Fios Download Speed Less Than Half of Subscription Speed

[bijom9561]

I am supposed to  have 200/200 Fios speeds but independent speed test sites are showing download speeds less than half of what I'm paying for. The strange part is that the independent sites are in agreement with the Verizon speed test on upload speeds running at over 200Mbps. 

I've talked to Verizon tech support who test router speed from their end and they claim seeing  over 200Mbps for both uploads and downloads. I was told that, to get optimal speeds, I might need at least a CAT 5e ethernet cable, which I am currently using so that shouldn't be an issue. 

But if both the Verizon speed test and the independent sites are showing the same 200Mbps upload speeds why would data going in the opposite direction be that much slower based on independent site readings -- are there two channels in the cable that would work differently? Or is Verizon throttling the download speeds to cut corners?

[jonjones1]

It has been said here on many occasions that Verizon does not "throttle" 

there can be other reasons dealing with the router or congestion etc.

Why would they cut corners? 

You could try rebooting your router, and all of your devices and even the ONT to see if that helps.

Is the issue you are having consistent all the time? Certain times of day? Using a certain device? 

Just start by using one device at a time and test out the speeds. But NOT UNDER WIFI 

Since Verizon uses a proprietary network its quite common for them to show great numbers.

[bijom9561]

The Verizon tech support folks have done repeated rebootings in the three weeks since I've gotten their upgraded Fios service (I had 50/50 Fios service prior to that) and it hasn't improved download speeds. FWIW, I'm using the latest Verizon router and the appropriate cable. I'm also using an ethernet connection, not wi-fi, in order to run the speed tests. The download speeds (they can be all over the map -- from 90 Mbps to 5 Mbps -- on successive log-ins to the net) are always slower than the upload speed no matter what time of day I'm on the internet. And I only have one computer, so it's not competing with other devices.

As for your question: Why would they cut corners? Maybe it relieves pressure on their network if they haven't invested in enough download bandwidth?

[Edg1]

Do you have another ethernet cable to test with? Or even another computer? Or both? It honestly could be the NIC or the cable. If VZ is testing 200/200 than it's right. They have a dedicated server to test to the router. Try connecting to the wifi next to the router and make sure you're connected to the 5GHz and test. You should easily get 200/200 while on the 5GHz band. 

[gs0b · Accepted solution]

What does the Verizon speed test site show for downloads?  If it's 200+, it's unlikely Verizon will do anything, as the issue is outside of their network.  If their test shows poor speeds, they should pay attention to the data.

I use a variety of speed test sites and get results all over the map.  I find http://fast.com to be the most reliable, especially if I up the number of connections. Another good way to test is to transfer a large file between your computer and a server with good connectivity (Google drive, Drop Box, e.t.c.).  I also watch the Windows Task manager to see instantaneous "wire speed" during tests, which often varies from the speed reported by the speed test sites.

Your computer and network interface can also contribute to widely varying speeds, especially if it's an older model.

For the record, I've been a Fios user for over a decade and have consistently gotten speeds consistent with what I pay for.  Even with gigabit service.  Sure, it varies during the day due to network congestion, but I've never observed anything that suggests Verizon is throttling me.

You also asked about Ethernet cables.  Yes, they have separate wires for each direction.  Two pairs (four wires) per receive and transmit; for a total of four pairs (eight wires) in a cable.  It is entirely possible to have damaged cable where only one direction is affected.  If you haven't tried another cable, now is a good time to do that.

[Cang_Household]

For a 200/200 (de facto 300/300) subscription, you can use the WiFi to test your speeds. You don't even need WiFi 6 from the G3100 to achieve over 300/300, WiFi 5 on the G1100 is perfectly fine for that. Given these and we are suspecting your wired system is having issues, you can try to use a phone to test the speeds wirelessly for now.

I just did a random speed test using Measurement Lab. I got the following results on an IPhone SE 2020 on WiFi 5 from a G1100 sitting two walls away. G1100 is acting on layer 2 only and uplinks to the core switch through MoCA 2.0 unbonded. It is concurrently passing 11 FHD camera streams from MoCA to two Ethernet-connected NVRs. Notice the ping time is 8ms, which can be dissected into 3ms for wireless, 3ms for MoCA, and 2ms for NAT and Verizon network (agree with 2.4ms ping on my Cisco router).

M-Lab Random Speed Test

My household has 500/500. 

[jonjones1]

Another thing you can try is asking tech support to get engineering involved to see if you are indeed provisioned correctly. When I went to gigabit service it was uneven and two days later it was actually 940/880 on the internet connection. Verizon states “up to” those speeds but does not guarantee them.

there is also a possibility that even the weather affects the test results. And over crowding the line due to other customers.

years ago when I used cable internet my speeds with the best equipment went down every night. I knew the engineer personally since he was at my house for months. It turns out a guy was using a server (I think file sharing) and after warning him over and over and not getting no where the shut him down and cut every connection he could possible obtain.

but like I said doubtful Verizon would throttle you. I think it’s just bad provisioning.