topic Re: BB speed very low in Broadband & Landline

BB speed very low

karis6197 — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:29:54 GMT

Over the last year or so, I've upgraded from 150 Mb/s to 500 & then to 1000 last month in an attempt to maintain satisfactory BB speed in, what I assume to be, periods of high system load. I've been testing every day for the last moth & speed frequently drops below 500 & yesterday it was down to 150. Today it's ridiculous 60Mb/s which I don't consider as acceptable, can I claim under the EE guaranteed speed delivery?

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:53:45 GMT

@karis6197 You could try but you need to look at what the contract say's and see also the response from EE when you approach them! Speed will always go up and down it's the nature off the connection when it leaves your hub. Linked below about the speeds from EE.

EE Broadband and Speed Guarantee | Broadband Help | EE

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:26:49 GMT

@karis6197 Been a while since i lasted replied to you so took the look back on your posting's, are you still using the BT Smarthub2 as your main device, been a few upgrades over the last couple year's to it. and the EE App should be somewhat workable with it, the fast.com speed test that the app use's in the test structure may if working give you an idea, dual hit with the newer hub's in that there is a speed test and display to the Hub, then a secondary speed test to the actual testing device. Chasing the speed is not the best, just did a quick one and although only FF500 myself and NO longer with EE, linked below the test result for you.

https://www.speedtest.net/result/19011892707

Re: BB speed very low

Mustrum — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:01:55 GMT

@karis6197 have you reported these issues to EE?

They can't do anything unless you tell them.

Have you looked at the info on the Speed Guarentee Help pages or followed the steps on it? https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/manage-use/ee-speed-guarantee

Need to know

Speed guarantee

Your broadband comes with your own personal speed guarantee, which guarantees the speed to your hub.

You can check your speed using the steps above. If it's not what we promised, let us know.

Re: BB speed very low

karis6197 — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:19:27 GMT

Working on it but it's a PITA, but why do I have to make all the running! It all starts off very well when I upgrade & then speed often randomly drops, to what I consider, unacceptable levels compared to contract. Sometimes it's for only a short period of time & it mostly all still works but it's not what I'm paying for & I often have to reset a lot of my wifi connected devices! My latest package includes the new EE 7 hub, which I expected when I upgraded to 500 a while ago, but I was sent an older BT hub instead! I factory reset my old 500 BT hub to start from scratch again & it worked fine for a week or so but then my speed just started to get throttled back again! I upgraded to 1000 but, sadly after couple of weeks I'm getting throttled back again, although my measured speed is higher!

This is a recurring problem that I've experienced throughout the whole fibre BB speed range packages since I got fibre where I live. It all starts off very well but, after being lured into a sense of security, my actual BB speed seems to get throttled back, presumably when there are local network problems! - today the most I could get was 150. I check my BB speed very regularly but how many others do? I suspect they just carry on in oblivious, ignorant bliss! As I have an old employment history, I've always stuck with BT & now EE as they own the infrastructure through (BT) Openreach but I'm beginning to think I'm being conned! Call it conspiracy theory if you like but I'm old enough & have enough experience to know what BRAS meant when connected to the old copper cable network. I thought those problems had disappeared with fibre, can anyone on here categorically tell me I've got it all wrong?

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:42:52 GMT

@karis6197 Are you still on and using the old BT Smarthub2 for the connection? If so are you able to go look at the web manager interface on it, and if so in the advanced logging how many pages of information does it have?

http://192.168.1.254 to get to it. Speedtest.net but the app is way better in testing as it pushes a lot off data down through the connection, the web version gives a little more detail but not as much data throughput. Think my sample above is web will go look and confirm for you. YES for sure is the web version, so will do the windows app and link it below. Linked the app windows installed version and to a different server so you can see.

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/d/ee925bf4-5237-4b12-a3c5-5f54ca2fefd6

From Openreach as below to help 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: BB speed very low

Mustrum — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:30:17 GMT

@karis6197 without knowing what you have done I can't say you have it wrong.

