i currently am paying for 8 mb broadband from tiscali yet my download speed is at a maximum of 5k?

Question

can any1 help this is gettin really annoyin !!!

i have done a few online speed tests and the say im gettin an average speed of 1500 kbps but it just aint downloadin at that speed !! am i thick or is this a problem with my computer ?

Answer 1

Up to 8mb speed does not mean that you get 8mb. You get the fastest speed your line can handle this depends on various factors but mainly the length of your line from the exchange.

If you run a test on an availability checker such as http://eco.btwholesale.com/broadband1/availability/index.asp this will give an indication as to what to expect. If you are on a LLU service with tiscali though they may be diferent.

If you are in the first 10 days of service the connection will also be unstable as the system is trying to find the fastest speed.

5 k would be low for a BB connection what you can do is make sure you have microfilters on each phone point. To rule out the extension in your property try connecting at the main socket if possible.

If this doesn't help call your isp, the first thing they will probably do is get you to check microfilters and plug the connection in to the main socket anyway so it would save a call if you have already tried this. If it is the first ten days though don't bother calling them till after this

Answer 2

Yes, that is excellent speed. Bandwidths are theoretical and usually for downloads. Uploads speeds are usually a fraction of the download speed (even on broadband... it is a way for cable companies to ensure you are not a spammer or doing business from home). Yes, 1000 Kb = 1 Mb (or more technically 1024 Kb = 1 Mb). Be sure you understand the difference between Kb and KB (and Mb/MB). A Kb is a kilo BIT. A KB is a kilo BYTE. There are 8 bits in a byte (at the communication level, Windows runs 32 or 64, but that is at a higher OSI level). If you have an 8 Mb connection and are getting 6000+ Mb throughput, you are doing great. The speed will reduce the farther you are from the connection. The connection is a box on the side of your house or in some instances the box on the street. The closer you have your computer attached (the less the wire has to travel) the faster your connection will be. There will always be some degradation in speed. Lastly, wireless has a small degradation compared to wired connections; if you doing wireless and far from your router, this might account for 1 Mb or so degradation of speed. When you download files, you might notice Windows stating your download speed is 600 KB or 800 KB. Keep in mind with Windows, it is measuring in Bytes. Remember what I wrote above? There are 8 bytes to a bit, so your download is 8 x 600 KB or 8 x 800 KB. For an 8 Mb connection, either speed is very good. Good luck and sorry for the extra explanation. I am at work and bored. :-)

Answer 3

do u mean u r getting a speed of 5meg if u r gettin only 5k then u are not getting wot u pay for. i used to have tiscali had the same prob so changed to bt, but if you read the smallprint it says "up to 8meg" it depends on how far you are away from the digital exchange i am 3 miles away and get 5.5meg i am happy with that. had all sorts of probs with tiscali then i figured out it was not there fault, what i did was take the front cover off the telephone junctilon box and plugged the filter directly into it, because the box had been there a few years there was wear n tear on the plug terminals inside the plug socket, but because i plugged it into it directly with the fron cover off it worked great and speed was up to scratch

Answer 4

As I understand the position it is largely irrelevant what your provider says, its what the BT line is capable of carrying for they all end up bulk buying line space from BT. For example I use talktalk who say up to 8 but in reality I have just over 1 and when I have tried to find out, that is the explanation I've been given. It is also reduced the further you are from an exchange. The only thing is to look carefully at the advertising blurb, are you actually being promised 8 or up to 8, which may be your providers get out.

Answer 5

Internet speeds from ISP's are rated in BITS per second. Download speeds on computers are rated in BYTES per second. Since there are 8 bits per byte, and a 40 byte IP header for every packet, your true download speed varies with the size of the IP packet. If you are sending small packets, your download speed will suck. If you are sending large packets, you are better off.

One way to tell how you are doing compared to others in your region is to go to http://www.dslreports.com and run some of their speed tests in their tools section. You need java turned on as they send and receive various size test files to & from your computer. You can optionally tell them your ISP and zip code, and you will be compared to others in your area.

If your ISP offers a speed test within their own domain, this would be real world, as the variable delay from the internet does not produce totally accurate results.

Answer 6

i am having the same problem with Bt. Im paying for 8 and only getting 2,9 or 3. so I would be interested to see what replys you get.

Answer 7

ha I'm paying for 8 and only get 2.. its all to do with the line what its capable of holding well that's what they say so why don't they replace it the bloody fools...

Answer 8

if you look at your contract you will see it is worded up to 8MB. all the isp's are the same. none will actually tell you what speed you will get. you have to sign up and wait and see.

Answer 9

if using limewire go for the fles that have t3 or higher nextto them the other day i got 500kbs