Shaw → [BC] Slow Shaw speeds for the last few months.

I started noticing a slowdown with my internet connection early in May and I need some help. Here is my story.

I was subscribed to the "High speed" service with an advertised speed of 7.5Mbps and was consistently reaching speeds of over 900KB/s. May comes around and I can't seem to get over 600KB/s. I decide it's time to increase my connection speeds so I change over to the new 20Mbps plan and there is no change. Rarely do I get over 15Mbps and then it is only for a few minutes during the very early mornings, and this month I am hard pressed to hit 400KB/s.

I have contacted customer support several times and they even sent a tech to check out the modem and line levels. Everything tests OK. I convinced the tech to switch out the modem and everything seemed to work, but then a couple days later everything went slow again. I contacted tech support again last week and was transferred to a "level 2" tech and she sent out an e-mail to another department as she suspected that the node I am on was saturated. I received an e-mail a couple days later stating that there was no saturation and to contact customer support again.

I am afraid they are just going to send another tech and he is going to check the line levels and everything is going to check out, no problem is going to be found and the whole situation is going to leave me bitter with Shaw. I like Shaw cable but I am at my wits end.

Someone help...please.

What are all the methods/tests you are using to test your speeds with?

Shaw speed test, Cogeco, Speakeasy and Speedtest.net

Could be the router if it has cruddy firmware. What make/model is the router and does restarting it seem to help boost speeds (back up to 15 from 400). And do the low speeds happen after someone recently used p2p programs?

Three different routers have been tested and my current router is a Linksys WRT160NL with fully updated firmware. I am sure it is not the router as I have directly connected the modem to a computer and the problem continues.

When the router is restarted there is no change in the speed tests. Power cycling the modem resolves the issue for about 30 minutes but then my speeds drop, this is why I was convinced it was the modem.

The only P2P applications that are used on the network are Blizzard game updaters.

The TSR's and service techs won't have access to the node utilization tools to see if the node needs to be split. That's something that only NOC can do, and they will only act if they notice of a spike of phone calls coming in that pertain to that particular node.

But first things' first. If you are using an 'el-cheapo' consumer grade router, the CPU will crap out after 100 TCP connections go through them. It's very easy to do that if you are torrenting or using a usenet provider with a high number of connections. The Blizzard updater uses torrent protocols, as you are aware. If rebooting the router does temporarily fix the issue, you can do one of two things:

1. Buy a router that is more suited to your means or,
2. See if your router is compatible with a 3rd party open source firmware like DD-WRT, OpenWRT, or Tomato. These firmwares add more features and stability to a lot of Broadcom or Atheros based consumer routers on the market.

Edit: I see that you are using a Linksys router, where the factory firmware retains a lot of the same programming that went into the WRT54G's from many years ago (in other words, it's crap).

Could also be that the node is not overloaded, but particular channels are (non-bonding modems).
8 channels bonded have a 300+mbps shared capacity, but a single channel has only 32. Can saturate a channel, before the entire node.

Run without your router for at least a couple days, see how your speeds are without your router to rule it out.

-Posted from my phone.

quote:

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I am sure it is not the router as I have directly connected the modem to a computer and the problem continues.

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I don't think they read this. I agree it could be particular channels. Using a Docsis 3 modem would solve this but it'll probably cost you to get one and it's not guaranteed to work.

It wouldn't matter. If he's still exceeding a connection limit on a Windows desktop (10 outbound connections), it will have the same result. That's why directly connecting a modem to a PC is pointless in troubleshooting.

Curious - when the tech came out did he test the line with a laptop? do you have any other computers in the house you can directly connect to so you can retest?

Can you post your speedtest results while directly connected?

Once you've done that please pm me your account details and I'll take another look.

Cheers.

Connecting directly modem to PC is not pointless in troubleshooting.

It quickly eliminates the router as the source of the problem, hence he can just skip your advice of buying new router or flashing new firmware.

Bad advice is bad.

No, you simply don't buy a cheap piece of Broadcom rubbish with stock firmware and not expect it to act up. A modified firmware is more capable of handling TCP requests versus a stock firmware from the manufacturer.

Still doesn't help him troubleshoot. That's like telling a guy with an older car that just broke down to go out and buy a new X0 grand car to 'fix' his problem.

Bad advice is still bad.

The tech that came out used a handheld device that he connected directly into the cable line in place of the modem.

I have directly connected two computers to the modem. The first one was connected for four days and the second for only two as there was absolutely no change in speeds.

This speed is what I have come to accept as a "good" at this point.
Speed Test #102238330 by dslreports.com
Run: 2012-07-26 12:54:58 EST
Download: 7270 (Kbps)
Upload: 489 (Kbps)
In kilobytes per second: 887.4 down 59.7 up
Tested by server: 7 java
User: 2 @ dslreports.com
User's DNS: shawcable.net

I didn't get much better results on the DSLR Java tests,

In kilobytes per second: 782.6 down 474.2 up
Tested by server: 54 java

But speedtest.net at the same time,



The handheld device measures cable signal.

Not sure if that helps or not.

That is very close to the normal high speed speeds,

I would confirm that you are actually on, and paying for HS20, and if you are, have your modem reprovisioned, deleted and re-added to the provisioning server.

I have been paying for HS20 for the last two months and have had the modem re-provisioned several times, as well as replaced.

I had that issue with 25 as well, until I had a DOCSIS3 modem put in.

Keep calling, keep getting service calls, eventually, they will fix it because it is costing them more in service-calls than not fixing it.

Remembers having 15 service calls to fix a TV issue a couple years ago