Are you checking the speeds as described in the Speed Guarantee Help page?

Are you sure none of your connected devices is uploading to the internet whilst you do your speed tests?

And as before, have you reported your issues to EE?

This is not Customer Services, n one has account access or knows who you are or what services you have.,

Re: BB speed very low

karis6197 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:59:54 GMT

No I’m not using an old BT Smart Hub 2, that’s been returned to BT/EE to avoid the £65 surcharge! As stated in my post, I’m using a brand new EE 7 router, not a 3rd party offering, I also use Speedtest.net by Ookla, which I’ve been using for many years. I’m not in the same knowledge sphere as you are as my experience is mainly from an original employment base (the old Post Office) & experience gained some years ago successfully dealing with BT over problems at a previous rural property connected to a copper network. This was eventually rectified/cured after several years complaining when BT replaced all the connections in their splitter box up a nearby telegraph pole! Being an Engineer, I’m interested in how it all works but no longer have the time or interest in learning how to understand the complexities of the modern fibre network, I just want it to work properly!

Easter is over; my speed this morning is back up to around 600 so I’m definitely being automatically & sometimes severely throttled (sometimes 80%!) during peak traffic times; operationally sort of OK but still not the service I’m paying for but if customers don’t check, hopefully no one will notice! My next step is to continue collating speed test data & complain to EE but this in itself seems a major challenge getting anyone to take interest these days!

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:31:08 GMT

@karis6197 Are you using anything else with the EE Hub 7 Plus/Pro that you have now, either an extender from EE or a separate third party one, it all matters in the scope off the network.

Speed external can go up/down all depending on the external factors. ie i have FF500 connection and 95% off the time it's spot on when testing, but the lowest sustained has been just over 200Mb/s and the EXTERNAL side was just so busy, normal running i have estimated in the home depending on what is going on at just over the 100Mb/s, so covered all the bases as speed to that. Do NOT use any ISP equipment at all, fully Asus Ai Mesh with a little Powerline thrown in the mix, but FULLY trust all of my wireless connections that could/can cause issues from time/time. Just had to sort out my Samsung A54 mobile, down/up was 17/70Mb/s when it played up and Wireless off/on was the only way to restore it speed wise, issue was POOR wireless wifi signal and a new AP purchased/installed sorted it out, would have swore blind not an issue and took a few weeks to work it out what was going on, NEVER done it again since the addition. See the Samsung speed test linked below.

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/d/d76907e3-8159-4cda-bed2-d8b6ab17277f

With the issue above, and slightly before time working well below it.

https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/d/d035be2a-a905-404b-a05e-ba27da4a4f90

Re: BB speed very low

karis6197 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:38:02 GMT

I know & understand speed will vary, depending on local network use/congestion, but the speed drop here is so severe sometimes; it was less than 100 on Good Friday & I don't consider this contractually acceptable. I never experienced such severe speed variation in our previous property which was only 50 mb/s from a "fibre to a cabinet" connection 300m down the road ! We now live in a different area with a recently (Openreach) installed full fibre connection to the property which I expected to be so much better & more stable. It's a bungalow with a largish footprint & the EE router is right at the front so I do have a couple of TP Link, 650 extenders at the back of the property. I've have been using these for some years at a previous rural property to connect a garden room. They now power a Nest thermostat, 2 x internet connected TV's (via EE mini boxes) & 3 x Ring security cameras in our back garden, these all have a good signal at around 50 RSSI or less. We also have a Sonos radio system, a further 4 Ring security cameras & 2 more Smart TV's, at the front of the property all connecting through the main router but the TV's are never all connected at the same time. As you can see, I am a bit of a "techy" & do like my wifi/internet gadgets but it all generally works very well. I do sometimes have problems with devices auto reconnecting after EE "helpfully" resets my hub connection overnight - or when they throttle my internet speed! The laptop I use to test speed is only 2m from the main EE hub but when I simultaneously check speed using my phone, there is virtually no difference, even at the back of the property.

