Connection throttleing or firmware issue

[SimonG]

Hi,

I have been doing various experiments with the Three 5G Hub because I am not capable to get a data rate in download beyond 120Mbps while before I was capable to get to 350Mbps. I use a Zyxel 5103E firmware release V.1.00b14. I have 2 identical hub (because both I got them from different contract) and even if I seap the sim I got the same data rate (120 mbps) even if the signal is excellent. Ofc the customer assistance told me to reset the devices and I did it, same result. The other day I put the sim card on a 5G phone and guess what? I got my 350mps. So the things can be only the following:

- The mobile phone picks a cell which has more capacity but the modem doesn't 

- The firmware is not working properly due to a bug

- The new firmware is intentionally throttling the data rates.

Can I please get some serious support by a competent technician? This things is really annoying and I don't think I can recommend to someone else to use Three at this stage. I feel fooled because clearly something is going on here.

[sc1999]

Please remember that just because you get 350 on your phone does not mean that you will get 350 broadband. I believe that a certain amount of bandwidth will be allocated to phone connections and some to broadband. As phones use less bandwidth more users can connect to the tower before contention ratio has an effect. Less broadband users can register for the obvious reason. All of the networks have sold broadband capacity faster than they can install more. Have you wondered why EE now other phone airtime with speed limits? If you were an early adopter of 5g on a tower the speeds would have been very high but dropped over time as more people connected. Bandwidth is finite and only increases if the network thinks that the increased investment is worthwhile.

However, there is a question that I cannot answer. Does the router or the sim tell the network what is being connected? I ask because I don't know what happens when your insert a phone sim into a router. Does the network says: ah! a phone sim or ah! a broadband router? If it says phone then why not buy an unlimited phone sim and stick it in the router so you can get phone speeds. We need someone with phone and broadband, but with different speeds, to test it out.

[SimonG]

Hi,

Thanks for replaying. Traffic data is traffic data, no matter what device you use. If the contract says you are entitled for that capability, you should get that capability regardless the type of the device if the device has the possibility to tx and rx with the supported data rate (obviously). If the router and the mobile phone say that support 5G variant X, I expect that they will be capable to accomplish their mission, this is why standards exists :). I have an unlimited 5G sim that fits in the router and also on the mobile phone because I had it with my 5G hub . It is a matter of firmware in this case or functionalities to limit the traffic or simply a new bad driver. Until few weeks ago I was capable to get the right data amount from the modem as well. Something changed and I don't understand on which side. If the mobile phone gets with the same sim to higher data rate in the same moment of the day, then something dodgy is happening in the modem. We need clarification. I also tried 2 of them, same model and drivers, same result.

[Mattyk66]

Hi All, just to say I am in exactly the position. I live right next to the 5G mast in my area, literally 30meters away. When I first went with three 5G broadband in October 2022, up until November 2023, I was hitting anything from 600 to 900mbps download, all the time, even peak hours, I still have all the results recorded on my ookla speed test app/account.

In November, disney plus stopped loading on my TV stating I was out of region, nothing I did/changed could get it to load so contacted three, who advised they had made some changes to my account and restart my router and try again. Sure enough disney loaded, but from that point on my download speed is stuck at 120mbps, won't go any higher. It jumps to 400mbps when the speed test starts and then quickly drops down to 120mbps and stays there, clearly they are throttling and limiting the download speed. 

I contacted them on multiple occasions over the next few months and they were giving me all sorts of excuses and said they had changed settings and to try again, and another said they were working in the area but it would be back to normal in a month. I speed test every week and nothing has changed, stuck on 120. I have had a month refunded and a month half price but all this time they are still claiming they do not limit the download speeds which is obviously absolute rubbish.

As someone else has mentioned, when I do a speedtest on my phone, and I'm also with three, I still hit the usual 500mbps, nothing has changed with my phone, just my broadband from November onwards. 

At the time I googled and couldn't find any posts on this so thought it was just an issue in my area, but after a speed test earlier, stuck on my 120, I googled and found this. Now I know this is happening to others I am going to contact them again and keep up the fight!

For those that want to leave three, due to the speed decreases, who are stuck in contract, they agreed with me that I could leave with no charges due to the change in service. When you first sign up, you get 30days no quibble trial to see how it works and what speeds you get and you can send back if you not happy. So, if the speeds you are getting now, do not match the ones when you first got it, you can argue this and say you want to leave without a charge!