Download speed drops

[DoubleP]

My 1 Gb download speed regularly goes down to 550 Mb, and seemed to be limited there until I restart my modem.  It stays fine for a few days, but eventually seemingly goes back to the 550 Mb limits...  restarting the modem re-established the download speed I am subscribed for...  anyone else noticed this issue?

[BellNick]

Hi there @3GBit_client 
We'd like to have this looked into and have sent you a private message.
Please check your Messages within your profile avatar in the top right corner.
Unsure how to check or send a private message? See How to send a private message

[3GBit_client]

@BellNick:  I tried to send you a message and had this error: "You have reached the limit for number of private messages that you can send for now. Please try again later."  I just deleted the other 3 messages I had in my inbox and I'll try again later.  Thanks for following up.

[Kishan]

@BellPatricia My internet speed has never gone above 200mbps on my 1.5gbps plan. I have tried everything including repairs reboots and speedtests on different sites including bell app.

[Vanadiel]

Perform speed test from within the modem and post results here.

[Vereldor]

Hi @BellPatricia, I'm having similar issues where my speed has went from 3 gigabit down to 1.1 gigabit (or lower) multiple times in the past few months. (My upload speeds are fine though).  Every time to get it fixed, I had to call into the support line and spend a few hours with them.

Speed tests from my modem show this:

[BellPatricia]

Hey there @Vereldor,

Welcome to the Bell community 🙂

We would be happy to take a look at this for you. I have reached out via private message to get more information. Please check your Messages within your profile avatar in the top right corner.

Unsure how to check or send a private message? See How to send a private message

@BellPatricia 

[MikeyG]

Perhaps @BellPatricia can contact me too. I'm considering moving my service away from Bell. I have a 3Gb service too which was terrific at the start. However, now (10 months later) I typically get 500Mbps down and 750Mbp up. It's disappointing that my service has degraded, yet I've had TWO price increases (without explanation) throughout this same time. So the end result is a higher price and less service than what I originally signed up for. 

[Carbon14]

I thought I'd follow-up on my post for those who are interested.

A few days after, still noodling on the sudden speed drop, I called Bell Tech Support. Long story, short: first the Tech said my speed is not affected by the fact there are other Fibe users online (sorry @Vanadiel but that's a holdover from the cable days). Then he did numerous tests which verified I had the right serice profile and that I was 3Gbps into the modem, which should net me approx 2.5Gbps over my Cat5E/Cat6/Cat7 network (I was getting a constant 2.35 Gbps prior to whatever has happened). He could not explain why I was suddenly getting only 1.8Gbps post-modem. He ordered me a new modem and a Bell Service Tech arrived the next afternoon. After installation: no change. The Tech was flabbergasted. He said he'd had a lot of calls regarding speed and that the only thing he was able to do, was replace the modem and made sure it had the current firmware.

Which leads me to my new theory 😛 If I am getting 3Gbps in but only 1.8 Gbps out, maybe this is due to the last firmware update, a glitch?

In any case, I'm going to live with it for now but if Bell puts my rate up again in the next year (they did it 60 days into my initial service already!!), with this speed I'll be better off with someone else for a lower price.

C14

[Vanadiel]

Well I disagree on the Tech stating speed is not affected by the fact there are other fibe users online.

Traffic Management Policy Bell 

You would not have congestion if other fibe users truly do not affect your speed. I can almost guarantee what you are experiencing is congestion, because your profile speed test is providing you with the correct speed, yet your internet speed is not able to always reach that connection speed.

Most of the network facilities that make up the Internet are shared by many users at the same time. This is also true for the network facilities we use for our Internet Services. While we are constantly investing in our network in order to ensure a high-quality Internet service, significant increases in traffic demand may occasionally result in congestion on our shared networks.

We have designed our Internet quality management system to minimize the impact for most users during congestion periods. This system identifies types of Internet traffic that are more sensitive to congestion and delays and prioritizes that traffic when necessary. Internet traffic is identified and, if necessary, prioritized based on four groups:

"You may notice a decrease in download/upload speeds if you are using non-time-sensitive applications until the temporary network congestion has passed."

[Carbon14]

I'm not sure - and I am not trying to offend you. Please take the conversation lightly. I respect your position. 

But the hiccup in the congestion theory is simple: if it were true, hypothetically at 3am I should be getting higher speeds then, say, 6pm or 8pm. But I'm not. Instead I get the same (lower) speed *all the time.*

"Traffic demand may occasionally result in congestion" implies there will be highs and lows, so to speak. I simply have had a permanent and persistent drop of more than 500Mbps, each day every day, since August. So while what you've posted is possibly true, it's not explaining what I am describing, my experience.

Peace.

C14 

[Vanadiel]

No offense taken. I have the same issue with my upstream only, never goes above 400 Mbps. It used to provide exactly 942 Mbps for the first year I had the service.

