Contention ratio and link speed

My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
(using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is because
the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I expect to see
the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?

Noel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
> (using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is because
> the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I expect to see
> the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?

Have you run the speedtest on the BT site after logging in with the BT
password?

Noel wrote:
> My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
> (using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is because
> the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I expect to see
> the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?

I can smell something & it ain't roses. If you've got a 2Mb service
your router should indicate a 2Mb connection. Now whether you get what
you think is the correct thru put for your 2Mb connection is another
matter as that is where the contention hits.

Reading your posting again I notice that you are compiling data to get
your connection speeds, hasn't your router got a diagnostic page showing
you directly what your service/connection speed is? If you are
compiling your thru put to get your connection speeds then that will
vary...

On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 20:51:24 +0100, Noel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
>(using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is because
>the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I expect to see
>the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?

the router will sync at 2272 kbits/s
the data rate you experience will usually be ~1800 kbits/s but if the
place you are downloading from is congested, or the ISP is congested,
or the exchange is congested, then you'll see less.

BT's internal service standard for Home2000 is 400-2000 kbits/s

http://usertools.plus.net/tutorials/id/27 explains how to log in under
a different ISP and see the speed achievable on the BT network as
opposed to via your ISP. If both are slow its your exchange or line,
if BT is fast and the ISP slow then the latter is congested.

Phil
--
Tiscali - dialup speeds at Broadband prices, see
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist...&Board=tiscali

AOL - the unlimited ISP of choice for heavy downloaders.

On Thu, 1 Sep 2005 21:11:23 +0100, "Kraftee"
<(E-Mail Removed) please we're bristish.com> wrote:

>Noel wrote:
>> My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
>> (using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is because
>> the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I expect to see
>> the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?
>
>I can smell something & it ain't roses. If you've got a 2Mb service
>your router should indicate a 2Mb connection. Now whether you get what
>you think is the correct thru put for your 2Mb connection is another
>matter as that is where the contention hits.

That is what I thought.

>Reading your posting again I notice that you are compiling data to get
>your connection speeds, hasn't your router got a diagnostic page showing
>you directly what your service/connection speed is? If you are
>compiling your thru put to get your connection speeds then that will
>vary...

Yes, for instance the router (a Netgear DG834GT) is showing a
downstream connection speed of 1472 kbps at this very moment. It can
go as low as 1200kbps.

I am trying to convince the ISP that the line attenuation of 63db and
noise margin of 5.7db are the cause of the low connection speeds, but
they claim that the connection speed depends on the actual contention
ratio at the time of connection, which seemed like bullshit to me.

Noel wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Sep 2005 21:11:23 +0100, "Kraftee"
> <(E-Mail Removed) please we're bristish.com> wrote:
>
>> Noel wrote:
>>> My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
>>> (using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is
>>> because the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I
>>> expect to see the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?
>>
>> I can smell something & it ain't roses. If you've got a 2Mb service
>> your router should indicate a 2Mb connection. Now whether you get
>> what you think is the correct thru put for your 2Mb connection is
>> another matter as that is where the contention hits.
>
> That is what I thought.
>
>> Reading your posting again I notice that you are compiling data to
>> get your connection speeds, hasn't your router got a diagnostic page
>> showing you directly what your service/connection speed is? If you
>> are compiling your thru put to get your connection speeds then that
>> will vary...
>
> Yes, for instance the router (a Netgear DG834GT) is showing a
> downstream connection speed of 1472 kbps at this very moment. It can
> go as low as 1200kbps.
>
> I am trying to convince the ISP that the line attenuation of 63db and
> noise margin of 5.7db are the cause of the low connection speeds, but
> they claim that the connection speed depends on the actual contention
> ratio at the time of connection, which seemed like bullshit to me.

If you've been upgraded to 2Mb & your diagnostics are accurate then
don't be suprised that you're having problems. You are well outside
the loop attenuation for a 2Mb service & your SNR is unstably low..

If you pursued any type of fault & got it progressed to BT I can almost
guarantee that you would be regraded downwards, very possibly to 512k as
you are 3dB outside the line limits for 1 Mb as well, & that's without
any visit being made.

So the decision is yours put up with what you've got or risk the very
real possibility of being turned down to 512k, it's up to you..

If on the other hand you are a new customer you may stand a chance,
depending on the local network & whether there is any flexibility in it
which would enable you to use cables with a lower attenuation, but don't
count on it & you may have to go down the regrade path anyway..

Your decision, try to be realistic & best of luck

On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 21:34:58 +0100, Noel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I am trying to convince the ISP that the line attenuation of 63db and
>noise margin of 5.7db are the cause of the low connection speeds, but
>they claim that the connection speed depends on the actual contention
>ratio at the time of connection, which seemed like bullshit to me.

and the ISP is ....... ?

Phil Thompson wrote:
> On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 20:51:24 +0100, Noel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>My ISP claims that the fact that I am getting indicated link speeds
>>(using data from the router) of between 1.2MBps and 1.5MBps is because
>>the 2MB line is contended. Is this true, or should I expect to see
>>the router indicate that I have the full 2MBps?
>
>
> the router will sync at 2272 kbits/s
> the data rate you experience will usually be ~1800 kbits/s but if the
> place you are downloading from is congested, or the ISP is congested,
> or the exchange is congested, then you'll see less.
>
> BT's internal service standard for Home2000 is 400-2000 kbits/s
>
> http://usertools.plus.net/tutorials/id/27 explains how to log in under
> a different ISP and see the speed achievable on the BT network as
> opposed to via your ISP. If both are slow its your exchange or line,
> if BT is fast and the ISP slow then the latter is congested.

Not always - my exchange is red since it was uplifted and the bt test is
quite short and won't always show it. In the past running a few would
give a low result - but they now threaten to report you to your isp if
you try and do more than one in a row !!

Andy.

"Noel" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I am trying to convince the ISP that the line attenuation of 63db and
> noise margin of 5.7db are the cause of the low connection speeds, but
> they claim that the connection speed depends on the actual contention
> ratio at the time of connection, which seemed like bullshit to me.

With a db that high I am very surprised your isp has connected you to 2mb
service. That is the db you would be getting for the 512 service maximum.

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 10:53:33 +0100, Andy Furniss
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Not always - my exchange is red since it was uplifted and the bt test is
>quite short and won't always show it.

Red status meams one or more VPs out of spec, you might be on a
different one.

BT speedtester is a 1.7 MB file, ADSLguide speed test transfers 1.6
MB.

"but they now threaten to report you to your isp if
you try and do more than one in a row !!"

slight exaggeration.

Phil
--
Tiscali - dialup speeds at Broadband prices, see
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist...&Board=tiscali

AOL - the unlimited ISP of choice for heavy downloaders.