Experiencing Internet Slowdown during Peak Times, What to Do?

geek001 on 28/02/2017 - 10:51
Last edited 28/02/2017 - 10:53

Hi all,

I am with Belong for ADSL2+ connection at home. On the router, which is the free one provided by Belong, it says my downstream is 17211kbps and I usually connect at around that speed.

However, I am experiencing slowdowns at peak times, from around 5pm till about 9pm, which renders my connection useless for video streaming. I did speed tests over the last few days and I get around 1mbps during peak times instead of around 15mbps usually.

My question is, do you also have this problem with your ISP or is this problem specific to Belong? For me, slow down during peak times is expected, but not to a point where video streaming is unuseable.

My second question is will getting a new ADSL modem like the TP-Link Archer solve this problem or at least make it better? What has been your experience?

Thank you in advance.

Internet

Related Stores

Belong
Belong

Comments

  • RockyRaccoon on 28/02/2017 - 11:11

    Do you have a wireless router?

    Brother had same issue then found out a neighbour was downloading from his wifi network. Changed password and enabled WPA2-PSK

    You can log onto your setup and check who is connected. if you find someone who shouldn't be there you can build better security. eg have only your computers Mac addresses can log on. Now nothing is 100% safe when using wifi, but you can make it much harder for them to connect.

    • geek001 on 28/02/2017 - 12:22

      I can't see any unauthorised users. With my internet speed during peak times, I doubt anyone would want to steal my internet? Lol.

      • RockyRaccoon on 28/02/2017 - 12:52

        You wont see them now. Look at 5pm

        Thats not to say this is the issue, but it maybe. Also follow the advice of blonky and go direct vs wifi. If issue is the same then its either the modem or Belong. All technology issues are traced by eliminating potential issues, rather than just guessing. Good luck

  • Euphemistic on 28/02/2017 - 11:22

    Go outside during peak times! Then use your internet while everyone else isn't.

    • geek001 on 28/02/2017 - 12:23

      Lol. Yes, I wish I could, but there is no daylight saving in Queensland! it gets dark at 5.30pm nowadays.

  • Hellfire on 28/02/2017 - 11:27
    +1

    I was with Belong and had terrible peak speeds with Netflix unwatchable most nights. Jumped to TPG and now everything is fast all the time.

  • Diji1 on 28/02/2017 - 11:27
    -5

    It seems like most or all of Australia's ISPs ADSL2+ services come to a halt due to congestion every night. Naturally this is the customer's problem and there's no issue at all with the ISPs.

    This is the same copper wire that Turnbullshit bought from Telstra and then awarded the maintenance contract to Telstra to maintain it. (you know, just like he was actually a Telstra employee huehuehuheuh). Your tax dollars hard at work enriching Telstra shareholders and offering terrible service because it's past it's useful life which is why Telstra sold it.

    • ESEMCE on 28/02/2017 - 11:49

      In this case, the technology has nothing to do with the speeds…
      I'm a hater of the massive waste that is the Liberal's NBN, but Copper is not to blame here.

      • RockyRaccoon on 28/02/2017 - 12:54
        +3

        Its Diji1, the "gummint" comrade, always trying to hijack a thread in the mistaken belief that they will influence the next election.

  • blonky on 28/02/2017 - 11:31

    What router are you using?
    I had a similar issue and found that at peak times, the conflicting wifi traffic from our nieghbours were fighting with ours. Using one of those wifi apps I could see there was a large number of strong wifi signals in our apartment and all the bands were full.

    You can check this by plugging your computer into the modem/router via ethernet and running your speedtests; if you get much better speeds then you found the culprit.

    Solution was to grab a new wifi router that plugged into the modem (Asus RT-AC68U for me) and all issues went away.

  • ESEMCE on 28/02/2017 - 11:55

    Complain to Belong is your first step..
    Before doing so, make sure that you have run a few days worth of speed tests through Non-Peak and Peak hours using the Belong Speedtest.
    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&c…

    That will supply them some evidence that your line/modem is not at fault.

    When that complaint yields no result, tell them you'd like them to annul your contract (assuming you're in one) so you can move to an ISP that can supply suitable connectivity in Peak hours. If they deny that request mention the magic words "I will elevate my complaint to the TIO".
    If that still yields no result, submit a complaint to the TIO.. Belong will either fix the problem or more likely annul your contract.

    If you're out of contract, just switch ISP's.
    You may need to pay more, but currently you're getting what you pay for..

    • geek001 on 28/02/2017 - 12:20

      Thanks for that. Belong is not exactly the cheapest. I am paying $75/month for my internet. Not the cheapest by far.

      • aboabo on 28/02/2017 - 12:35
        +4

        Time to not belong.

      • InfinityandBeyond on 01/03/2017 - 17:47

        If Telstra respond to Belong that it is a known congestion issue, Belong should offer you a ongoing goodwill credit on your account (I am receiving $10 off per month).

        Also, as Belong only bill once a month on the 1st of each month and you can downgrade/upgrade your plan at anytime (without additional costs for the current month if you upgrade or loss of data allowance if you downgrade), you can actually keep changing your plan and save a few extra dollars every second billing cycle.

        • geek001 on 01/03/2017 - 17:59

          Does that mean you instead of paying 75 a month, you pay $65 a month? assuming you are not on contract and is on the 1000GB plan?

        • InfinityandBeyond on 01/03/2017 - 19:31

          Yes, I currently pay $65 for 1000GB plan.

