Forum Discussion

stefbishop's avatar
stefbishop
Joining in
2 years ago

Samknows speedtest strange result

VirginMedia asked me to run Samknows realspeed to help investigate my slow download Voom600
I keep trying various things but I get this 'impossible' result... (multiple times throughout the day)

The router download speed is a lot less than the device speed!!!

e.g. Router speed 70.6 Device speed (desktop PC) 272
How can this be?

11 Replies

  • jbrennand's avatar
    jbrennand
    Very Insightful Person

    see this old post

    __________

    If you think that you have a BB speed problem, then to check the speeds coming in to your Hub properly, and whether they match what you should be getting, You cannot rely on wifi tests, - only speeds "TO" the Hub and out on ethernet are usually guaranteed.

    So, can you test speeds directly like this.   As you expect >100Mbps then.... Connect a 1GB enabled computer/laptop (check network card is set to 1GB) , with up to date drivers, via a NEW and working Cat5e/6a ethernet cable, directly to the Hub which you have put into “modem mode” (https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-media-hub-modem-mode ).

    Or go into the Hub settings and turn off/disable the wifi and also disconnect all ethernet cables from the Hub, except your one device. This ensures that NO other devices are connected

    Test speeds at https://speedtest.samknows.com/ - or https://www.speedtest.net/ - try on 2 different browsers - as Chrome sometimes gives odd results.

    If they are still low – boot your device into Windows safe+networking mode - to disable any potentially interfering software - and try again.

    There are many posts on here (I have a list of ~30!) where QoS software, anti-virus, unknown/flaky software, old network card drivers, corrupted browsers, bad cables or other connected devices are limiting speeds on tests.
    Report back what that gets. For examples of why... see message 7 in the first thread and 9 in in the second and 3 in the third
    https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Speed/HUB-5-and-IGB-wifi/td-p/5088163

    https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Networking-and-WiFi/Slow-Ethernet-Speed/m-p/5060946#M484321
    https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Speed/Upgrade-from-M600-to-Gig1-no-speed-change-with-Hub-4/td-p/5065927

  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta

    Router speed 70.6 Device speed (desktop PC) 272 - this is uncommon, but not unknown.

    This is just a glitch in running the test on the Hub or reporting the results.

    All we can do is try a different browser or see if a restart of the Hub clears the matter.

  • I have come exactly the same issue hence I stumbled across this post, as I do not understand what it means.

    I also had not used Samknows until Virgin Media suggested it. I am running a MACBookPro with an M3 chip and am wired directly to the router with a CAT8 cable. I am expecting a 1 GB download speed. I know that the actual speed is influenced by the many things mentioned in the reply and on the time of the day.

    The question is not why we are not getting the maximum promised speed. The question is why Samknows shows a ridiculously low download speed for the router and a much higher download speed for the device.

    In my case between 65-75 Mps for the router and between 300-950 Mps for my device. 
    I would understand the results if it had been the other way round.

    It is the similar on different browsers with the exception that Samknows dos not seem to work with Safari (or my Safari settings) at all.

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta

    Isn't Voom600 a business connection?  Our experience here is with using Samknows on residential Hubs. It may work differently on the business modems. 

  • Tudor's avatar
    Tudor
    Very Insightful Person

    Can easily happen on a bad circuit. Measure 1 is from the hub to VM network. Measure 2 is from the hub to your device. It’s not a measure from your device to VM network. 

    • wgm's avatar
      wgm
      Tuning in

      It is not only that I do not understand hexadecimal - If Measure 1 is "upstream" form Measure 2 then I also do understand how the connection from VM network to the hub can be slow (i.e. 70 MBs) and the speed from the hub to my device be much faster (i.e. 900 MBs)?

    • carl_pearce's avatar
      carl_pearce
      Superstar

      Tudor wrote:

      Can easily happen on a bad circuit. Measure 1 is from the hub to VM network. Measure 2 is from the hub to your device. It’s not a measure from your device to VM network. 


      That can't be true?

      Edit:

      https://samknows.com/realspeed/

      RealSpeed runs internet speed tests both on your device and your router. It helps you understand if the fault is inside or outside your home.

    • wgm's avatar
      wgm
      Tuning in

      If it were true: "Measure 1 is from the hub to VM network. Measure 2 is from the hub to your device."

      If you are implying the data is really coming to the hub at 70 Mbps and then gets downloaded from there at a speed of 900 Mbps -
      then either almost all of the data would arrive on my desktop before it had even reached the hub  - or it downloads from hub to desktop whatever is there at 900 Mbps and then be idle until the next second to wait for more data to arrive - would that not be similar to a download speed of 70 Mbps at my desktop?

      • Kath_P's avatar
        Kath_P
        Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team

        Hi wgm, 

        Thanks for taking the time to contact us via the Community. It's lovely having you on board with us in the Forums.

        We're sorry to hear you've been having some confusing information when using the SamKnows speed checker. Usually there will be a speed shown for what's being delivered to your hub and then what's being delivered to your device. 

        There can sometimes be blips so can you let us know what specific issues you're having with your connection? 

        We can then run some checks this end to help diagnose and resolve the fault. 

        Many thanks, 

  • legacy1's avatar
    legacy1
    Alessandro Volta

    stefbishop wrote:

    The router download speed is a lot less than the device speed!!!

    e.g. Router speed 70.6 Device speed (desktop PC) 272
    How can this be?


    Easy the test servers are different and WE all know it!