I tried everything, including removing my home hub completely and run directly from the GPON. Always limited to 400 Mbps. It has to be traffic management or a hardware problem on Bell's side. Cannot be the home hub in my scenario because it's sitting on the shelve...

I did hear through the grapevine that during Covid there was such a big explosion in internet traffic as everybody was stuck/working from home, that apparently they implemented some kind of compression technology to increase capacity of the existing network. The fact it only affects my upstream while my downstream is exactly 1500 Mbps leads me to believe the compression system could also be a culprit.

I have given up on the issue as I have ruled out everything on my end and have ruled out the home hub. I have no issue running 10/10 Gbps internally, so I know for sure I can reach the required upload speed.

[Carbon14]

😉

"It has to be traffic management or a hardware problem on Bell's side"
I lean to "hardware" in this but I could stand firm with "on Bell's side"

The challenge to solving this problem is: the Techs and the wonderful Moderators, here, all treat the problem respectfully, urgently, but singularly. What if everyone's problem -- yours, mine, theirs -- is not singular but systemic?

Anyhow -- we'll see what happens.

[3GBit_client]

As a follow-up for other members, note the following solution to my problem:

"Hi there @3GBit_client
Our support team has indicated: This is a known bug with the speed test of the modem. You can validate that you are indeed getting the correct speeds for your package by running a 3rd party speed test like Ookla. In this case you need a 10Gbps capable device wired to the 10Gbps port of the modem. This bug will be fixed in a future firmware update."

I can confirm that by saturating the connecting with multiple devices, my speed is in fact slightly >3.0GBps.

---

@3GBit_client wrote:

Hello @BellPatricia  & @BellNick, 

I'm also having a similar issue.  This is not the first time, as it happened last year as well but it was eventually fixed. 

I'm subscribed to the 3.0 gbps service but my service does not achieve this speed on the Gigahub download speed test. My service was good in the past clocking in at 3.25/3.22 Gbit.  You can see my most recent Gigahub test results below.  I tried to reset the modem several times and this did not make any difference.  Could you please look into this issue for me?  Thank you kindly.

History
Delete history
Date / Time Traffic blocked Latency Downstream speed Upstream speed

2024-10-03 17:43:44	Yes	2 Milliseconds	1,66 Gbit/s	3,21 Gbit/s
2024-10-03 17:42:56	Yes	2 Milliseconds	2,63 Gbit/s	3,20 Gbit/s
2024-09-30 23:06:51	Yes	1 Milliseconds	2,25 Gbit/s	3,21 Gbit/s
2024-09-30 23:02:26	Yes	1 Milliseconds	1,44 Gbit/s	3,21 Gbit/s
2024-09-30 23:01:32	Yes	1 Milliseconds	2,71 Gbit/s	3,21 Gbit/s
2024-09-30 22:59:31	Yes	1 Milliseconds	1,99 Gbit/s	3,20 Gbit/s
2023-11-17 11:49:23	Yes	1 Milliseconds	3,25 Gbit/s	3,22 Gbit/s

---

[xenago]

Unfortunately for me the speed really is very slow while the issue occurs. My entire network is 10gig so I notice immediately whenever the profile is broken.

[Unfair]

I have been using bell for more than decades.  Two months ago, my internet service suddenly kept on dropping on me.  I called Bell, the representative sent out a replacement of HH4000 modem.  I gave it a tried for another 3 weeks, this time didn't drop, but the speed is,extremely slow.  I couldn't even upload an Excel Sheet for more than 9/10 times.  My connection didn't drop, but in less than 300mb speed,unsteady,  unreliable.  I'm paying for 3.0G.  And if I were getting that speed, it must be only every once in a while.  The call center is useless. They changed my wifi name and setting without my consent. I was very upset, and told them stop changing my setting without asking me.  And they said they wouldn't and they did it again.  How come bell hires this type of person as an employee.   Bell is an old company,  i really love the company, otherwise i wouldn't be with bell for more than 20 years.  But now, bell is no longer good, whether the service or the employees.  The technician came finally, he said, "I couldn't find the problem,  but the line is too slow.  I don't know how to fix it, all I could do is to replace what i could replace from the line, box, to the jack,  and cable line, power line, etc."  He asked me if i agreed to lower the speed, so that the line would have been more steady.  Can you believe that?  I have been using the same speed that i have been paying for years without any problems,  suddenly bell technician told me to reduce the speed to get the steadiness by paying the same amount of bill. So ridiculous, i refused,  i said i needed to talk to bell center.   Within a few sec, the technician knew he was on the wrong track, and he told me that was only a suggestion.  Now, the,problem isnt fixed, he teamed up with the bell representative who changed my line without my consent.  I said I would have to look for changing another internet service supplier if tmr technician couldn't solve a problem.  He said "have a good night" and hanged up.  Lousy service, doesn't worth the money,  problem never be fixed, make changes without having a consent from the customer, didn't understand what a customer is asking, this is Bell.  Our Canada most reliable network until it isn't anymore.