Painfully slow Virgin Media 4meg connection

[head2head]

I've recently been tearing my hair out over the crappyness of our Virgin Media connection. There seems to be no explanation for it - today its CRAWLING to the point where I'm not sure if its any better than dial up, and other times it seems OK only to mess up again an hour later. Here's some further info -

3 pc's sharing the network (2 desktops running xp sp2 and a server running ubuntu)
All going through a router (which I think could be the problem (??))
The connection is wired

Trace route for google is as follows -

Tracing route to www.l.google.com [216.239.59.147]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 8 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.2.1
2 99 ms 41 ms 15 ms 10.128.20.1
3 15 ms 35 ms * cmbg-t2cam1-a-v109.inet.ntl.com [80.1.202.9]
4 11 ms 21 ms * cmbg-t2core-a-ge-wan62.inet.ntl.com [195.182.176
.37]
5 11 ms * 23 ms pop-bb-a-so-132-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.188.193]

6 23 ms 13 ms 16 ms nth-bb-b-so-010-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.172.13]

7 38 ms 50 ms 50 ms tele-ic-1-as0-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.184.2]
8 21 ms 22 ms 35 ms 212.250.14.66
9 47 ms * 53 ms 72.14.238.244
10 47 ms 53 ms 43 ms 209.85.250.216
11 32 ms 49 ms 49 ms 64.233.174.185
12 52 ms 55 ms 68 ms 216.239.49.126
13 32 ms 62 ms 75 ms gv-in-f147.google.com [216.239.59.147]

Trace complete.

Any ideas where the bottleneck is happening? its this virgin's problem or something wrong with hardware my end? It's a tad daft that I know how to do a tracert but not how to read one !!

Any help appreciated! Apologies in advance if you need more info - please ask .

[Westy5]

What router are you using - Sometimes mine needs a reboot to regain full speed (DLink are notorious for this).

[nicky munchkin]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

[Kynoch]

Is it just slow for browsing the web or are your downloads speeds slow as well?
I have been having some DNS issues with my virgin connection recently where the virgin ones will go down for a couple of hours at a time or will just be really slow.

[Cosmo_1847]

Have you tired updating the router's firmware?

[head2head]

I'll have to have a look at the model number...I think it's an SMC router - tis really old and could really do with being replaced! I'll try upgrading the firmware...is the problem definitely at the router end?

Download speeds are slow as well, although they seem a little more stable than the browsing speeds. I'll try some other DNS servers as well.

And yes, I have switched it on an off numerous times

Thanks for the help - I think I might have to try and convince dad to go wireless and change provider!

[Fat Jez]

You aren't using bittorrent at all are you? Some older routers had problems with the number of concurrent connections being opened up.

Cheers,
Stephen

[head2head]

I am using torrents regularly and have been for the past three years on this connection without any problems...I guess it's going to be case of trying another router and seeing how we get on.

[eXistenZ]

Are you using one of the little blue NTL modems? They're rubbish with torrents. I also wouldn't be surprised if Virgin were traffic shaping people using torrents now.
The biggest latency on that tracert is the jump from your router to the modem, so I reckon it's something to do with that.

[Mojo]

I had problems like this with Virgin Media a few weeks ago, and like you had no bad ping speeds (though as eXistenZ points out the modem seems a tad high) and not apparent extra noise on the line. Browsing and download speeds were attricious. After spending time on the phone to tech help he confirmed what I already knew, it wasn't working right! But he then also told me that he would log the problem but nothing would be done as they are rolling out 20meg on the network, but this could also be patially to blame.

Mine works pretty much as before now, and I can regulalry get max speeds, it just seemed to go away. eXistenZ Virgin have started packet shaping but the system they use seems pretty crappy, its supposed to kick in after 3gb has been dl between 4pm and 12am (on 10meg) but I downloaded about 5 gig yesterday and it still didnt do successfull shaping, was still getting a good 800-900k over 4 or 5 downloads

[nicky munchkin]

They could have capped you if you were downloading too much.

[head2head]

There's capping me and there's not being able to load a page through the crappy connection!

I'm going to try another router when I've got the chance to see how that works. My dad tried a spare cable router that I had but couldn't get it to work - I might have to have a go at some point .

The connection is throttling between the router and the modem? That would make sense. We've got one of the original silver ntl modems - we got the setup on 2002 and have done nothing with the setup since!

[Cosmo_1847]

Try turning off the router, modem and computer and then plug one computer straight into the modem. Turn both on and see if the internet speed is improved. If it is it does show that it is the router that is causing the problem.

[Cable Monkey]

Originally Posted by Cosmo_1847

Try turning off the router, modem and computer and then plug one computer straight into the modem. Turn both on and see if the internet speed is improved. If it is it does show that it is the router that is causing the problem.

The process of elimination is the only way to go here. I have binned a couple of routers because after a period of successful use they have become bottlenecks with no explanation but it could also be an excessively busy part of their network. Comparing your experience with that of neighbours helps further narrow possible causes.