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Subject: Broadband Issues
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GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
03/12/2007 2:45 PM  

I use the Internet for my work and during the day the speed tester registers over 6Mb/sec (fast). However in the evening the speed drops to under 100kb/sec (very slow) which is so slow it becomes impossible to watch any streamed video like the BBC news or weather. This reduction in speed is caused by the contention ratio which is basically the number of people using the same internet pipeline.  This is of course worse in the winter, when it is dark and cold outside, and particularly in the run up to Christmas with many people now doing a higher proportion of their shopping on the Internet. This slow speed situation is only going to get worse as more and more people use the Internet in our village.

I have tried contacting BT, by phone, by letter, by email and by internet and nobody responds. We will need to provide collective action if we are to get the service we PAY for!  Are you up for it?
JulesUser is Offline

Posts:1
03/12/2007 8:33 PM  
I agree.... its awful in the evenings...
PeterUser is Offline

Posts:16
05/12/2007 7:38 AM  
I don't find any consistency at all.  This morning (Wednesday 5th Dec) at 7.20 am I had over 6Mbps and yet at the same time on another morning it was as low as 368 Kbps - about 1/20th of the speed.  Some of the lower speeds for me are in the middle of the afternoon.  I'm no techie but I think there may be a variety of factors which affect the speed such as line quality, ISP, distance from the exchange, number of people online and the type of dowloads in progress.  Perhaps somebody out there can explain there are more specific reasons for speed variation.
GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
08/12/2007 3:33 PM  
Peter,
 
The distance from the exchange has a strong bearing on the maximum speed that can be achieved. The actual speed depends on two things. 1) the number of "live" users, 2) What those users are downloading. It is my view that the contention ratio - number of users that have access to the same internet "pipe" - is too high. It is probable that when Hadlow Down got connected to the internet the "pipe" was set to support "n" local users but my guess is that we now have 2n or 3n users. I am trying to use my annual contract renewal with BT as a lever to get them to do something but I feel I am a lone voice. We need to work together if we are to have any chance of success.
 
Regards
 
Steve
PeterUser is Offline

Posts:16
09/12/2007 11:58 AM  
Steve

When I first raised Broadband with BT 4 years ago they told me we were too small a village to warrant BB but I then set about badgering the village folk and it was during a very active campaign by Maria (Paviour) on the village action plan and I was able to get a lot of HD email addresses and telephone numbers. I must confess that without the consent of the individuals I told BT they were all very keen to get broadband. The result was that (at that time) according to BT we were the smallest village to have the exchange broadband enabled.

If we could motivate enough villagers to contact BT to complain about the congestion and emphasise the number of people working from home to whom the BB connection is essential, it's just possible we could get them to improve the situation.

There was plenty of enthusiasm for the Happy Talk production last night and we just need to transfer some of that enthusiasm to improve facilities - such as providing broadband which is faster and more useful. There is slowing down generally with people using iTunes and YouTube which gum up the works because people are online much longer.

Perhaps we can put together an 'insert' for the next Parish Magazine. I say insert because it may attract more attention than an article in the main magazine. If the insert is also in colour people will want to know why and there is more chance of reading it. We just have to make it relevant, interesting, and suggest how every one of us can help. Emphasise the selfish benefits of downloading films, music and even television shows which all take up huge chunks of the available BB.
GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
09/12/2007 1:31 PM  
If anybody who reads this either works for BT or knows a way of talking to somebody in BT that can actually make something happen then please let me know. I am happy to take the issue to BT.
GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
09/12/2007 3:45 PM  
Jules,
 
I found a way to complain. I used the 150 number and chose the option to say I wanted to cancel my contract with BT. That got me through to someone who wanted to ensure I did not do that! I registered my reason for wanting to leave BT as the slowness of the connection in the evenings etc. They have promised me a permanent 7Mb connection at £5 less/month than I pay now starting from Monday 17th December. Personally I don't believe this is possible but let's see. I will post before Xmas with the result!
GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
03/02/2008 4:39 PM  
Changing to an alternative "home" broadband made little difference. I have now moved to BT Business Total Broadband which is much better but not perfect. Home broadband gives you a 200-1 contention ratio ( the number of other users on the same Internet pipe) whereas Business is 50 to 1. I am still monitoring so will update later this month.
GwynUser is Offline

Posts:12
11/02/2008 12:03 AM  
I think you'll find business is 20:1 contention and home is 50:1
GwynUser is Offline

Posts:12
11/02/2008 12:05 AM  
Incidentally we always get good throughput regardless of time of day, however when broadband went down in the village for the weekend a year or so ago we were the only people I knew who still had a connection. Therefore I wonder if we're on a different circuit (as you say there is max contention so they can't have everyone on the same circuit)
GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
11/02/2008 8:52 AM  

Gwyn,

 

I am in very regular contact with BT. They have told me for this village it is 1 to 200 for consumer and 1 to 50 for business. Even at 1 to 50 the evening service is not great. I get a very good service during the day. BT will be calling me again today.

 

Regards
Steve

 

Steve Godfrey

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From: villagelife@hadlowdown.com [mailto:villagelife@hadlowdown.com]
Sent: 11 February 2008 00:03
To: Godfrey, Steve (UK&I C&I Security Solutions Principal)
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At 11/02/2008 12:03 AM a message was posted to a thread you were tracking.
RE: Broadband Issues by Gwyn
I think you'll find business is 20:1 contention and home is 50:1

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GoddersUser is Offline

Posts:9
27/06/2008 9:46 PM  
I am now using BT Business Broadband and I get about 6Mb most of the time. However I am hearing that others get much more than this. 
 
Please test your speed using:-
 
 
and then post your provider with your speed.
 
This should help anyone in Hadlow Down looking for the fastest provider to the village.
MadameUser is Offline

Posts:0
28/06/2008 11:02 PM  
Godders
Done that - It says 7.1 on bog standard AOL.
Does making one of the few posts this year confirm you as a volunteer to help save the web site?
Madame L xxx
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