Test Internet connection drop outs?

Hi, I get the feeling that my Orange Internet connection is crap. Sure it could be the phoneline too (I've tried two sockets in my house and same issues). I'm connected to the router with a network cable so it's not a wireless issue.

Basically I wondered if any of you have a program that can graphically show how constant a connection is when downloading a large file.

Why? Well I've tried all these broadband speed tester sites and they all give wildly different results. Also my 196kbps radio stream from DI.FM seems to buffer all the time (well frequently and randomly) and the 96kbps didn't. My connection is a 2MBit one.

I've boosted the mp3 stream buffer in Winamp from 64k to 256k and when I watch the buffer fill, it doesn't do it smoothly.

So I'm wondering if I get drop outs a lot and how I can monitor that, and check it at different times of day and compare to other people's Internet connections etc.

In fact, if you were to monitor your downloads speed, should it be constant or is it normal to have it fluctuate wildly from second to second? Or does it pulse in irregular packets depending on network traffic? I'm a bit of a noob about this stuff.

Anyone got any advice? Thanks.

I've asked Orange to boost my speed as in theory I can get "up to 8Mbit" but even with a speed increase, if there are still dropouts, it's gonna still be crap.

Perhaps I should try another ISP, but then which one is good and reliable (if any haha).

It depends on what you mean by "fluctuate wildly". Generally the best way to test your download speed is to use BitTorrent.

Go here http://gamefiles.virginmedia.com/blueyondergames/demos/

download the 547mb battlefield demo to test out your speed. VirginMedia always use these links when asking customers to check there connection speed when they call up to complain of slow speeds.

If the download fluctuates or doesn't hit the capacity for your connection then something is wrong.

On my 20mb cable connection I get a constant 2.50MB download speed downloading one of the games from the link above.

FD: Ok thx, I've never used BitTorrent as I don't illegally share files, but I'll bear it in mind. Does it have some kind graph system then?

Amon: OK will try out. Wow that's some awesome connection you have there, and my calcs tell me that your 20000kbps / 8 = 2500kbps so you are getting full speed, awesome. How much does it cost you? I can't get it as I live in the sticks, I'm just interested.

AMon: hmm, getting about 55K per second on the top file which stinks. I've had better before for sure. Battlefield gives me about 80K per second.

I still wnat to see a graph.

Prices for my Cable broadband here: http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websales/service.do?id=2

I'm on the XL package.

Go Here, http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk/?GTSE=goog&GTKW=broadband enter your postcode and it will tell you what broadband exchange you're on and what speeds you can theoretically get with your DSL connection. It'll also tell you if you're in a cabled area and what other providers your exchange provides.

What router is it? and has this been a constant problem? or only just started?

Log into the router and see what up/down speed you are getting, also the dB value, it will give you so idea of the line quality. I can't rember what dB it should be on a ADSL phone line, but a search on the net could prove useful.

Also check out your cables and any filters for faults (plug the router cable directly into a phone jack by passing any extention leads).

Network traffic gets heavy about 4p.m - 12 midnight and phone line ISP's limit your bandwidth during this times.

If the router has wireless disable it, unless its encrypted (it could turn out you have a free loader stealing you line).

And have a look for some network preformance tools (Windows XP pro has some useful tools, but the home edition wont have many of these, check out M$ Knowledge Base).

Amon: Nice. Anywya in theory I can get up to 8Mbit but no cable. Like I said I've asked Orange to upgrade me (asked twice before and they said I couldn't be but that was 6 months or more ago).

went here http://www.btopenworld.com/speedtest and was getting crappy 36K per second downloads.

dawlane: Funny you should suggest that, I was just logged onto the router. I've got a Noise Margin of 29.9B which I believe is fine and Attenuation of 30dB which again is pretty good (means I'm near the exchange). Can't plug my router cable into phone jack as one is RJ45 and the other is RJ11. I had wondered about freeloaders, the router does list some other devices logged onto it but I assumed that was other devices in my house (I have full WEP security). I'll try disabling it anyway. Yeah network performance tools, that's what I need. (I wrote on for a normal network years ago, a speed tester). Meanwhile, the router is a Wanadoo LiveBox had it for 3 years, pretty sure I've had good download speeds before but I've had patches recently where the livebox dropped out and reconnected quite a lot, although it's been OK for a while now. I mainly noticed the issue when I tried to stream 196kbps from DI.FM which should be totally fine on a 2Mbit connection!

"Can't plug my router cable into phone jack as one is RJ45 and the other is RJ11"

I take it then that the router is just a router and not a modem/router with a RJ11 jack? Which would mean that there is a separate modem?

You need a tool that checks to see if your losing packet info.

Check the MAC's of the other devices and see if they match.

The livebox is a modem/router in one but it's input is via an RJ11 cable which I plug into the microfilter. The microfilter goes into the wall which is an RJ45. It's a UK thing.

