Forum Discussion

inf's avatar
inf
On our wavelength
2 months ago

Slow decline in Gig1 speeds and now getting <565 Mbps - the minimum download speed

Besides complaining to Virgin Media, is there anything I can do?

Here's proof from Virgin Media's own speedtest:

Here's a typical speedtest.net result:

Here's data over the past month showing a slow decline in speed (a raspberry pi runs a speedtest every couple of hours):

Normally the speeds max out the 1 GB/s network interface, here's data going back a year:

I rebooted the router at the end of July (no change to speed) and rebooted again at the start of September when I noticed the speeds dropping.

I have tested the speed on my main computer, directly cabled into the router, and on two separate raspberry pis (a 4 and a 5) with CAT6 cable.

There is nothing untoward in the router logs, these are the only critical entries:

[Mod - MAC addresses images removed]

Thanks for any advice you can offer to help diagnose/fix this issue.

1gig
Download
speed

16 Replies

  • John_GS's avatar
    John_GS
    Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
    2 months ago

    Hi inf 

    Thanks for posting and welcome to the community. Apologies for any lower than expected speeds. I've not been able to locate you from your Forum details so I'll send you a PM now to assist further.

  • legacy1's avatar
    legacy1
    Alessandro Volta
    2 months ago

    Maybe its a sign to STOP RUNNING SPEED TESTS 24/7!

      • legacy1's avatar
        legacy1
        Alessandro Volta
        2 months ago

        Sure when your downloading useful data.

    • Nednats's avatar
      Nednats
      Dialled in
      2 months ago

      Running automated speed tests is actually reasonable and can be very helpful. When done responsibly, spaced out and for personal monitoring, they use negligible bandwidth and don’t harm the network. In fact, they help spot intermittent issues that a single manual test would miss. Modern networks are designed to handle far more traffic, so occasional automated tests are technically no different than checking your connection multiple times manually.

      • legacy1's avatar
        legacy1
        Alessandro Volta
        2 months ago

        Well everyone with a car should test the engine and rev engine every 40mins!

        I am all for low bandwidth tests and you can get your speed passively when doing a download you want. Also just because speed to some server is fine does not mean all servers are fine and same goes the other way just because your speed test is low does not mean other servers are a problem too.    

  • inf's avatar
    inf
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    Providing a quick update... I complained to VM on the 12th Sept and they replied on the 17th... coincidentally (?!) the speed issue automatically resolved itself shortly after their reply (which basically said we'll give you some free WiFi pods 🤷‍♂️). There was nothing in the router logs to suggest a change of settings or reboot. But it's all back to normal now and more solid than ever:

     

    • Matthew_ML's avatar
      Matthew_ML
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      2 months ago

      Thank you for the update inf.

      If you do need anything in the near future please do let us know.

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    2 months ago

    Time to turn off the regular speed tests.

    You would not do the same for testing the electricity or gas supply to the house.

  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    Very Insightful Person
    2 months ago

    I often wonder how much congestion on the circuits is caused by users running constant speed tests?  Not a lot per user, I get that, but if it's a lot of users at the same time?

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    2 months ago

    On 20:1 or 50:1 contended domestic internet services, 
    a few anti social users can soon affect the entire street.