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Building Design Online Articles - Hugh Davies

15 August 2008
Where has my broadband speed gone?

ADSL broadband internet providers have upgraded their advertised download speeds over recent years — from 512kB to 8MB and beyond. How is it then that users are often left feeling they are coping with a cyberspace that has the consistency of porridge?

A simple way to check performance is to use the online speed check at Think Broadband. Do this at an off-peak moment when there are no other users to avoid slowness being exaggerated by heavy internal usage. The availability checker page on the website will also tell you the maximum speed your local telephone exchange can support. There are a number of reasons why there might be a big difference between these figures.

Check service upgrade

First, check your contract with your internet service provider. It may not have upgraded your service when the exchange was upgraded; changing ISP may allow faster download speeds from the same exchange. If available, internet provider Be Unlimited usually provides the fastest available download speeds.

If your actual speed is much lower than your contractual offering, you might be suffering because of your distance from the local exchange, a fault on the line, or a high contention ratio. You can do nothing about your distance from the exchange, and performance issues are nearly impossible to pursue successfully with either your ISP or BT. However, your ISP may offer contracts for lower contention ratios. In other words, you pay to have a connection which is shared with fewer other customers.

Replace router

Another area to look at is your equipment. Check the version of firmware on your router and upgrade it if possible. If you are still using the same device you were using when your ADSL speed was 512kB, consider replacing it.

If there still seems a disabling performance gulf, it is worth reflecting on usage. Using the latest versions of browsers arguably improves perception of speed. Mozilla’s latest version of Firefox has won particular admiration. If you run your own internal mail server, check the logs. Even if it is successfully handling spam, this will take up bandwidth. Consider using online spam-filtering services such as that by MessageLabs.

Look at how the internet is used in your office. Internet radio, instant messaging, BBC’s iPlayer, online gaming, and peer-to-peer file-sharing all have a significant effect on bandwidth. Unauthorised peer-to-peer file-sharing should be of particular concern. The draconian solution is to block the ports on your router that are needed for these services.

Make sure you include policies on internet usage in your office manual. A downloadable guide to the principles of drafting an “acceptable use” policy is available from MessageLabs’ website.

Many variables can affect ADSL performance. These tips should help get you back up to speed.

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