Yeah a packet loss tool would be cool.

OK here's what I've done (and no change in speed):

- removed wireless connections.
- turned off wireless.
- disabled firewall on router AND in windows.
- turned off anti-virus.
- check MSconfig: only 4 things running and I know what they all are, none are using the internet.
- only app running is IE6, running these tests.
- tried another microfilter.
- tired another phone socket.
- turned off and on the livebox.
- turned off and on the PC.
- pulled my hair out.

that's it for now.

I'm getting stinky low download speeds of 50Kish per sec from my site www.greyaliengames.com and also from reflexive (actually worse sometimes). It starts well like at 200K per sec (what it should be) and quickly plummets to 50K or worse (sometimes better) per sec.

Maybe your broadband exchange is oversubscribed or theres traffic problems affecting the area.

When i get slow speeds, less than 1mb, it's because there's problems with the Cable UBR or Virgin are oversubscribing UBR's. When a lot of people are sharing the same UBR they are also sharing the available bandwidth of the UBR , The more users the slower the speeds.

If you are certain that nothing has changed on your PC then I would have to say that it's with the ISP that the problem lies. Good luck getting them to admit that they are oversubscribing their LLU bundled exchanges.

I don't think this is an ISP specific problem. I have a 1meg Orange connection and can dl at 115k/sec.

Yeah but you're not on the same exchange as Jake. Jake mentioned that he lives in the sticks. If there's only 1 exchange serving the community and more and more of them sign up to broadband then the available speeds will drop.

sniff. I used to get 200K+ per second I 'm sure.

Amon, there's no LLU gone on here, it's a BT exchange and BT line and Orange running on top. But, yeah it really sounds like it could be contention ratio. I'm wondering if I go to ANY other ISP if it will still be the same as the problem could be an oversubscribed exchange. It's awful now, perhaps because it's sunday night...

I'm temped to borrow a different router or plain modem and try that out to elimate that. Otherwise I may swap ISP, but it'd be a bummer to find out it made no difference and that everyone in Bridport had the same crappy speed. I'll ask a friend.

You got your your jack plugs mixed up. A RJ45 is a LAN jack the one your talking about is a RJ25 (AKA BS 6312). I'm a Brit too.

Wanadoo/Orange are crap, I went AOL (untill the introduced a Fair Use Policy and extra charging if you were a heavy user). Now I'm on cable with NTL-Telewest/Virgin (still is NTL-Telewest they just use the Virgin name when the purchased Vigin Mobile (I think)), and I've heard horror stories of when people try to leave.)

And you may be getting bantwidth throtling Virgin do this too.

Like I said, I doubt it's an ISP problem. Orange dont own the exchange. I live in the stick too, BTW. ;)

dawlane: Ah yeah sorry, I use to use RJ45s all the time when setting up networks. So anyway the modem is RJ11 and the phone is R25 so they won't connect.

So who've you heard the horror stories about?

Hmm, I guess they could be bandwidth thottling me but I don't know why as I don't abuse.

Big10p: Well I just called my friend in town, his Internet provider is crappy he says with lots of drop outs and it can't stream youtube!, he has an 8Mbit connection and gets 400K per second which is still lots better than mine. His dad is with Tiscali on 8MBit and gets a perfect connection and uses his Apple TV. We are all within 2km of the exchange...go figure, gah! I'll see if my "new" 8Mbit connection is any better when it arrives and if not I'll cancel the contract (quickly) and try another ISP and Modem/Router. My friend also says he'd rather go ack to a reliable 2Mbit connection than his crap 8Mbit one and says that loads of people are complaing that ADSLMaz is unreliable, not just that they can't get full speed which you are warned about, but that it is plain unreliable.

I use broadband all day for my job (and so does my partner) so it's well annoying that it's crap.

I know we say slow these days when speeds go wrong with broadband but at least we can count ourselves lucky that we're not on 56k. :)

Both of you said you're living in the sticks. Are'nt there like beasts and wild animals roaming those areas? Bears and giant black cats? You guys do have toilets indoors, right?

:)

YES FIXED IT! I can't believe it. Basically I thought, OK I'll unplug all phone devices in my house (I don't have many, under the REN limit of 4 for sure). And I got to the newish phone system that my parner bought recently and discovered she has plugged it in without a Microfilter GAH!!!! So for weeks I've been having my livebox drop out and also crappy Internet performance without realising how crap until I tried out the DIFM premium streaming yesterday. She's away tonight so I've got time to calm down before she get's back ;-)

200K + per second solid as a rock.

Amon: What is this "toy a lat" thing you are talking about?

Glad you got it fixed. :)

Thanks Man. Everyones feedback made me determined to get to the bottom of it. I've been on it a large part of the day - and finally it's done, woo!

Shows how I should have unplugged everything sooner, BUT I was confident that the stuff plugged in was OK (forgetting that someone else plugged in a new phone!)