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~50% speed decrease on Three.
[Deleted User]
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Hey guys,
Been using my 3 sim in my iPhone 5 and tethering to it whilst my internet is down at home (I have The One Plan).
Up until recently, I would always hit speeds of around 20Mbps during peak times, and around 27-30Mbps during the early hours of the morning (the mast is at the end of my road). I did have a problem where randomly the speeds would suddenly drop to around 2-7Mbps, but recycling airplane mode cleared that. It would do this a couple of times a night.
However, recently, I am unable to get over 11Mbps during anytime of the day, however, it's pretty much running at that speed all day, regardless of time. I know 11Mbps isn't slow, but it is slow compared to what I was getting, and as someone who downloads large files often, it's a massive difference to the amount of time it takes to download.
I was wondering if anyone knew what this could be, and if there was anyway for me to check network issues in my postcode area with Three? The way the speeds are behaving it's almost made me wonder if I'm being capped in some way?
P.S I've only noticed this since I've started using iOS 7 GM real ease, but I've used every previous iOS 7 beta without problem, so it could just be a coincidence.
Been using my 3 sim in my iPhone 5 and tethering to it whilst my internet is down at home (I have The One Plan).
Up until recently, I would always hit speeds of around 20Mbps during peak times, and around 27-30Mbps during the early hours of the morning (the mast is at the end of my road). I did have a problem where randomly the speeds would suddenly drop to around 2-7Mbps, but recycling airplane mode cleared that. It would do this a couple of times a night.
However, recently, I am unable to get over 11Mbps during anytime of the day, however, it's pretty much running at that speed all day, regardless of time. I know 11Mbps isn't slow, but it is slow compared to what I was getting, and as someone who downloads large files often, it's a massive difference to the amount of time it takes to download.
I was wondering if anyone knew what this could be, and if there was anyway for me to check network issues in my postcode area with Three? The way the speeds are behaving it's almost made me wonder if I'm being capped in some way?
P.S I've only noticed this since I've started using iOS 7 GM real ease, but I've used every previous iOS 7 beta without problem, so it could just be a coincidence.
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I get 10mbps routinely from '3' but it would probably only take a few neighbours using it like me, as a full time internet connection, or a holiday camp opening locally to slow that connection right down at peak times. That's just the variable nature of how the data is allocated and essentially shared from each mast.
I read a post on here recently, where the Author said that tethered connections via '3' take a lower priority over phone data, and will generally be the first to show a speed reduction during peak times where local masts are becoming congested. To test this, have you tried running a speed test from the actual phone APP and then the same speed test from the tethered device to see if the speed reduction you are seeing is a result of a tethered connection?.
With regards to the speed testing, I have done it on the app on my iPhone 5 running iOS 7, but also tried the app on another iPhone 5 running iOS 6 in case there was a problem with the app, and Ive also tried running it on my PC browser (2 different browsers - Chrome & Safari) and in all cases they've showed consistent results.
I've ruled out a problem with my phone, partly because of the above, but also party because I went to another area of my home town close to a DC-HSDPA mast, and in the middle of a Saturday I pulled 20Mbps.
What's strange is, it's a consistent 11/12Mbps all day long, I wouldn't expect someone else to be using it all day long, every day.
The only thing that we have on here at the minute is the RAF Air Show, but it's a little way away from me, and nobody would be using the mast I'm on, and obviously, they're not here at 1/2am when I'm doing tests and still getting the same speeds.
The fact it's consistent regardless of time, either makes me thing it's a 3 network problem (i.e something on the mast has failed, or some backhaul capacity has gone missing) or makes me think 3 have limited either myself for some reason, or limited everybody else on the mast because of the air show.
I do have another 3 sim card I can try which is PAYG to test if they've limited me.
Anybody else got anymore suggestions? Is there anyway I can check for problems in my area like on the O2 website?
Any help appreciated
http://support.three.co.uk/srvs/cgi-bin/webisapi.dll?command=new,kb=mobile,ts=mobile,t=article,varset_cat=signal,varset_subcat=3804,case=obj(4046),varset_username=Mobile:mobileUser&typeSearch='trafficsense*'
[...] " for example, between 3pm and 12 midnight, we dedicate a certain amount of bandwidth to file sharing and to tethering, so that all other types of traffic can make the most of the rest of it.
[...] Without TrafficSense™, a small minority of users could take up a large proportion of our network capacity throughout the day. This would inevitably affect a large majority of people trying to do simple things like browsing the web."
