Annoyingly slow DSL Speeds

[Grimey742]

Windows XP
Eficient Speedstream 5100 DSL modem
Ethernet
Linksys BEFW11S4 802.11b router
SBC Yahoo DSL in St. Louis Area

I am experiencing slow connection speeds (180Kps max, my service is 384Kps - 1.5Mbs)
I have contacted support and they told me that it is electrical interference from the carpet, when I told them it was on a shelf they ignored me and told me to pick it off the carpet as if they wanted to get this call overwith.
I have tried installing it in different rooms on different computers all with the same approximate speeds (never over 200Kps)
I have the line filters connected perfectly and I have even tried disconnecting every phone in the house, still the same speeds.
I have tried running the modem directly to the computer, same speeds.
I am out of ideas and so is SBC.

[eX!le2127]

yeah i live in sparks, NV and i have the same setup as you just better comp. and i was getting 156 highest! i couldnt figure it out. so im gonna say **** *** to dsl and go with cable. $10 more and i get 2x the speed and better service.

[Byte 2.0]

EX!le2127.

Please take a look at the FAQ.
http://www.pcmech.com/forum/misc.php?action=faq

Pay close attension to Forum Etiquette.

Members are not permitted to post any material containing vulgar language or material, including sexually oriented or suggestive content. Users are not allowed to post links to such sites or material. Violations will be handled without notice and the violator will be subject to action per the moderators' judgment.

You could find other ways to give your opinion about leaving dsl for cable with out fowl language.

Consider this a warning.

[eX!le2127]

ok im sorry will not happen again.

[Byte 2.0]

Grimey742

Ok, when you run into problems like that with tech support it is time to get above those that just read scripts (tier1). You need to get incontact with their tier2 and hope you get someone that has a deep understanding of DSL.

Myself I am tier 2 and I can't say I know it all, but I have been around long enough to see patterns and know where to go for certain issues. However I am working for a different ISP so I can't give you details of how SBC totally works.

But here are some questions to try and get answers from, tier 1 probably can't do this.

Ask these direction questions and post them back.

Ask them what your Sync Rate is. example up 256 down 1472.
Upstream=
Downstream=

Ask them what your Nosie Margin is example up 12 down 14.
upstream=
downstream=

Line Attenuation
upstream=
downstream=

those 3 sets of numbers will be totally between the Modem and SBC. your router will have no effect on those.

If those numbers tell me so much about the health of the connection. If they are in bad shape, any agent worth their salt will be able to know right away.

Also ask them if they can tell you how far away from the CO (cental Office) you are.

To get the above info, you will probably have to call in, request to be escalated=tell them since you have called in several time you want to get to the next level of support.

Today, I just finished with following up with a customer I have called every day for the past week making changing and getting changing done. He does not have a prefect connection but it is 10 times better then last week and yeserday was the very last thing we had left to change and it finally seems good enought.
(seriously for the past week I have been working with the customer, One engieer, and Line techs. We went from no sync at night time, though working prefect day, slow speed nights, finally got the day time to pull max rates, but night only gets about 1/3 of the DSL speed and can't find anything else other then distance and outside interference. But the customer is happy considering it is a major improvement from last week.)

I would be fired in less then one week if I was ever put back to working tier1 because I can't stick to scripts, part of the reason I was promoted a year ago to tier2.

[Grimey742]

Just a little update.
I called the support line weeks ago many times only getting Arab's reading from a script. I told them to elevate me or refer me to someone who can help. They did and the advanced sulutions guys called me and said that my service was set at 192Kps with a maximum of 384. The set it to 384 max and I noticed faster speeds. Called SBC and told them that my account summary online says "Starter Package" when I initially signed on for "Express Package" which is 384-1.5Mbs. They apologized and said it will take a week for the speed to be set.

All in all it wasn't a huge hassle but a huge mistake on SBC's part which makes me wonder if they try to slip this service on to unsuspecting customers who don't know how to measure their throughput.

[wolfie]

sure they do

[(51)]

These forums helped me. I had a guy correct my DSL speed from 2,000 miles away! Amazing! Real SBC techs are there.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/chatmw

I don't know if this is your local SBC carrier (SBC Midwest-Ameritech), but you can find it on the list.

[Byte 2.0]

since this thread came back up. For the record I have been in ADSL support for a little more then 3 years and I have never seen " electrical interference from the carpet". I do look for RFI and EMI but never checked carpet. Like I said, if the script readers can't stumble onto the answer, then you need to be escalated to a person that does not need a script. glad they found the issue, and from what I know, that is something even the script readers should have found.

[Grimey742]

Hey 51:
Thanks for that link you posted to the sbc forums.
I posted an issue in the advanced SBC direct forums about SBC not upgrading my speed yet after them changing to the express package.
After an hour my speed went from 327Kps to 1.3Mbs. An advanced solutions guy changed the speed in an hour after I posted, SBC couldn't manage to do that within a week and a half.