[help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

[help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop
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AdemoS @ 21st Jul 07:52PM:
[help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Current Package:
AT&T DSL Elite

Advertised Speeds:
Down - 6016 kbps
Up - 768 kbps

I tried a speed test and my results were pretty good:
Down 4917 kb/s
Up 561 kb/s

Broadband Reports Line Quality Test:
0% loss latency 17.9ms

====================================

Tested With:
- multiple IRC clients
- default settings

When downloading from IRC, I get this mysterious download speed drop.

My download speed starts at around 500 kb/s then quickly counts down to 1.1 kb/s, then dies completely.

So I tried bittorrent downloads; no issue at all. EDK network downloads; no issues.

I even tried regular HTTP downloads, no issues.

So I assumed the problem was not me, but the server. And I tried an IRC download from two other sources.

Same result.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this bizare speed "count down?"
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MrFixitSC @ 21st Jul 11:20PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

no idea on the cause but to me it doesn't sound like a DSL issue...
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AdemoS @ 22nd Jul 12:30AM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Yeah, I think it may be software-related.

But I can't figure out where.

I am running Linux, but if anyone has Windows advice I can translate the commands to Linux.
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orion940 @ 23rd Jul 07:36AM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

It sounds like it's something to do with IRC. DCC is not intended for big files, nor is it the best file transfer program as it tends to be slow and error prone. I remember that speeds never were blazing using DCC and the did diminish over the length of the transfer.

Which IRC client are you using? Have you tried another IRC client? Do you have the right ports opened up etc for DCC, etc? Are you current with software levels?

O.
--
Nothing has more momentum than mass stupidity.
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AdemoS @ 23rd Jul 02:31PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

XDCC and DCC transfers in general functioned fine until recently. And when they functioned fine, in my experience, large files transfered fast and without errors.

It's just recently that I've had issues, and since the software didn't change, I was trying to determine the hardware side of things.

=============

I tested IRC with the following software:
- XChat
- Pidgin
- Konversation

I did open the standard port for IRC, 6667
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orion940 @ 23rd Jul 05:27PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

You've eliminated the ISP (speed is good for other stuff), IRC client (you've used a couple), IRC servers, so it maybe is something on your PC.

What changed, what updates did you put on just before the IRC issue started? What distro are you using?

O.
--
Nothing has more momentum than mass stupidity.
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AdemoS @ 23rd Jul 05:48PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Woah, I was suprised you knew the correct terminology of "distro." Do you use Linux yourself?

I'm running Ubuntu 9.04, the problem happened before I ran any updates. But I have ran updates since then with no change.

Nothing I can think of changed.
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orion940 @ 24th Jul 08:22AM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

When did it run well?
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AdemoS @ 24th Jul 02:35PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

When?

Well the reason I'm unable to track down the problem, is because I can't recall changing anything that might have caused this issue.

What I was hoping to find is some log or look-up method to determine if my settings were default. Such as a deleting a settings folder to reset the software back to defaults.

But since I don't know which piece of software might cause this bizarre IRC slowdown, I can't test that theory.
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orion940 @ 24th Jul 06:24PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Can you think of when you noticed it? Any hardware change, router firmware update, etc?

Does Ubuntu have a live CD with the version you installed? Or can you lay down the same version on some disk space somewhere and NOT put any updates on? Take all the defaults etc (in case you changed something) and do the IRC test.

If the same thing happens, you've now eliminated the software. If it works blazingly, you've narrowed it down to the software.

Keep in mind too, there are so many variables involved with IRC.... Networks, IRC hardware servers, software servers, and clients. Any one of them could change, and even though you might change IRC servers, there is always the ISP servers themselves. Also, on a given network software configuration might be replicated on all its servers, so changing servers might not matter. If you don't see any change with the Live CD, you probably going to be chasing smoke.

O.
--
Nothing has more momentum than mass stupidity.
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AdemoS @ 24th Jul 08:49PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Of course! Testing XDCC downloads on a live cd!

That would force defaults on everything!

Great idea Orion940, I'm surprised it didn't occur to me. I'll try that out and let you know the result.
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AdemoS @ 25th Jul 08:42PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Tonight I tried Orion940's Live-CD idea, and got an interesting result.

The same XDCC speed countdown, occured.

============

So, since the all-defaults Live-CD had the same issue, I can now say for sure, that my issue has nothing to do with the software on my end.

But now the question is, what's wrong with the hardware on my end, or the software on AT&T's end? Are they somehow throttling my XDCC downloads?

Any help would be appreciated.
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orion940 @ 26th Jul 08:18AM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

---- clip -----

....there are so many variables involved with IRC.... Networks, IRC hardware servers, software servers, and clients. Any one of them could change, and even though you might change IRC servers, there is always the ISP servers themselves. Also, on a given network software configuration might be replicated on all its servers, so changing servers might not matter. If you don't see any change with the Live CD, you probably going to be chasing smoke.

---- end clip -----

O.
--
Nothing has more momentum than mass stupidity.
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AdemoS @ 26th Jul 12:57PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

said by orion940 :

Also, on a given network software configuration might be replicated on all its servers, so changing servers might not matter.

What about changing networks?

If all network software was configured the same way (based on network rules) what if I tried XDCC on another network. Such as SynIRC instead of Rizon?

Do you think that such a test would be helpful?
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orion940 @ 27th Jul 08:13AM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

If you want to find where it is for your own edification, that's all well and good. However, you're probably at the point where nothing is going to get "fixed".

O.
--
Nothing has more momentum than mass stupidity.
reply

Voltron @ 30th Sep 12:03PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

Hello, AdemoS:

Did you ever find a solution to your speed drop problem? I recently had my broadband speed drop by 50% and I believe it is due to an AT&T push-install of a firmware/software upgrade to my 2Wire 2701HG-B modem. For two years, I was running firmware version 5.29.47 and on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, AT&T push-installed 5.29.109.5 and ever since then, my speed has dropped by 50% and my wireless clients are unable to connect to the 2Wire gateway modem. Nothing else changed; my systems are up-to-date and I run three layers of software-based security.

I would be interested if others are having this same problem and if we can trace it back to the push-install of the firmware by AT&T. Any other bits of information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

--Voltron
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AdemoS @ 30th Sep 12:39PM:
Re: [help] AT&T DSL Speed Drop

The speed drop could be caused by a firmware update.

But in my case, I'm using a 2Wire 1000-S so I think it's too old to receive any updates...
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