M500 speed variations

[michrome]

Hi all this is my first post here so hopefully I am providing useful information. I am on a Virgin Media M500 package and I'm seeing large variations in the speed of my service. According to fast.com I had 14 Mbps last night, 510Mbps this morning and I'm back down to 20 Mbps as I type this message. My upload speed seems less varied around 30Mbps.

Note I am not changing any of my configuration, so I would think the variation in speed is most likely coming from outside my home.

My setup is:

• M500 package
• Superhub 3 (I think it's at least 5 years old)
• Superhub running in modem mode
• Running 2 AmpliFi HDs, connected via ethernet backbone
• Ethernet connected to the AmplifFi HDs is PS4, a smart TV and 2 Apple TV 4ks.
• All wiring is Cat6.
• Approx 20 devices are connected to WiFi. Mobile phones, tablets, laptops and some HomeKit lightbulbs.

I've tested speed using fast.com, thinkbroadband, samknows and the AmpliFi's built-in speed tests. The built-in test rules out any fluctuations caused by WiFi.

Accessing Virgin's own check https://care.virginmedia.com/care/check-services gives me the error "Looks like you’re having trouble connecting to the Hub". I am wondering if that's because it's in modem mode.

I've just signed up to thinkbroadband's quality monitor as attached.

Also attached are my latest superhub stats. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I could look at?

Many thanks.

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

1	202750000	8.3	40	256 qam	9
2	138750000	9	32	256 qam	1
3	146750000	8.6	31	256 qam	2
4	154750000	8.6	36	256 qam	3
5	162750000	8.9	40	256 qam	4
6	170750000	9.1	40	256 qam	5
7	178750000	9	40	256 qam	6
8	186750000	8.8	40	256 qam	7
9	194750000	8.5	40	256 qam	8
10	210750000	8.1	40	256 qam	10
11	218750000	8	40	256 qam	11
12	226750000	7.4	40	256 qam	12
13	234750000	7.3	40	256 qam	13
14	242750000	7.3	40	256 qam	14
15	250750000	7.4	40	256 qam	15
16	258750000	7.1	40	256 qam	16
17	266750000	7.5	40	256 qam	17
18	274750000	8.1	40	256 qam	18
19	282750000	8.4	40	256 qam	19
20	290750000	8.5	40	256 qam	20
21	298750000	8.1	40	256 qam	21
22	306750000	7.6	40	256 qam	22
23	314750000	7.5	40	256 qam	23
24	322750000	7.5	40	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1	Locked	40.3	1385	1352
2	Locked	32.2	21958602	282299227
3	Locked	31.6	12709168	291614625
4	Locked	36.6	31126	309
5	Locked	40.3	1241	23
6	Locked	40.3	1863	1958
7	Locked	40.3	1790	1911
8	Locked	40.3	1899	793
9	Locked	40.3	1796	916
10	Locked	40.3	1306	40
11	Locked	40.3	1108	29
12	Locked	40.3	129	0
13	Locked	40.3	28	0
14	Locked	40.3	8	0
15	Locked	40.3	27	0
16	Locked	40.3	7	0
17	Locked	40.3	16	0
18	Locked	40.9	5	0
19	Locked	40.3	8	0
20	Locked	40.3	12	0
21	Locked	40.3	7	0
22	Locked	40.3	19	0
23	Locked	40.3	16	0
24	Locked	40.3	7	0

[Adduxi]

Your BQM shows something on the VM network was fixed around 11pm.   I would suggest you reboot your Hub and check the latest set of stats. 

[michrome]

Thanks @Adduxi.

This is common for me: the speed is good first thing in the morning and then gets progressively slower into the evening. For posterity, I am attaching a static version of my BQM now as the one above is live. Also attached are my router stats when my connection is good.

I'll keep an eye on it this evening to see if it dips again. It's frustrating because of how frequently it happens and then is magically fixed again. Because it never lasts more than 24 hours, Virgin don't consider it an issue.

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

1	138750000	9	40	256 qam	1
2	146750000	8.8	40	256 qam	2
3	154750000	8.6	40	256 qam	3
4	162750000	9	40	256 qam	4
5	170750000	9.3	40	256 qam	5
6	178750000	9	40	256 qam	6
7	186750000	8.8	40	256 qam	7
8	194750000	8.5	40	256 qam	8
9	202750000	8.3	40	256 qam	9
10	210750000	8.1	40	256 qam	10
11	218750000	7.9	40	256 qam	11
12	226750000	7.3	40	256 qam	12
13	234750000	7.3	40	256 qam	13
14	242750000	7.1	40	256 qam	14
15	250750000	7.3	40	256 qam	15
16	258750000	7	40	256 qam	16
17	266750000	7.5	40	256 qam	17
18	274750000	8	40	256 qam	18
19	282750000	8.3	40	256 qam	19
20	290750000	8.5	40	256 qam	20
21	298750000	8	40	256 qam	21
22	306750000	7.6	40	256 qam	22
23	314750000	7.5	40	256 qam	23
24	322750000	7.4	40	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1	Locked	40.3	237057232	78395863
2	Locked	40.9	177359750	138230811
3	Locked	40.3	153	19
4	Locked	40.3	290	11
5	Locked	40.9	1027	1039
6	Locked	40.3	1053	940
7	Locked	40.9	1054	175
8	Locked	40.9	815	73
9	Locked	40.3	924	111
10	Locked	40.3	691	8
11	Locked	40.3	410	0
12	Locked	40.3	79	0
13	Locked	40.3	19	0
14	Locked	40.3	13	0
15	Locked	40.9	25	0
16	Locked	40.9	7	0
17	Locked	40.3	14	0
18	Locked	40.9	6	0
19	Locked	40.3	7	0
20	Locked	40.3	9	0
21	Locked	40.3	9	0
22	Locked	40.9	8	0
23	Locked	40.9	8	0
24	Locked	40.3	8	0

[michrome]

Is it normal to have so many RS errors? (Hub is running in modem mode and was last rebooted about 14 hours ago.

[Zak_M]

Good morning @michrome, 

Welcome to the forums and thank you for taking the time to post. 

I am sorry to hear that you have had some issues with your services. 

Do you possibly have a live BQM that you could provide us? 

Kind regards,

Zak_M

[michrome]

Hey @Zak_M it's https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/dcea4f1bca2720495702b6636a33baa2db...

[michrome]

Hey again @Zak_M.

It's slowed right down again now, and there is a spike on the BQM graph. What I can say is it seems to be timed with the kids coming home from school and turning on the AppleTV to watch Netflix. Or it could be coincidence because every kid in the area is coming home from school and turning on their TV … but surely an M500 package should allow us to watch Netflix without noticeably slowing down general web browsing and throwing errors?

[michrome]

Got the kids to stop streaming TV (on any device 5pm–5:30pm) today but it the error lines on the BQM chart didn't reduce … so perhaps it's not related.

[jpeg1]

Your connection is extremely sick.

1, There is extreme packet loss at peak times

2. The RS errors on some channels show that there is a great deal of noise on the signal

You are going to need a techician visit to sort these problems.

[michrome]

Thanks @jpeg1. It just completely fell over just now, so I called Virgin and they told me to turn it off an on again which seems to have revived it for now.

I have all kinds of theories: could my Superhub be sick? Everything else on my network was able to connect to each other but 192.168.100.1 wasn't responding … almost as if the web server in the modem (for the admin pages) had fallen over. The hub was also pretty warm - not sure if that's usual or not.