U-Verse slow download speeds

[pjmoses]

I have had a tech out here twice and they test the download speed using speedtest.net and it show around 5 Mbs.  When I try to actually download something, the fastest I get is about 750Kbs.  The techs that have been here say that is the true speed I am getting and I disagree.  Even on my PS3, the fastest download is under 800Kbs and I know the servers I connect can support downloads over 24Mbs.  I think that AT&T U-Verse is capping bandwidth on all downloads and letting speedtest.net through at full speed to make people believe that is what they are getting.  Even other speed test vary from 3Mbs to 750Kbs.  So they have some way of controlling the download bandwidth and not allowing the speeds I am paying for.  I can not get a straight answer from anyone at AT&T over the phone.  I know they are throttling the speed because the fastest I could download before when I had the 3Mbs plan, the downloads never went over 350Kbs.  They upped it to 6Mbs because of my complaint, but it still is not going as fast as it should, now a max of 750Kbs on any download, except on speedtest.net, which I think they allow through to fool people into thinking they are really getting that kind of speed.  My question is, how many people out there have the same problem, and is it fixable through the 2wire router?  Before, when I had just DSL service with them @ 6Mbs, I was getting very fast downloads from the same sites that now only go up to 750Kbs.  So is there anything I can do on my side to speed it up?  I have my U-Verse TV DVR off when I try downloading and that does nothing to speed things along.  How do you get someone to understand that I am only getting about 15% of the speed I pay for?

[erazoner]

http://forums.att.com/t5/High-Speed-Internet-Access/Help-with-speed-problems/td-p/2662389 Try what others have tried before you accuse AT&T of throttling.

[pjmoses]

I have already read that and have that program, but it is greek to me.  What I am talking about is how the techs say it is fine just because speedtest.net runs fast.  That is the only site that shows a download speed at the rate I am supposed to get.  They said there is nothing wrong and I know better.  I can not get anyone to look into it because all they consider is speedtest.net.  They all say it is the site I am trying to download from and my PS3 runs the same slow speed, 750Kbs, knowing there servers run way higher than that for downloads.  So, yes, I am saying AT&T has got something on my account that prevents downloads at the speed I pay for.  If I could ever get someone with the proper knowledge to look into it, they might find a wire messed up or something not right somewhere, but they say I have to pay for it.  It is not my equipment and should not have to pay for a tech when it is on their side that is causing it.

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Expert · Accepted solution]

You are confusing bits and bytes.

Speedtest.net measures your bandwidth in megabits per second, referred to with a lowercase 'b'.

Downloads on your computer display the download speed in megabytes per second, referred to with an uppercase 'B'.

The difference is a factor of 8.

Correctly working service should be as follows:

Pro: 3 Mb/s package, should read 2.8 Mb/s on speedtest.net, 350 KB/sec on downloads.

Elite: 6 Mb/s package, should read 5.6 Mb/s on speedtest.net, 700 KB/sec on downloads.

Max: 12 Mb/s package, shoudl read 11.2 Mb/s on speedtest.net, 1.4 MB/sec on downloads.

[pjmoses]

It sure seemed faster when I had DSL @ 6 Gbs than U-Verse downloads, but I guess you know your stuff.  Thanks for clearing that up.  It just seems very slow for a 6Mb speed to download @ 750Kb.

[Taylarie]

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to post your comments and opinions related to this topic. This topic has been thoroughly discussed and will now be closed.