          I've also been downgrading my plan every second month (which can be done online), so effectively pay $50 for the same plan (as they don't reduce your 1000GB allowance). Only a saving of $15, so probably not worth the time and effort long term.

        • geek001 on 01/03/2017 - 21:16

          @InfinityandBeyond: Thanks. Might give that a go. $15 saving for effectively less than 10 mins work. Much more than what I get paid hourly. Lol.

  • supnigs super skids on 28/02/2017 - 12:38

    or it could be that you download a lot within the month and then they put you on a slower line with all the other downloaders.

    • geek001 on 28/02/2017 - 14:32

      Nah… my usage is nowhere near my 200GB allowance. Probably about 50 to 100GB a month.

      • InfinityandBeyond on 01/03/2017 - 17:16

        FYI, Belong don't have 200GB plans… it's either 100GB or 1000GB. If you are paying $75 you are on the 1TB plan.

  • geek001 on 28/02/2017 - 18:23

    Called Belong to complain, they logged a job for a technician to look at the problem. Anyone has any luck moving to a better modem instead of the ISP free modem?

    • ESEMCE on 01/03/2017 - 08:43
      +1

      It's not a line fault, it's a congestion issue.. a new modem will do nothing at all to solve congestion.

      • InfinityandBeyond on 01/03/2017 - 17:39
        +1

        I second the advice scubacoles has given you… it's simply a congestion issue (especially given your downstream is 17211Kbps, which shows you're situated quite close to your local telephone exchange).

        If you are dropping all the way down from 15Mbps to 1Mbps actual download speeds in the evenings, then the congestion issue must be quite bad (and a known issue to Belong & Telstra).

        Belong can't fix this issue for you… they simply log a ticket with Telstra. Unfortunately, with the NBN rollout, Telstra are not spending $$$ on telephone exchange infrastructure upgrades (but in the areas where NBN is not available, they keep piggybacking more and more new users onto the existing ADSL infrastructure).

        Belong will have you believe that, given they are a division of Telstra, you are hooked up to the same equipment as a Telstra users; this simply isn't the case (although there is still no guarantee Telstra users aren't also experiencing similar slowdown in peak times).

        All ISPs that are just a reseller of Telstra provided services (including Optus off-net) will be impacted by the network congestion. All you can do is look for another ISP that has their own equipment in your local exchange (normally TPG or iiNet) and hope the peak time congestion isn't as bad on their network!

        I know all this because I'm currently an unhappy Belong user myself… but my speeds were dropping down to .11Mbps (so count yourself somewhat lucky you are getting 1Mbps in the evenings)! :)

        • geek001 on 01/03/2017 - 17:57

          Thanks for all the info. The update is that I haven't heard from Belong or Telstra since I put in my complaint yesterday. I was told on the phone they are suppose to have a resolution by the end of today. I am not holding my breath or did they mean they will give up finding a resolution at the end of today? Who knows.. :)

          I tried very hard to find something to plug into the ethernet port and test the speed like others have suggested. It seems to be better on Ethernet during peak time last night. At least if I stream SD content, it doesn't buffer as much. Today I pulled out my trusty old Linksys wireless router and plugged it into the ADSL modem and surfed that way. Seems to have less drop outs and generally more reliable wifi. I guess one of my issues is their crappy free modem has crappy wifi.

          I looked at Belong's NBN offering today, there is standard, 25/5 and 100/40. Does anyone know what that means? I would have thought 25/5 would be the minimum, otherwise there isn't much of a speed boost from ADSL?

        • ESEMCE on 01/03/2017 - 18:16

          It'll be Belong's issue to fix not Telstra's.. The congestion will be in their Backhaul and they don't use Telstra for backhaul..

          NBN's minimum speed is 12/1
          designed to be a direct replacement for ADSL (most people's ADSL is less than 10mbps, you're one of the lucky few)

        • InfinityandBeyond on 01/03/2017 - 19:47

          I don't have visibility into their actually network configuration, but according to Belong Sales and Tech Support, Belong don't have their own equipment… it is all provisioned, maintained and serviced by Telstra (of course they could just be passing the buck!). Hence they simply raise a ticket with Telstra when a customer complains and await their reply.

          There is actually a publicly accessible Telstra website (I don't have the URL handy right now) that lists known network issues, exchange congestion, etc, that would be worth crosschecking.

  • chriise on 28/02/2017 - 18:34

    I had similar issue recently and called ISP to complain… it was a really odd case; was told i haven't been connected to the network in over a week. I then noticed speedtest online reported my ISP as Telstra (i'm not with Telstra). My router was set up on 'Auto' and somewhere along the line started getting it's connection from elsewhere, not my ISP. A few changes and I was back on my ISP connection and all was good, speeds back to normal. I think this happened when my ISP shaped my speed last month for going over data allowance… I've no idea how my router was receiving internet connection, but it wasn't from my ISP. Sorry this probably won't help you, but I thought it was interesting.

  • bobwokeup on 01/03/2017 - 17:56

    We're with TPG and video streaming during peak times is pretty bad. I haven't done a test in a while but the video keeps pausing.

    • geek001 on 01/03/2017 - 18:00

      Ok, so switching to TPG will probably not help with the problem. Are you streaming 1080p content by any chance or just 720p?

      • InfinityandBeyond on 01/03/2017 - 19:52
        +1

        It would be exchange to exchange specific… dependent on network utilisation and congestion.

        Best way would be to find someone else local with a different ISP to see what figures they are pulling before considering switching (of course, it's a moving target, as connections that are good today can deteriorate quickly as more users are hooked up to the exchange).

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join