

[Spud1]

The thing is, the BT Speed Tester is what most ISPs want you to use before you can raise a speed fault, and you need to take this test while your line is having problems - which in 99.9% of cases is only during 'peak hours'. During peak hours of course, 40% of the UK broadband subscribers are also have the same problem, and a large proportion of those people also try the tester - so it breaks, and no one can use it. I've been trying every night for 2 months now to get a result off it - and nothing.

We have a horrible problem here with our ISP - Plus.net. During the day and after around 0000 at night we get great speeds, but during 1600-0000 (roughly) we get appauling speeds - around 20-30kps download speed (if your lucky) and more often than not unplayable gaming pings. Browsing also seems to regress back to isdn type speed also.

The problem seems to be BT - 40% (!) of their exchanges, including mine, are in the red(http://usergroup.plus.net/news_061103_redexchange.php), and customers on these exchanges are generally the ones reporting the problem.

arg anyway its a real pain as plus.net can't do anything about it, and BT don't seem to want to..The number of UK subscribers is increasing massivly every week and BT are not doing enough to keep up with the demand.

[Rev_Hill]

I did manage to run the test on http://217.32.105.42/cgi-bin/home.page.pl on Monday at 8:00pm. Worked first time which I was amazed at.

This may be obvious but you need to make sure you change your internet connection username / password as described.

Rev

[abeacock]

Guys this is great stuff, I'm having major broadband disconnects at the moment and being passed pillar to post between Pipex Broadband and Pipex HomeCall and BT.

I'll run some of these diag tools tonight but I've already checked and my local exchange (Ormskirk) is in the red.

Would that be the cause of my disconnects on my broadband?

[CrazyMonkey]

Filton exchange is in the red aswell and i am also experiencing low speeds for the first time in 6 years..

[Steve]

Thats my exchange checker.

I work at Zen and I made the checker last year


Its been updated today as well. the only problem at the moment is that loads of exchanges are red at the moment and BT are taking ages to upgrade them

Hat's off to you, sir.

Hats on to BT, who still need to upgrade Bristol North...