topic Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint in Broadband & Landline

Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Spyder99 — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:07:19 GMT

For the past couple of weeks I've noticed my download speeds dropping significantly during evening peak hours around 6-10pm ish.

I pay for the 1600 Mbps service with a minimum guaranteed 1300 Mbps speed.

I've logged speedtest results for the past couple of weeks so I can prove when the speeds are dropping.

When I do the test nobody else is on the network, it's tested hardwired on a 2.5Gbe connection high quality Cat 6 cable approximately 4m away from the router.

I've spoken to EE support a few times and they basically say everything looks fine their end and an engineer is coming out tomorrow lunch time.

Because it's not the peak time it'll work fine. How do I approach this to try and get a fix?

Below is the speed test results with date and times:

22-09-2025 20:58 - 116.82 Mbps
22-09-2025 21:09 - 144.87 Mbps
22-09-2025 21:17 - 234.85 Mbps
22-09-2025 21:58 - 822.12 Mbps
22-09-2025 23:00 - 1690.27 Mbps
23-09-2025 21:15 - 631.59 Mbps
23-09-2025 22:56 - 1635.06 Mbps
28-09-2025 22:32 - 958.41 Mbps
30-09-2025 22:11 - 362.24 Mbps
01-10-2025 01:34 - 1663.63 Mbps
01-10-2025 20:39 - 70.85 Mbps
01-10-2025 21:03 - 81.93 Mbps
01-10-2025 21:15 - 71.91 Mbps
01-10-2025 21:37 - 74.16 Mbps
01-10-2025 23:22 - 1365.04 Mbps
01-10-2025 23:47 - 1646.63 Mbps

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:13:43 GMT

@Spyder99 Would be EE tech but below some info for you!

1. FTTP is a contended service, up to 32 users can be sharing the 2.5Gb backhaul, so you can never expect the full speed all the time, you may get 900mb when there are fewer people using it. I expect that you are sharing the backhaul with many users. If everyone was using it fully, you may only get 78mbs. Its called statistical multiplexing, which relies on the fact that all users are not utilising their connection fully, all of the time.

BT quote up to 900mb, so you are likely to get much less than that during peak times.

Speed tests pass very little data, so normally give a much higher speed.

2. The max OR connect to a splitter is 30 ( 32 is the splitter maximum but policy is 30 ) not every CBT port provided is likely to have a customer using it , so unless on a ‘new site’ that has no alternatives to OR FTTP the actual number on a splitter is likely to be way less , OR currently have about a 30% take up, so maybe 10 users per splitter , plus the majority don’t take 900Mb but slower profiles , and the chances of those ‘on line ‘ at any one time all and doing something intensive, rather than browsing / Netflix that may be consuming less than 30-100Mb , is slim , that’s why there is a 700Mb minimum speed guarantee on 900Mb …..the 2.4Gb will be plenty ,you would have to be incredibly unlucky to have any consistent congestion.

If you suspect PON congestion, try at a time when there won’t be much activity, late evening or early morning .

Although you have tried somethings to ‘ isolate’ the problem , the most obvious thing to do ( that you haven’t apparently tried ) is use the BT router , without doing that , you haven’t really proved anything , your third party router may great , but even great routers can be mis configured or faulty

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Spyder99 — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:16:13 GMT

Hi Jim

Thank you for the detailed response I am very grateful and I do understand what you are saying.

Where do I stand with regards to my minimum speed guarantee of 1300 Mbps and getting out of the contract or refund?

Thank you in advance

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:25:36 GMT

@Spyder99 There are both the help links below! The information above is direct from OR regarding speed, anyone who has knowledge is well aware that full speed is just not what is going to happen especially all of the time and you can post what you have and just NO way of confirming what you did at any given time! Wait until the engineer gets to you and have that frank discussion he will have the IDEA what is connected and how busy the system may be getting!

