ULTRAFAST FIBRE GIGABIT SERVICETroubleshooting Guide

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SUMMARYFACTORS TO CONSIDERRECOMMENDED QUESTIONS FOR RSP FAULT AGENTSOTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER

SUMMARYSome consumers of Gigabit products experience frustration when their services do not reach the maximum provisioned traffic speed of 1GB download, or 500MB upload.

Ultrafast Fibre (UFF) have some useful suggestions for understanding and improving the Gigabit product experience, including factors that can affect network speed, simple things to check, and some handy troubleshooting tips for RSPs to try with the End User.

FACTORS TO CONSIDEREnd User education is critical to a successful Gigabit experience. Due to the speed thresholds involved, there are a few more variables that can significantly impact the experience.

• The Residential Gateway (RGW) or Wi-Fi Router must be a model that is suitable for a Gigabit product.

• Some laptops or PCs may have a Network Interface Controller card that cannot process data at 1 GB.

• Configuration options in some older versions of operating systems (e.g. Windows 7) and web browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer) can cause speed throttling.

• Due to the limitations of Wi-Fi technology, it can be difficult to achieve Gigabit speeds over a wireless connection. A direct network cable can help overcome the limitations of Wi-Fi and provide as close to 1GB speeds as possible.

• For the best network performance, ensure the laptop power supply is functioning well and is providing the right amount of power. Some laptops reduce the network interface performance when running on battery. Keep your laptop plugged in for top performance.

• Firewalls, VPNs and anti-virus software can impact the ability to achieve 1GB, but these services provide security features that you may not want to operate without.

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If your End User thinks your broadband is slower than normal, please investigate these possible causes before giving the UFF NOC a call.

The quoted speed for your plan isthe speed cap configured for your plan- actual speeds will vary depending on things like how many other people areusing the internet and which sites or

services you’re using.

1. Have you tried resetting your RGW to factory settings and starting it up from scratch?

2. Have you added any new equipment or made changes to your network? E.g. extension cables, switches, computer hardware, filters, etc.? If so, try removing this from the environment. If this resolves the issue there is most likely a fault with the new equipment.

3. Have you installed any new software on your computer recently? E.g. firewall, antivirus software, Windows update, etc.?

4. Are you using any peer-to-peer programs or software that automatically uploads and downloads from the internet?

5. Have you scanned your computer for spyware, adware and viruses?

6. Are you connecting wirelessly? If so, try using an Ethernet cable connection to see if your speed improves.

7. Have you tried an Isolation Test (below) to determine if the speed issue is caused by your hardware?

8. Is the Ethernet Cable used between ONT and RGW, and from RGW to PC either Cat5e or Cat6?

If you’ve eliminated all possible causes in the above list and you’re still experiencing a slow broadband connection, the RSP will need to investigate further.

Isolation test: Complete 3x speed tests over a 24-hourperiod, at least 6 hours apart and note down all results.

Include details of the issue you are experiencing, troubleshooting steps you have taken and your speed test results in each of your query.

RECOMMENDED QUESTIONS FOR RSP FAULT AGENTS

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Capacity Also known as congestion, internet capacity is affected by the available bandwidth. The time of day you use the Internet can affect the speed – we see the traffic on our network peak in the afternoon when school finishes and at the end of the work day.

Hardware and softwareOld computers and software can affect broadband performance and slow things down. Ensure that the following regular maintenance is done:

• Update the internet browser.

• Clean out old software you no longer use.

• Consider expanding your computer’s RAM - this can often help improve performance.

• Update your security software.

• Update your wireless device software and drivers.

Wi-Fi Connecting a number of devices to your Wi-Fi simultaneously can slow your broadband speed if you have limited capacity. If you have multiple Wi-Fi devices using your network connection, consider upgrading to a high performance Wi-Fi router with multiple antennae and capacity. If Wi-Fi performance is limiting your experience, this can really help a lot.

Your proximity to the Wi-Fi device can also have an impact.

You may also need to consider the capacity of the wireless networking components of your computer/devices.

The other end of the connectionAnother factor to consider is the capacity of the website or internet service you are connecting to. International connections, the capacity of their connections and the content you are accessing, can all affect the quality of your broadband experience.

TechnologyGPON technology uses a light signal to transmit data over a fibre optic cable to and from your house. It provides ultra-fast and ultra-consistent speeds because light signals are not impacted by distance or interference in the same manner as other methods of delivery.

Other users on your networkIf several people in your home share the same connection at the same time, the internet performance can suffer. If for example, someone in the home is watching a video or downloading large files, their device will be using a lot of bandwidth and any other devices on the network accessing the internet will be left using the remaining bandwidth.

You can also check if other users on your network may be using internet services beyond the needs of their device - for example, a person on your network could be streaming very high resolution video onto a small screen device. If they reduce the quality of the video it could still look the same, but free up a significant chunk of your bandwidth.

OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER

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