Extremely slow download speed but reletively good downstream

Question

I am having severe internet issues with no particular cause (that I can find). My average download speed was around 8Mbps on ADSL2+ during peak hours (I live in Australia without NBN) and I was perfectly fine with that. My ping was generally sitting around 20-30ms.

Now my average speed is 0.8Mbps and my ping ranges from 100 - 500ms and at some points I can't load web pages because it times out. These are the things I have tried:

• Isolating the phone connection points (disconnecting the daisy chain of phone lines that ran through my house) after trying the other points
• Changing modems 3 times (using old ADSL one and neighbours expensive one as well as my one)
• Hard resetting all the routers and re-entering all the settings again based on what ISP gave me
• Switching phone lines and CAT cables as well as attempting wireless connections.
• Turning off all other devices

I had an IT guy come out to try and see if he could sort the issue but he literally told me to mess around with the router settings which is what I have been doing for the last week. No indication of what to change. I showed him my speeds and he told me my down stream speed was good. He ran a few speed tests with results around 0.5Mbps and 250ms latency and just left without telling me what was wrong or whether it was a problem with my devices.

My downstream rates are around 10 000 - 15 000 Kbps but my downloads are extremely bad. Can someone help me with this situation?

Answer 1

Escalate, escalate, escalate

I had problems like this and I had to call ISP support a half dozen times to get it fixed. I had two engineer visits. I was not charged (because the engineers could find no fault with my wiring or equipment). They also sent me two replacement routers at no cost to me.

Keep a log

Write down every test you do, every config change, details of every call to the ISP and their response. It may be of use in a legal dispute or you may find it effective to add it to a letter of complaint. Obviously it is better to write the log at the time the events occur, not days or weeks later. You need to keep it cool, factual and objective.

Use engineers effectively

When engineers visit, get them to demonstrate good download speeds with equipment they bring with them. If they can't do that, the ball is still in their court.

Consider buying a cheap router from the ISP, or one that they recommend. Demonstrate that the problem exists with their equipment and their settings, It sounds like in your case routers are far cheaper than engineer visits. Use that as leverage to keep the ball in their court

Vote with your wallet

If your contract is a home service rather than a business service, your ISP should not ask you to do anything that a 95-year old IT-illiterate grandmother couldn't reasonably be expected to do. Make use of that fact.

If your contract is a business contract, you should be paying for and receiving a much higher level of support. In that case tte ISP can reasonably require you to take responsibility for the configuration and performance of your own equipment. Otherwise thy can't.

If the ISP can't help, you should read your contract and terminate it for non-performance - they are not supplying the services they are contracted to supply. Find a better ISP and use the router they provide (or at least keep it onsite for testing).