Key your postcode into the coverage checker and it will tell you of any problems or engineering work.
http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Coverage
For example mine says:
Work is planned in (postcode) on 24/09/2013. This may affect your normal network service, but should only last for about 6-8 hours.
I'm not sure what the point of limiting you to 11-12 mbps would achieve, I would imagine that if any network wanted to go to the effort of limiting a customer it would be to a much lower speed than that.
Unfortunately at the end of the day, mobile data is variable in nature and subject to many factors and no network is going to guarantee every individual customer a minimum speed.
I get similar (10mbps) speeds from '3' which I consider excellent, especially when the alternative from any of the other networks won't allow unlimited tethering, and ADSL here is a flaky < 1mbps. There isn't a lot of other options on the table which tick all of the requirements.
I think i'd be thankful for the 11mbps, many customers only get fractions of that.
From what I hearing Vodafone are limiting customers on 3G to ten mbs now.
So what is the gripe all about?
Is it something to do with a bet on how fast my network is compared to yours using SpeedTest?
This doesn't apply here as the OP says he gets 11Mbps "anytime" of the day. If he was being slowed down between 3pm and 12pm then it would be more traffic sense in action.
This looks to be a non issue and is either down to maintenance or congestion or another external factor. Perhaps you should read the OP next time Wavejock. Or do you just like to throw trafficsense around as the reason for everything on every thread or downplay Three's network like you always do?
Enapace: Correct. 10Mbps max download speed
Think 3 devices would be pushing it honestly 2 devices maybe but I think there would be a fair bit of buffering needed at start. You need about 6-7mbs to stream HD Video.
It quite shocking really that Vodafone need to cap the download speeds. They have the most 3G spectrum of anyone.I think it mainly to make people think 4G speeds are so much faster.
Think Wavejock is referring to 720p here.
Haven't T-Mobile also limited full monty customers to a maxiumum of 4mbps for ages now?. Yet they still have loads of customers
The same goes for Virgin Mobile who throttle back to 0.384mbps once 3.5gb FUP is reached, yet again they have plenty of customers, and many more talking about signing up, even when the terms are pointed out to them.
So it seems like on the grand scale of things, the majority of customers really don't care about speeds, or the tariffs wouldn't exist as nobody would be signing up for them.
Ah I think you would still struggle do 3 devices but he might have a point. I would have to look into that one 4Mbs each still seems a bit low though.
Yeah they have I think that is due to unlimited data more than anything. Not sure why Vodafone need cap though.
What's funny is Wavejock touted T-Mobile as a better option then Three due to better speeds and coverage, signed up, and then we on the forum had to tell him that internet speeds were limited to 4Mbps and he tried to play it off as being fine and not a disadvantage.
(Tbh 4Mbps is fine imo)
Honestly what I get from Three at the moment in terms of speed is fine me only reason I can't wait for 4G is because of the better indoor coverage I should get.
To be honest, although T-mobile didn't point out to me the 4mbps speed cap, they did point out I couldn't tether and that their network wasn't suitable as a substitute for an ADSL connection - when I pointed my intentions out to them (even though I told them that I use less than 10gb a month). Kudos to them for that at least.
I think for most people as long as Facebook loads Ok and they can send 2000 free texts per month to their mates, they are happy and actual data speed comes as a secondary consideration, an area of everyday interest restricted only to a small number of any networks' subscriber base.
Case in point, people are still signing up in droves for expensive EE 4G contracts, some of those tariffs have tiny data allowances. So, as a network they have to separate the individual requirements of a few, with the general requirements of the majority. The fact is, that small data allowances exist because millions of people are still happily using them, regardless of network. If they didn't, then they would have to increase the allowances or lose all of their customers as they voted with their feet.
No network can tailor a service to the demands and expectations of each individual subscriber, although Three at least try and break free from the herd - with their unlimited data and tethering options, although even that doesn't escape complaints.
4 Mbps is absolutely fine for mobile use and for streaming YouTube in HD it has yet to be an issue in my experience. Do I need 20+ Mbps on a handset, not presently as I don't download large files on the move.
Does my phone and tariff meet my needs - yes and I don't need anyone to educate me as I did all the research well in advance of making such a significant commitment for the service for the period I have agreed to.
Yeah, well almost. It's if you don't have a 4G ready price plan that you are limited to 10 Mb/s. If you have a 4G plan then 3G isn't limited. It's more of a stick to get you to sign up for a 4G plan rather than a capacity thing I'd say.
So it has nothing to do with capacity just a way for you to have to pay more for higher speeds which you should already get thanks for the clarification.