Unusually Slow DSL 1

[widdgetz]

Hello, I recently signed up for Alltel DSL, Tier 1 with a projected 768/128 kbps down/up. I am running ME with a SpeedStream 5200 modem, USB.

I contacted Alltel because I was only receiving a max 150 k download, 15 k upload to be sure they had even signed me up for the right plan. They calculated the line coming in at 85% strength, which doesn't begin to explain the slow connection. They could not offer any suggestions beyond that the problem was in my computer, not the line.

What are some things that might cause the connection to be cut down so much?

I am running ME on a Compaq desktop, 700 Mhz. Net software includes IE, Mozilla, NS, Opera, Download Accelerator Plus (only open when downloading), CoffeeCup FTP, and WS FTP (both of which upload the same speed on 3 different servers, not a server or ftp software issue I'm afraid).

Thank you for any help you can provide, I'm at a loss, I got DSL for the fast uploads and now I've barely doubled what I had before.
- Ian Paterson

Degree Three Design

http://www.degreethree.com

 

[jimbopalmer]

lets talk bits and Bytes
there are 8 bits to a Byte
so a 768 kbit path would allow 96 kByte transfers
and a 128 Kbit path will allow 16k Byte transfers

So if you are inadvertently comparing bits from Alltel to Bytes of files, I can see where the problem lies.

I have no knowledge of what your previous service was, but 128k upload is not but 3 times the 44k a v.92 56k modem can upload, and most modems do compression, which is rare on DSL

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[widdgetz]

Okay, now I understand. Thanks for the good response.

Well, this is very very disappointing. I got DSL so that my connection would be faster and especially so that I would be able to upload more efficiently.

The Alltel staff is horribly undereducated in their service. I asked what the actual download and upload speeds are, and they said it should be around 768 k and 128 k... I asked again, rewording to make sure they knew what they were talking about and apparently they had no idea after all.

I talked to 5 people, including the person who sold me the service, and every one of them said I could work at that tremendous rate of 768 and 128. Besides being a big misunderstanding and goof on my part, that's misleading sales five times over. Not one of them understood the difference between the transfer path and the actual transfer speed, and to all of them it was the "weirdest thing ever."

Would you suggest bugging Alltel about their mistake in an effort to try to get a faster service level?

Thank you,
Ian

 

[jimbopalmer]

no, DSL does not go much faster than what you have, (I do not know Alltels plans, but consumer DSL over 1.5 mbits is very rare and most consumer level DSL is limited to 128K upload so you will not put a server up.

I would do a speed test at

http://www.broadbandreports.com/stest

as an example, just to be sure you are getting what Alltel is selling. The have a tweat test as well to fine tume your box.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/tweaks

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[widdgetz]

That's too bad. I was under the false impression that it would be the speed that they told me. They have a higher-level plan which would download at 192 kb/s and upload at 96 kb/s which would be much more worth the price that I am paying. They also have a middle-level plan with 64 kb/s up and down, but there goes the fast downloads.

Unfortunately that's not the way things usually work and unless I'm really blessed, I couldn't convince them that they had totally and repetively misled me.

It would most likely fall back to my own negligence and lack of research anyways. Thank you for your help, now I think at least that I am looking at things from the proper perspective.

- Ian

 

[bcastner]

jimbopalmer describes accurately the current case for DSL, but I hope all appreciate that there are not technical limits for DSL to be much faster.

In my home area around Washington, DC the cable providers are beginning to push hard at the Verizon DSL offered rates for download speeds.

It would in a technical sense be relatively easy for the DSL providers to offer download speeds of 3-6 mbs (assuming a reasonable distance from the CO). And I assume the will at some point.

The upload bandwidth will always be the problem. Jimbo's suggestion to test your connection at BroadBandreports or another site is an excellent one. Setting your RWIN and MTU values from tested results should be a first step for any broadband user.

But I would hate to see this thread end with the feeling that DSL cannot exceed 1.5 mbs download. If the ISP wanted to, 6-8 mbs. should not be a big deal to provide.

 

[allteltec]

I am a alltel tec and work on ADSL problems.
goto

http://nyc.speakeasy.net/

and run a speed check. If you are still at 768-128 your should get over 600k down and around 108 up.
I just ran a test on teir 1 see below.

2004-03-22 15:59:54 EST: 1211 / 109
Your download speed : 1211799 bps, or 1211 kbps.
A 147.9 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 109439 bps, or 109 kbps.

So aera of Alltel the speeds have been unofficely incessed to 1.5m down and 128 up that is the reason for the 1.2m down
on my test.
If you don't get 600k down goto dsl reports and run the programs there to check out your system.
Did Alltel come out an test with a lap top computer ?
There could be a bad port in the dslam causeing trouble.

 

[widdgetz]

allteltec, could I please have your name and location? I will probably still be calling tech support. A friend of mine will be getting DSL tomorrow and I will see what his speeds are.

Thank you,
Ian Paterson

 

[jimbopalmer]

Cool the alltel tech confirms my claim that you are actually getting BETTER downloads that you are paying for (nice).

bcastner reminds me that I was talking what is typically offered, not what is theoretically possible. DSL providers need to keep the economics of providing service in mind great service no one could afford is not the ideal.