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:59:25 GMT

@karis6197 When you speed test to the EE Hub, are you wireless or wired connecting to do so? You have a lot going on with the wireless wifi and if all working fine, does not matter what EE does or if OR are working on the Network, ALL the devices should reconnect with Zero issues. Can it be assumed you have went adjusted the wifi channels and power side for the RE's you are using on the Tp-Link, Tp-Link Powerline user myself but have everything set and adjusted tickety boo to not cause any issues on the wireless network and used for my Ring devices/Sat Box and the remote garage.

Re: BB speed very low

bobpullen — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:23:33 GMT

@karis6197 - you really need to establish if the cause of your speed variations affect both wired and wireless connections, or only wired. I would take any WiFi speedtest with a huge pinch of salt, especially given the presence of third party extenders on your network.

If your speeds to a capable wired machine/device are always decent then you can immediately rule out the notion that any 'throttling' is at play and instead start looking at your WiFi environment.

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:34:53 GMT

@karis6197 Just managed to get time to look at your older and now obsoleted Tp-Link RE650 if that is what you are using, hopefully you have used the EE Compatible network with them and set it on WPA2-PSK mode and not trying to use the Main network as the connection. Is there any particular reason you are not using EE Smart Wireless devices apart from the cost that EE applies?

Re: BB speed very low

karis6197 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:16:53 GMT

I need to go into the loft to retrieve another cable so I can connect to the hub & take a direct, incomming speed measurement. I get what you say about the importance of using a wired connection but my router location is fixed & so are all the other wi-fi connected devices, except my mobile phone. All things being equal, with no change in local conditions or device location, I don’t really see how my wi-fi network speed should drop so dramatically unless the speed at the main hub is throttled back. It's all fine now & speed checks now registering over 600 mb/sec - but still nothing like the 900 I'm paying for! I’m convinced it’s EE throttling my speed to the main hub during peak load that’s affecting things; I just have to do more work to prove it!

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:40:22 GMT

@karis6197 Is your EE app working, that shows you two distinct readings, the speed to your Hub and then the speed to your device, ie 900/100 hub wise, 600/70 device wise....

Think if you also try www.fast.com you may see the same double split, worth a try on that! Link below has an app picture...

Re: 1.6 package down since yesterday - Page 6 - The EE Community

Re: BB speed very low

karis6197 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:42:29 GMT

Yes I know the TP Link 650’s are now obsolete but I’ve had them a few years & they’ve always performed very well both here & at my previous property. I did consider the getting new EE devices for compatibility but they are expensive & the TP Link units have always worked well with no compatibility issues.

I’ve looked at my TP devices on the Tether app & I can see all the online wi-fi clients listed & that all seems to be OK. I can’t see anything to do with WPA2-PSK mode, I thought that was to do with maintaining a secure network, how does that work?

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:56:04 GMT

@karis6197 Your old Tp's only support that mode, the EE Smart Hub 7 you are using, the main wifi will be on WPA3-T and cannot be adjusted, but the compatible network when Enabled on that EE Hub allows you to setup and match your older devices. See the linked info below.

Set up and use Compatible WiFi | Broadband Help | EE

Everything is SHARED on the network, so if you are pulling 300Mb/s over all the other devices you will only see the 600 as displayed, that is why when someone say's test the wired, ALL wireless is to be off as you have NO idea what is going on background wise, with my 20 or so wireless wifi, they pull virtually zero in normal operation, so just have to compensate for the wife when you tubing but more so if the daughter is 4k HD streaming and PS5 downloading at the same time, then the fight is on for the bandwidth, as nothing is going to wait until one part is done!

Re: BB speed very low

JimM11 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:08:14 GMT

@karis6197 Here is about 1 week ago, using the old sky Hub connected on the wan, all the Asus sitting double NAT on the back off it, unfortunate the BT/EE hubs do NOT allow BQM's on them.

Sky's old SR203 on the wan connection with everything else sitting behind it, testing the SR for a sky Customer.