How fast should my "2 meg" connection actually be?

I'm on an `up to 2megs` connection with Tiscali, using a USB connected
Thompson Speedtouch 330 modem on an ADSL line, via BT, in London.
I've never got more than 1100 bps, using the test here:

http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/

and that's exceptional (it happened once or twice, and only at around
1am on a weekday, using ftp). The average is around 450bps - I rarely
get more than 50KBps when downloading. I've done a few tests with
bittorrent, ftp, p2p software but it doesn't make any difference. BT
says the line/exchange (I live in London) is ok. I've tried the test
at different times of the day. It's usually faster after midnight and
before the early evening, suggesting contention, rather than a dodgy
line is responsible.

I've looked at some tools like Dr DCT which adjust things like MTU
windows and so on and apparantly it's set up optimally.

What would you expect get (average, min, max)? What is the worst you'd
put up with before complaining? Or are the speeds I'm getting
perfectly reasonable?

Cheers for any advice/comments.

I'm getting about 1800Kbps just now with occasional dips to about
1100Kbps.

--
Steve Wolstenholme Neural Planner Software

EasyNN-plus. The easy way to build neural networks.
http://www.easynn.com

MrDankDonk wrote:
> I'm on an `up to 2megs` connection with Tiscali, using a USB connected
> Thompson Speedtouch 330 modem on an ADSL line, via BT, in London.
> I've never got more than 1100 bps, using the test here:
>
> http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
>
> and that's exceptional (it happened once or twice, and only at around
> 1am on a weekday, using ftp). The average is around 450bps - I rarely
> get more than 50KBps when downloading. I've done a few tests with
> bittorrent, ftp, p2p software but it doesn't make any difference. BT
> says the line/exchange (I live in London) is ok. I've tried the test
> at different times of the day. It's usually faster after midnight and
> before the early evening, suggesting contention, rather than a dodgy
> line is responsible.
>
> I've looked at some tools like Dr DCT which adjust things like MTU
> windows and so on and apparantly it's set up optimally.
>
> What would you expect get (average, min, max)? What is the worst you'd
> put up with before complaining? Or are the speeds I'm getting
> perfectly reasonable?
>
> Cheers for any advice/comments.
>


When I was with Tiscali I regularly got less than 28kbps. Don't waste
your time complaining.

Take a look at the speed test, Tiscali forum and comparisons at
http://www.adslguide.org.uk

I just got the following with a 2MB connection but then again I left
Tiscali over a year ago. (Currently with VISPA)


Your current bandwidth reading is:

2.31 Mbps

which means you can download at 295.71 KB/sec. from our servers.

28.8 kbps dial-up
33.6 kbps dial-up
53.3 kbps dial-up
56 kbps ISDN
128 kbps ISDN
150 kbps DSL
256 kbps DSL
512 kbps DSL
2365.7 kbps YOU


Please retain the following information if you wish to contact Customer
Services
Your reference number is 2365-3082126

MrDankDonk wrote:
> I'm on an `up to 2megs` connection with Tiscali, using a USB connected
> Thompson Speedtouch 330 modem on an ADSL line, via BT, in London.
> I've never got more than 1100 bps, using the test here:
>
> http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
>
> and that's exceptional (it happened once or twice, and only at around
> 1am on a weekday, using ftp). The average is around 450bps - I rarely
> get more than 50KBps when downloading. I've done a few tests with
> bittorrent, ftp, p2p software but it doesn't make any difference. BT
> says the line/exchange (I live in London) is ok. I've tried the test
> at different times of the day. It's usually faster after midnight and
> before the early evening, suggesting contention, rather than a dodgy
> line is responsible.
>
> I've looked at some tools like Dr DCT which adjust things like MTU
> windows and so on and apparantly it's set up optimally.
>
> What would you expect get (average, min, max)? What is the worst
> you'd put up with before complaining? Or are the speeds I'm getting
> perfectly reasonable?
>
> Cheers for any advice/comments.

Have you tried the test at 217.35.209.142 ?
This shows my 2Meg line running at 1976kbps (typically).

Grumps wrote:
> MrDankDonk wrote:
> > http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
> Have you tried the test at 217.35.209.142 ?
> This shows my 2Meg line running at 1976kbps (typically).

What test is that? Google isn't telling, and browsing to that IP
address tells me nothing.

A bit of additional info - I did a test using P2P software (soulseek)
and had a consistant 30KBps, which I believe is the max you can get
with a 2meg ADSL connection, if I'm not mistaken (256kbps upload =
32KBps). Does this help? If it's a problem with the ISP - perhaps
they're sharing the bandwidth between too many people in my area -
would I expect a reduction in upload speed, or is that perhaps the ISP
handles uploads first (typically at full speed for everyone) then
sharing what's left of the bandwidth for everyones downloads?

