Slow Download speed Internet Bluecurve 600 - not fibre

[RW9]

Described below is a more detailed description for this:  Download from Microsoft Onedrive - 1 MB/s (8 Mbps)  and Download from Google Drive - 75MB/s (600 Mbps).  What is happening?

I have been having huge slowness problems for a while now so I did a simple test before I contacted Shaw Support.  I put a file on OneDrive and timed the download.  A 57Mb file takes me around 45 seconds on Ethernet or Wi-Fi on multiple devices and multiple browsers (cell on Wi-Fi, laptop on Wi-Fi, iPad, PC directly connected to the modem/router with CAT6 cabler.  The same file in the same location for anyone I know is about 1-2 seconds.  A friend on Shaw 300 (not fibre) downloads it so fast it is hard to time.  We also tested a file from SharePoint online.  He is so fast and I am so slow.  The Shaw speed test shows 600MBps download and 100 upload but the file I am downloading is getting about 10MBps max (usually around 800kbps in the performance monitor or on the Edge download bar). 

I reset the router so there was nothing on Wi-Fi and only my PC connected directly to the router.  Same issue.  If I use my cell data and download to my phone it is a bout 4 seconds.  About the same if I set my cell up as a hotspot and download it to any of the devices.  At a Shaw Go hot spot in our neighborhood it is about 10 seconds. 

One test I did was sign up for NordVPN and installed on one of my devices.  The speed test is slower because it is a VPN, but the file downloads in about 1.5 seconds.  Then I tried the same file on Google Drive without the VPN.  It was fast.  My work computer on a Cisco VPN is bad for everything including the Shaw Speed Test.  Only 12 download.  Upload is 100.  It is connected by ethernet  Anything from Microsoft sites seem to be slow and it is what I use at home and at work.  It appears that the download bandwidth for some sites are being drastically reduced.  Uploads are fine.

2 Shaw techs online and a service call to my home.  Service guy changed almost everything including the connections on the coax cables in my house and my router (so new IP address).  Shaw speed test still shows amazing speed.  Both online techs did troubleshooting, but then told me I am getting what I paid for and tried to leave it at that.  Supervisor called me back because I requested and said he would look into it but I haven't heard back yet.

Anyone have any trouble shooting ideas?  I live in Somerset in Calgary.  I have also tried changing to another DNS.  Tech told me they were not willing to test another account at my home address or test a fibre account or even do a download test with me.  I don't know if any of my neighbors are using Shaw so I haven't asked them to help test yet.  

Any Suggestions would be welcome.

Thank you.

[mdk]

@RW9 --  I live in Somerset in Calgary.  

Perhaps, one of the Microsoft servers is on the USA west coast, and one is in the USA, south-east from Winnipeg.

With all the devastation and washed-out roads (and network cables) in British Columbia, and you in Calgary, it is possible that your Internet packets to California are currently routed to Winnipeg or Montreal (on Shaw's cables), and then cross-border, then across the USA to California.

[RW9]

Thanks for the reply mdk.  It was happening long before the floods.  Also, a friend on Shaw 300 in Calgary close to downtown has no issue or the Shaw hotspot down the street from my home.  Just seems to be Shaw from my home in the South.  It could be a routing issue.  I could try a tracert at home then at the Shaw hotspot to see if they run the same way.  If they seem too different, I could mention it to Shaw.  Also with the VPN test I was connecting to a server in Vancouver.  If the lines were down I would expect it would take even longer.  Uploads are fine though, way faster than downloads.  I would guess that would be an issue too.  I am no expert so please correct me if I am off base.  I am trying to look through some of the other posts to see if I can find someone with similar issues.  Thanks again.

[mdk]

@RW9 --  Only 12 download.  Upload is 100. Uploads are fine though, way faster than downloads.

That is an indication that something is wrong. Via online chat (or telephone) ask a Shaw Agent to remotely connect to your cable-modem, to view the "signal-strength", and other values, reaching your modem. Being "out-of-spec" can cause such strange results.

>  I have also tried changing to another DNS.  

That should not make a difference. Once a DNS-server has returned an IP-address for a host-name, e.g,. use "69.192.84.76" to contact "onedrive.microsoft.com", the DNS-server is not part of any communications nor speed-test.

Yes, if you & your friend run TRACERT from various locations (your home, his home, a ShawGo access-point, free WiFi at Starbucks), it might be helpful.  Also, run the Shaw SpeedTest at those locations.

[RW9]

Thanks  @mdk

I will reach out to Shaw again on Monday.  I think the Shaw techs checked the signal strength and everything was OK.  2 online techs, one service tech in my home and one supervisor all looked at it.  I will try to get out and do some tracert tests.  

