speedtest@speedtest_domain catch 22

Just thought I'd run this past the group in case anyone has a suggestion.

I'm basically trying to prove to Pipex that my upgrade a few months ago
to an 8Mb package (from 1Mb) is flawed. Yes, I know there are no speed
guarantees, etc, etc, and I'm not looking for miracles, but download
performance is identical to before the upgrade (pretty reliable max speed
of 120kb/s download) whenever I download anything.

Some relevant details...
____________________________________
From my router:
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 7616 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 6 db 3 db
Noise Margin 17 db 15 db
_____________________________________

And from BT's speedtest logged on through Pipex...
_____________________________________
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 6500 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 7616 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 839* kbps
______________________________________

(*I've had several results from 820 to 906kbps)

Now, Pipex tell me to log onto BT using 'speedtest@speedtest_domain' with
'adsl' as the password. I can do that, but when I do, the speedtest site
http://217.35.209.142 tells me to run the test first through my ISP. I've
done that (several times now!) but you have to wait at least 3 hours
before trying again. If I wait three hours, log on again using
speedtest@speedtest_domain I always get the message...

_____________________________________
You appear to be logged in as speedtest@speedtest_domain, however for the
initial performance test can you please not use a BT test account or the
Speedtester login. Please reconfigure your service to use your normal DSL
account. If you are unsure how to do this or think this message is in
error, please contact your service provider for advice.
_____________________________________

Basically no matter what I try I can't get past that error message. So I
can't test my 'raw' connection.

I'd like to be able to do that before trying (again!) to get Pipex to
listen to me. But if anyone can see anything wrong with any of the stuff
above, or has any suggestions for how I might encourage BT's speedtester
to let me play without using my Pipex settings, I'd be very grateful!

Apologies for the long post, and thanks for getting this far if you did.
:-)

Andrew McP

Andrew MacPherson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Just thought I'd run this past the group in case anyone has a suggestion.
>
> I'm basically trying to prove to Pipex that my upgrade a few months ago
> to an 8Mb package (from 1Mb) is flawed. Yes, I know there are no speed
> guarantees, etc, etc, and I'm not looking for miracles, but download
> performance is identical to before the upgrade (pretty reliable max speed
> of 120kb/s download) whenever I download anything.
>
> Some relevant details...
> ____________________________________
> From my router:
> ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
> Connection Speed 7616 kbps 448 kbps
> Line Attenuation 6 db 3 db
> Noise Margin 17 db 15 db
> _____________________________________
>
> And from BT's speedtest logged on through Pipex...
> _____________________________________
> Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
> IP profile for your line is - 6500 kbps
> DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 7616 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
> Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 839* kbps
> ______________________________________
>
> (*I've had several results from 820 to 906kbps)
>
> Now, Pipex tell me to log onto BT using 'speedtest@speedtest_domain' with
> 'adsl' as the password. I can do that, but when I do, the speedtest site
> http://217.35.209.142 tells me to run the test first through my ISP. I've
> done that (several times now!) but you have to wait at least 3 hours
> before trying again. If I wait three hours, log on again using
> speedtest@speedtest_domain I always get the message...
>
> _____________________________________
> You appear to be logged in as speedtest@speedtest_domain, however for the
> initial performance test can you please not use a BT test account or the
> Speedtester login. Please reconfigure your service to use your normal DSL
> account. If you are unsure how to do this or think this message is in
> error, please contact your service provider for advice.
> _____________________________________
>
> Basically no matter what I try I can't get past that error message. So I
> can't test my 'raw' connection.

The FAQ's here
<http://www.thinkbroadband.com/faq/sections/troubleshooting.html#52>

says "The BT Speedtester is for people on a fixed speed service "

and "The BT Performance tester at http://www.speedtester.bt.com is the
one that people with a Max connection will be redirected to. This
requires you to enter your telephone number and after this you will be
asked for your ADSL login. Since you are using your standard ADSL login
the test provides a measure of the download speed across your ADSL line,
the exchange, link to the provider and out across the Internet."

HTH, SImon.

(E-Mail Removed)lid (Simon Higgs) wrote:

Thanks for that Simon.

> and "The BT Performance tester at http://www.speedtester.bt.com is
> the one that people with a Max connection will be redirected to.
> This requires you to enter your telephone number and after this
> you will be asked for your ADSL login.

Yes, that's the one I've been using. I'll have a read through of the
Thinkbroadband content though... and a search through the forums. There
might be something useful in there.

Andrew McP

In uk.telecom.broadband, on Sat, 2 Feb 2008 12:53:00, Andrew MacPherson
wrote:

>Now, Pipex tell me to log onto BT using 'speedtest@speedtest_domain'
>with 'adsl' as the password.

Go to http://speedtester.bt.com/ enter your phone number (no spaces),
and when prompted enter your Pipex ADSL login username.

Then use those results to batter them with.

If you want to see what outside connectivity is like, go to the link at
the bottom of this page: http://sod.ms

--
Jim Crowther

Don'(E-Mail Removed) (Jim Crowther) wrote:

> Go to http://speedtester.bt.com/ enter your phone number (no
> spaces), and when prompted enter your Pipex ADSL login username.

Thanks for confirming that. It is what I've been doing. The problem is
getting a result when logged in via BT's 'emergency' access.

I'll get there in the end. When push comes to shove I don't have a
problem with my broadband, I just know that for some reason it's being
throttled to 1Mb instead of 8Mb.

If it gets any more frustrating I'll just look back in my Quicken records
to check my old phone bills. That tends to put things in perspective. :-)

Andrew McP

In uk.telecom.broadband, on Sun, 3 Feb 2008 06:55:00, Andrew MacPherson
wrote:

>Don'(E-Mail Removed) (Jim Crowther) wrote:
>
>> Go to http://speedtester.bt.com/ enter your phone number (no
>> spaces), and when prompted enter your Pipex ADSL login username.
>
>Thanks for confirming that. It is what I've been doing. The problem is
>getting a result when logged in via BT's 'emergency' access.

Which won't work because you are determined to be on a 'Max' package,
even if you aren't getting the benefit.

>I'll get there in the end. When push comes to shove I don't have a
>problem with my broadband, I just know that for some reason it's being
>throttled to 1Mb instead of 8Mb.
>
>If it gets any more frustrating I'll just look back in my Quicken records
>to check my old phone bills. That tends to put things in perspective. :-)

Don't remind me!

--
Jim Crowther

Don'(E-Mail Removed) (Jim Crowther) wrote:

> Which won't work because you are determined to be on a 'Max'
> package, even if you aren't getting the benefit.

Ah, thanks.

Andrew McP