MrDankDonk wrote:
> Grumps wrote:
>> MrDankDonk wrote:
>>> http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
>> Have you tried the test at 217.35.209.142 ?
>> This shows my 2Meg line running at 1976kbps (typically).
>
> What test is that? Google isn't telling, and browsing to that IP
> address tells me nothing.
>
> A bit of additional info - I did a test using P2P software (soulseek)
> and had a consistant 30KBps, which I believe is the max you can get
> with a 2meg ADSL connection, if I'm not mistaken (256kbps upload =
> 32KBps). Does this help? If it's a problem with the ISP - perhaps
> they're sharing the bandwidth between too many people in my area -
> would I expect a reduction in upload speed, or is that perhaps the ISP
> handles uploads first (typically at full speed for everyone) then
> sharing what's left of the bandwidth for everyones downloads?

Oops! Try 217.32.105.42 instead.

In response to what Grumps <(E-Mail Removed)> posted in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

> MrDankDonk wrote:
>> Grumps wrote:
>>> MrDankDonk wrote:
>>>> http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
>>> Have you tried the test at 217.35.209.142 ?
>>> This shows my 2Meg line running at 1976kbps (typically).
>>
>> What test is that? Google isn't telling, and browsing to that IP
>> address tells me nothing.
>>
>> A bit of additional info - I did a test using P2P software (soulseek)
>> and had a consistant 30KBps, which I believe is the max you can get
>> with a 2meg ADSL connection, if I'm not mistaken (256kbps upload =
>> 32KBps). Does this help? If it's a problem with the ISP - perhaps
>> they're sharing the bandwidth between too many people in my area -
>> would I expect a reduction in upload speed, or is that perhaps the ISP
>> handles uploads first (typically at full speed for everyone) then
>> sharing what's left of the bandwidth for everyones downloads?
>
> Oops! Try 217.32.105.42 instead.

http://performance.toast.net

--
Joe Soap.
JUNK is stuff that you keep for 20 years,
then throw away a week before you need it.

MrDankDonk wrote:

> I'm on an `up to 2megs` connection with Tiscali, using a USB connected
> Thompson Speedtouch 330 modem on an ADSL line, via BT, in London.
> I've never got more than 1100 bps,

Hmmm, ITYM 1100kbps.
Are you definitely synced at 2meg? Perhaps they forgot to regrade you from
one meg?

> Cheers for any advice/comments.

Worst case, divide your advertised speed by your contention ratio, ie
2meg/50 for Home, 2meg/20 for Business, 2meg/1 for SDSL. If it's any better
than worst case, then theoretically you have no grounds for complaint as
that is the product you've been sold, although I'm sure you won't find that
comforting!

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
19:08:50 up 28 days, 23:27, 4 users, load average: 0.17, 0.11, 0.14
This is my BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMSTICK

Grumps wrote:
> MrDankDonk wrote:
> > Grumps wrote:
> >> MrDankDonk wrote:
> >>> http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
> >> Have you tried the test at 217.35.209.142 ?
> >> This shows my 2Meg line running at 1976kbps (typically).
> >
> > What test is that? Google isn't telling, and browsing to that IP
> > address tells me nothing.
> >
> > A bit of additional info - I did a test using P2P software (soulseek)
> > and had a consistant 30KBps, which I believe is the max you can get
> > with a 2meg ADSL connection, if I'm not mistaken (256kbps upload =
> > 32KBps). Does this help? If it's a problem with the ISP - perhaps
> > they're sharing the bandwidth between too many people in my area -
> > would I expect a reduction in upload speed, or is that perhaps the ISP
> > handles uploads first (typically at full speed for everyone) then
> > sharing what's left of the bandwidth for everyones downloads?
>
> Oops! Try 217.32.105.42 instead.

That worked, thanks. Didn't get anywhere with the "Connect ...by
entering speedtest@speedtest_domain....no password is required."
business, but when I entered my phone number it did a test and told me
I could get 614kbps, which is inside the range BT regards as normal,
but only just (400-2000kbps).

I tried to do another test but it warned me that if you do it too often
it my get reported to my ISP. Bring it on - I'm going to phone them in
a minute anyway!

Joe Soap wrote:
> In response to what Grumps <(E-Mail Removed)> posted in
> news:(E-Mail Removed):
>
> > MrDankDonk wrote:
> >> Grumps wrote:
> >>> MrDankDonk wrote:
> >>>> http://speedcheck.ispconnect.co.uk/
> >>> Have you tried the test at 217.35.209.142 ?
> >>> This shows my 2Meg line running at 1976kbps (typically).
> >>
> >> What test is that? Google isn't telling, and browsing to that IP
> >> address tells me nothing.
> >>
> >> A bit of additional info - I did a test using P2P software (soulseek)
> >> and had a consistant 30KBps, which I believe is the max you can get
> >> with a 2meg ADSL connection, if I'm not mistaken (256kbps upload =
> >> 32KBps). Does this help? If it's a problem with the ISP - perhaps
> >> they're sharing the bandwidth between too many people in my area -
> >> would I expect a reduction in upload speed, or is that perhaps the ISP
> >> handles uploads first (typically at full speed for everyone) then
> >> sharing what's left of the bandwidth for everyones downloads?
> >
> > Oops! Try 217.32.105.42 instead.
>
> http://performance.toast.net

I'm getting speeds around the 560kbps mark there.