FTTP Upload speed is 5x slower than copper?

[icines]

Had this issue with PlusNet and now same here. Been weeks now, support haven't managed to help. Qube engineer blamed openreach, openreach engineer comes by and says it's a profiling thing because line tests fine. But both engineers got same results as me on their laptops and were lost for words.

The result posted is direct to ONT with only my laptop connected.  Windows laptop, modern, no issues.
Happens on all devices.


Some speed tests such as fast.com occasionally get it to 20mbps upload, but it never shows. Can't even back-up my phone on iCloud anymore because it's not fast or stable enough. Latency, DL speed and stability have always been great.

I'm on second highest package of 450 min download, and avg 75 upload. Can only dream of getting what I got on copper (18-20).

I've already gone through all the basic troubleshooting steps multiple times, including:

• Unplugging and reconnecting the hub
• Wi-fi 6 on/off
• Trying different brand new Cat 5E and Cat 6 cables
• Resetting the ONT and hub
• Factory reset on hub
• Directly connecting devices to the ONT and the hub
• Testing with various devices, including laptops and phones
• Factory resetting the equipment
• Switching ISP (Plusnet to EE)
• Using a VPN

All to no avail. EE have tried to tell me recently after they've given up on solving the issue that nothing is wrong because 'all is green', and that there's no guaranteed upload speed.. But surely not every customer is getting '75 avg' advertised and then never reaching 1/6 of that? I've been made out to be the unreasonable one for a while. 

Today I've finally had support agree to send over a 'Senior Qube engineer' in 2 days, but I have a feeling they'll blame Openreach and I'm back to square 1. Maybe someone here has answers? I feel like I'm forced to leave. Looked forward to FTTP for so long.

[icines]

Oh and OpenReach engineer said 1 gig ONT tends to cause more issues. So replaced for 2.5gig, didn't help though unfortunately

[JimM11]

@icines Are you saying that you setup your laptop as a ppoe connection and connected direct from laptop to the ONT ethernet port?

Edit: OR PON Info.

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

[icines]

Yep dial-up settings windows <> connect to broadband, entered auth details. Same results if i just do classic ethernet through hub though

[JimM11]

@icines What does the thinkbroadband.co.uk speed test show?

[icines]

320 download, 7.1 upload

IPV4 only 290 download, 8.0 upload

23ms latency

[JimM11]

@icines Looks like you have a fibre problem, see you also posted on the BT site, as you have the same problem across ISP's think someone has to look at your fibre connection.

[icines]

I've done all the basic things. Of course tested with the hub first thing. ONT was to I've tried during most hours of day with no difference. Happens with my equipment attached or not, but I use the hub - no third party router. I think fibre issue too, hopefully something gets done. I'm due to be on the highest 1 gig plan soon, see if it helps

[JimM11]

@icines That is the main problem, EE have now inherited the issue from your previous ISP, they are correct in the fact that download is what the guarantee but with your figures, i did not even like the download. The think broadband test is good in the fact that you can look at the trace once completed, and with the fact that you have had a replacement ONT.. As long as your Qube engineer is specialised in Fibre and has all the right tools, but be careful just explain you have an issue up/down speed, more so on the upload, suspect its on the fibre itself, and let them run with it. HTH

[icines]

Hi Jim. Thanks for the advice. I agree, it seems like EE has inherited the issue from my previous ISP. The download speeds are just about tolerable, but the upload speeds are the real problem here. I've since upgraded to the highest 1gig plan as advisors suggested it, and I have an increase in upload of 3-4. Nothing amazing. Download is up to 900 though.

I've already explained to the engineers that it looks like a fibre issue, particularly affecting the upload speeds. I've had visits from both Qube and Openreach engineer, both of whom have noted the same problem but haven't been able to resolve it. They've just blamed one another.

I’ll make sure to stress the fibre issue again when the next engineer comes. I’ve logged everything and am supposedly getting a call from a manager today. If this continues without resolution, I’ll be escalating the matter to OFCOM. Even if this is supposedly acceptable by their standards, I think an OFCOM investigation is warranted to get to the bottom of this issue.

Thanks again for your insights