I would keep trying to have positive attitude with all the DSL reps you contact, remember going back to dial up is a bad 'solution'

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[allteltec]

Alltel tec.
Paul Fahrenbach
Muncy Pa.
allteltec@alltel.net

 

[widdgetz]

Thank you, and I am sorry, but I misread your post.

You are the only person from Alltel who has not specifically told me that I should be able to go to a page and download at 768 kb/sec and upload at 128 kb/sec. I had four technical support people convince me that there was a problem with my computer that was chopping off some 600 kb/sec. No one of them had any idea that this was not the download speed, including the person who sold me the service.

I was under the impression by what they said that the download/upload speeds would be much faster than they are. At least I know that it is not a problem with my computer or the service, just a very bad miscommunication.

Thanks again all of you,
Ian

 

[allteltec]

768 bps will be the down stream bit rate but with PPPoE or PPPoA incapolation you lose a lot of those bits to over head Just like VPN will lose even more.
It's like when you format the new 120G hard drive and find out you have losted a couple gigs to over head.

 

[cdogg]

It's like when you format the new 120G hard drive and find out you have losted a couple gigs to over head

I'm not sure how the overhead in a data stream connection is related to formatting your hard drive. Regardless, just thought I'd point out that you don't lose Gigabytes of space when you format a drive. The reason why you "think" you've lost some space is because hard drive manufacturers go by the assumption that 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. However, a true GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024^3). Therefore when you buy a 120GB drive for example, you have to take 120,000,000,000 divided by 1,073,741,824 which gives you 111.75GB or a loss of more than 8GB. This is evident even before you format the drive.


degreethree,

Sorry but I just don't see what's wrong. You are getting more than what you paid for. At 150KB/s, that's a speed of 1200kbps which is a lot more than your rated speed of 768kbps. Sure, there was a misunderstanding of not knowing the difference between kilobits-per-second and kilobytes-per-second. But there's no point dwelling on that for too long. If you're disappointed about your upload speed, request a change in your contract. Some ISP's will accomodate you to 384kbps up / 384kbps down at no extra charge. Or of course you can simply purchase the faster rated connection.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[widdgetz]

Right, I realize that all now. The topic was started because 5 Alltel technicians had misinformed me, and led me to believe that I should be getting a connection which was 7 times faster. All of them, including the person who sold me the plan, conceived kbps and kb/sec as the same thing. Because of this, they told me there was a problem with my computer so I came here.

Once again, thank you everyone,
Ian

 

[allteltec]

My reference to losting bits on a hard drive was refering to the fact of the lost of bits to fat tables directory tables sector header and track header used by OS system when load level and high level formating a hard drive.
How do you say spyware, 90% of all slow DSL connects I get call in on is do to spyware.
Yesterday I fixed one that Ad-aware fould 466, Spyware S&D 18 more The HD. never stoped runing, had to put plug and reboot to safe mode to get in.
Download Ad-aware, Spyboot S&D, spywareblaster, and keep updated and run often, your internet experience will be much improved.

 

[cdogg]

allteltec,
I hear what you're saying, but the amount of "bits" lost is just a small number. It's not in the "gigabit" range as you claim. After formatting a 120GB drive just recently into two partitions, 20GB and 91GB respectively, the only amount of space missing was the amount calculated in my previous post. Nothing else. Sure, there may have been a few MB missing due to formatting and partitioning, but certainly not a significant amount.

Spyware? Of course that's an important, separate issue as well.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[widdgetz]

Thank you for the programs, allteltec. My computer has just been completely infiltrated by reproducing spyware and adware of some kind. I used SpyHunter, but they returned. I went through and deleted all the exe and other files referenced by those that I could find.

They are the type of thing that when you disable them in msconfig (I have EVERYTHING disabled), they come back the moment you reboot. I will download those programs tonight and give them a try.

Again thank you!

 

[cdogg]

Well now that we're on the issue, this site should help:

http://www.geocities.com/cc210026/spywareinfo.html

It lists 3 of the most popular spyware/adware tools along with links to tutorials on how to use each.

 

[widdgetz]

Yes, I posted my specific, most pressing issue here:

http://help.lockergnome.com/index.php?act=ST&f=48&t=17226

A morze1.exe file, wreaking havoc, creating random files.

 

[allteltec]

The ? was how fast can dsl go. Useing a Acterna DSL-350 test set, looking at the dsl signel from a Cisco 6160 DSL access concentrator DSLAM 8128 kb down and 896kb up. You capes are set by lable in the DSLAM when your port is programed.
here is the actual prnt out of a Cisco DSLAM profile.

DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)#dsl-profile tier1
DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)# dmt operating-mode t1-413
DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)# dmt encoding trellis
DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)# dmt margin downstream 3 upstream 3
DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)#$eaving-delay downstream 8000 upstream 8000
DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)#$e maximum interleaved downstream 768 upstream 128
DSLAM(cfg-dsl-profile)#!