Why is my ADSL download speed lower than my upload speed

Question

I seem to be getting ~400 Kbps download speed here, and ~700 Kbps upload (yes, they're both rubbish). Does this seem wrong to anyone, and what could be causing it (apart from the 'acceptable' things like distance from exchange etc.)

Edit #1:

To Clarify, my sync speeds are: Downstream Rate : 432 Kbps Upstream Rate : 756 Kbps

I am currently plugged directly into the test socket on my BT my master socket. I have no other devices except my PC connected.

Edit #2:

Spoke to O2 last night and have ended up switching my current Linksys router for O2 wireless box (which doesn't allow ASCII WEP keys, grumble grumble). Strangely, just switching the router for the O2 boosted my download sync to ~550 Kbps. Anyway, the man on the phone adjusted my noise threshold (apparently to make it make it match a 2meg profile) and I'm now getting ~1100 Kbps. I have been advised to check the line stability over the next few days though.

I'm still being told that 1100 Kbps is acceptable for a 2 meg quoted line - apparently an actual speed of 30% the quoted speed is the official start of when a line is 'unacceptable' and warrants remedial action. Seems a bit low to me!

Edit #3:

Finally spoke to BT who performed the line noise check, but couldn't find a problem. They arranged for an engineer to visit. The Engineer has confirmed there is a problem with the line that originates outside the property, and wandered off to the exchange. 'It'll just start to work sometime over the next few days and someone will call to confirm'. Someone called that evening. Am now getting 806 Kbps upload and... 595 Kbps download! BT are simply fantastic at times. Thanks for all you suggestions and tips. All of them were right in their own way, but unfortunately I can only mark one as the accepted answer, so I feel it's probably best to mark COTW's one as I believe this should have the most significant impact in the long term. My advice for anyone following this to resolve their own issues: try everything. It all helps!

Answer 1

If you're working through BT and the trouble is at the master socket then BT is responsible for the wiring up to the master socket. Unfortunately, the division responsible for maintaining phone wiring is not the same as the division that does ADSL. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to get the help desk people to raise a ticket so that a line technician will come out and fix the wiring.

I had a similar problem once and it took about 6 weeks to get it fixed. From what I can tell, you need to:

• Unplug everything else from the phone line and verify the rate on the ADSL router.

• Get onto their help desk. Get them to run their remote check for ground noise. Note that that test only checks the underground cabling up to the junction box (I think this is what it's called). It does not check the cabling between that and the house.

• Make sure they log that you've done this.

• Keep ringing and demand to talk to a supervisor if the help desk operators don't give you any joy.

• Repeat and keep nagging them until they raise a ticket with the line people.

One possibility would be to go to another ISP that has a DSLAM at your exchange (maybe Nildram - they have a range of services aimed at SOHO clients). If it is a line problem they will probably do a better job of escalating this to BT's infrastructure people than BT's own ISP does.

Answer 2

Didn't realise that the rates you were giving were sync rates as opposed to transfer rates :)

Thats pretty poor alright. Sounds like your line isn't able to handle whatever profile is set.

I'd imagine that the reason the upstream isn't affected is probably because its on a different bandwidth to the downstream.

Get in touch with your ISP and ask them to check your line's PreQual (what rate your line qualifies for) and then find out if its higher or lower than the profile you're supposed to be on.

To avoid any problems/delays in communicating with them, ring them from a mobile phone and say the modem is connected at the main phone point with no other equipment connected.

Edit: Sounds like your ISP is giving you the runaround. One way around this would be to report a fault on your telephone (say your calls are noisy or something) and hope that a problem is found. The downside would be that if no problem is found with BT's equipment then you'll probably be charged.

Answer 3

Get a filtered face plate for your wall outlet and remove any redundant telephone wiring in your house. Then run the phone direct into the wall outlet and use a shielded RJ11 cable to connect from the filtered faceplate to your router.

Lastly, follow this advice (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/05/i_plate/).

Then you can be sure of no internal interference. I did and got an extra meg on a 6km line.