Smart Hub Pro and Smart WiFi Pro speed guarantee | Broadband Help | EE

EE Broadband and Speed Guarantee | Broadband Help | EE

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Nichio123 — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 22:21:04 GMT

I have a very similar issue except i am on 900 down. I have had both an EE engineer and an openreach engineer come to the property. Neither could identify the issue (although speeds were fine as it was middle of the day). I understand the congestion however the issue has only started to happen in the last two weeks and my speeds drop as low as 35 down. The speeds drop far too consistently for it to be congestion, without fail speeds will start to drop from 900 at 7:30. Then by 11pm the are back full every single day without fail (weekends included but its also fine during the day on weekends). If you find out what the issue was, let me know please

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

bobpullen — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 10:22:15 GMT

@Spyder99 - have you tried running a speedtest using the EE app at a time when your wired speedtest results are low? That tests to the hub which would completely eliminate any aspect of your local network from the equation.

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Nichio123 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:35:32 GMT

Hi, i can't link up my EE app. However, I have been on to EE tech support who have done this test and confirmed the slow speeds. I've called them at 7:15 and had them in a call for an hour doing tests and they have witnessed the drop off to the hub rather than me doing a speeds test

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:47:44 GMT

@Nichio123 Missed your posting but looks like you have EE on the case, good luck with your app and you may need EE to check out the account side so keep it in your mind but one thing at a time!

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Spyder99 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 14:41:35 GMT

Engineer from EE came out. Tested everything no faults and equipment working fine. Said it would have go to OpenReach.

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 15:21:35 GMT

@Spyder99 That is for EE to organise not YOU! Did you also see the request above from @bobpullen regarding the app?

Bolster's your fact's for what the app thinks connection to the EE Router rather than your what's going on at the Ethernet port!

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Spyder99 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 19:55:48 GMT

I’ve just done the EE app test and it’s showing as slow. Now the biggest drops are during the weekdays not the weekend but it’s still way below my minimum guaranteed speed of 1300mbps.

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 20:44:38 GMT

@Spyder99 Will take a look once your picture gets approved for viewing!

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 07:44:02 GMT

@Spyder99 Indeed your app is showing what is required now for EE, a call to EE CS is what you need to do!

Would also point out to you that the system thinks you are supplied with a EE Smarthub+ Router and NOT a EE Smart Pro system for your app connection! Picture is wrong in showing you the connected device!

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Weety — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:53:48 GMT

I get a similar issue in evenings, occurring only in last few weeks
with speeds as low as 40mb/shown on a 900mbs link

at the time of congestion, Openreach see no issues on fibre (exchange test to ONT got 980mb/s, EE app got 74mb/s)

looks like EE may have congestion issues in their network

ONT and Router replaced, now awaiting EE/OR to investigate further

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:44:45 GMT

@Weety Sorry not getting that, if you said OR tested from the exchange to the EE Router and recorded Full speed at peak time then WHY a ONT/Router change it does not make any sense or someone is porky pies!

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

j33tco — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:49:48 GMT

I refuse to beleive in this "congestion" rubbish ... iv just moved from virgin 1gb fttc to ee 1.6gb fttp ... I never had speed drops or fluctuations eith Virgin at any time, but same as post, from 6pm onwards my dl speeds range from 60-90mb to 1300 over wifi 7, jitter and lag on all devices, connection dropouts ect. So in essence, fibre to the property is less stable and less reliable that fibre to the cabinet ...

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Weety — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 15:52:36 GMT

No porkies , it’s all on EE, the issue occurs in evenings only (see screenshot for evening speeds)

OR changed ONT to rule that out
EE then wanted to do a cease and reprovide (which would do nothing physically) which would take a week+ (with no internet)

so another OR engineer was sent

a replacement router was then sent out, same issues

I’m now spinning, trying to get them to fix the issue (or even look at the cause for evening slowness)

Each call to EE seems to be 3 steps back …..

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:09:42 GMT

@Weety The Porky Pies was NOTHING to do with you, your captured picture tells the full story it was all about the other reference regarding OR saying heh we tested it's not us but by the way here is a new ONT that's the BS and they need to stand by the facts! @j33tco say's congestion is all a myth!

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

Weety — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:02:06 GMT

I’ve seen this congestion on several different ISP’s over the years, it normally occurs only at Peak Usage times (evenings), normally they are all ISP end/their links to exchange

In my case OR have shown the bearer fibre is getting the same rates as off-peak (980/114), but exchange to home is only one part of the equation ,

@j33tco has issues with his setup, and should test via a wired connection

Re: Evening Congestion 1600 Mbps Service / EE Support Complaint

TheReturn — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:04:13 GMT

@Spyder99 Is this still ongoing for you?