I think we can eliminate a few things being a problem.  Let me know if you disagree.

1.  My devices.  They are all having problems but only at home and work on other networks such as a cell data hot spot or Go Wifi hotspot.

2.  My file.  It works for others on the Shaw network and also for me on other networks.  Other files are an issue.  Currently the file is a .mp4 but I have tried different files as well (jpg, exe, zip).  Always only trying one file not multiple.

Unsure of:

3.  Modem - It has been changed and so has my IP.

4.  My account/plan.  If someone on on Shaw 300 is way faster, would it be work getting them to try to temporarily change me to Shaw 300?  Not sure what provisioning the modem means, but if it there is an issue with settings for the 600 plan, maybe they will be something different on the 300 plan.  I am just scared the it my reduce my speed even further.

5.  My neighborhood.  Going to try to find a few neighbors that have Shaw to see if they can help me out.  

Thanks again.

[RW9]

@mdk one quick question.  If my uploads are OK.  Is doing a tracert useful? 

Thanks.

[mdk]

@RW9 --  Not sure what provisioning the modem means.

It means the configuration that Shaw provides to your cable-modem, to tell it to "throttle" your speeds to match the speeds that you have contracted to receive. The older cable-modems could be provisioned to many speeds including 10 or 300 or 600 for download, and up to 15 Mbps for upload. The BlueCurve modem can be provisioned for many speeds, including 500 or 750 or 1000 or 1500 for download. For those speeds, uploads are set to 100 Mbps.

> If someone on on Shaw 300 is way faster, would it be work getting them to try to temporarily change me to Shaw 300? 

Shaw may question why you want to do that, with your current modem, but if you insist, my guess is that they will do so, but I doubt that it prove anything.

When everything is "good" (e.g., clean signalling), "Shaw 300" will be slower than any higher-speed plan.  But, that's not your situation -- you have something wrong. To compare, if your automobile has a dead battery, it does not mean that your friend has a dead battery in their automobile. The two vehicles are different. The connectivity from your home to the Shaw office in Calgary is different from your friend's home to the same Shaw office.

The only question is where your "bottleneck" is:

• inside the walls of your home
• from Shaw's "demarcation box" on the outside wall of your home to the nearest telephone-pole,
• Shaw's infrastructure up-and-down your street, for your neighbours who use Shaw,
• further away (land-slides in B.C.) -- not likely, since your upload speeds are fine.

Using TRACERT should be helpful, especially to compare with the results with your "close to downtown Calgary" friend, when tracing to the same IP-address.

When you use "data" on your smart-phone, you will be using a different network-path, which bypasses your cable-modem, and the Shaw infrastructure.  So, different results are to be expected. 

[rickatk]

Have you tried downloading from a different server. Do you have Google Drive you could try?

I like MDK’s idea of asking Shaw to reprovision your modem. That step often gets overlooked.

BTW: There is no difference between fibre 300, 600, 1.5Gig etc. Those are the latest marketing names assigned by Shaw. It’s all Fibre these days except for perhaps what they call the last mile to your place.  Regardless, you should be getting faster performance with those file downloads.

[RW9]

Hi @rickatk 

Yes,  I have tried Google drive.  I get about 75Mbps on Google drive.  For Microsoft sites like OneDrive - 1Mbps,  SharePoint - 1 Mbps.  Website and apps on multiple devices.  Almost everything I work with day to day is either OneDrive or SharePoint.  I have also tried other files from different sites and get mixed results as well.  If I connect using Nordvpn, everything is good on all sites.  On my work vpn, nothing is good.  My thought is if we can solve it for this one file with no vpn and my pc connected directly to the modem, it will most likely be solved for everything. 

I am 90% sure Shaw has reprovisioned my modem.  I will ask them again on Monday when I call.

I didn't want to call this weekend.  The call ends up turning into an argument with them denying there is an issue and I needed a break.  The staff has been friendly and professional for the most part, but when they couldn't solve it they just tried to give up.

I am software support person so I understand.  Things can be difficult to solve at times.  That is why I am trying to narrow it down for them.  I usually try to eliminate what I can and narrow the problem down bit by bit.  I don't really know my neighbors well enough to ask if I can come into their home and use their internet if they have Shaw but I think I am going to have to knock on some doors.  I can do some trouble shooting, but network or internet trouble shooting is not in my comfort zone.

Thank you.

[rickatk]

I would let Shaw do the troubleshooting. That is what you pay the big bucks for. Make Shaw make it right. I am sure they will fix it.