Could I have screwed up my 3G settings?

[caltino]

I have an 8525 with a WM 6 rom (by ATT, picked up here). I have customized everything I got my hands on here.

I have a 3g connection using ATT's network, but the good speeds that I used to see have recently become terrible. I'm wondering if it could be my phone- either due to my screwing up a setting or just deterioration. I'm in the Raleigh/Durham area in NC, USA that has good coverage.

Using dslreports speed test, I used to see 450 Kb/s or more but now, I barely get 150 kb/s. That's Edge level and it drops below that all the time too. I've seen as low as 60 Kb/s- that's old time modem speed!

Before you ask, I am pretty sure that I am connecting through 3G- first of all, I see the 3G icon when I connect. I also have switched to edge manually and saw the E icon (with bandswitch). I got an ATT rep (who had a new blackberry) to connect and try the speed test, and he got great speeds, right next to me, so I know it's not about the spot I was at (besides I get these awful speeds wherever I go). My wife has an old iphone and gets the same speeds as I do.

I am wondering if this plan has become speed limited somehow? Or could I have used too much bandwith and been capped to low speeds? Is there such a thing? I use wmwifirouter and a usb cable to tether my laptop, but I don't stream or anything. I am careful about my usage (monitored) and it never got to a 1 GB per month.


Any ideas on how I can check? I am hesitant to go to an ATT store, since in my experience they are not real experts and I don't want them messing around with my phone/account, taking away the smartphone connect plan and making me pay for a pda connect plan or something.

Is there a setting in WM that I could have screwed up? I did use the gprs auto disconnect registry tweak, but I don't think that's the cause.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[jinner]

when did you do the test on dslreports? a few days ago I had the same problem. slow speed result. I took out my sim, put it in my 3g usb modem, got blazing speeds sitting in the same spot.

tried again later at night on my tytn again, speed went back up. maybe dslreports was being wonky during that time frame?

also, blackberry's I believe compress data so their speed tests are off. AFAIK

[caltino]

Thanks for writing. This is not a new issue for me, I've been watching the speed get bad for a while- I've used dslreports on and off for the last couple of months, checking the speed. The only thing I did recently was get someone else with 3g to test their speed for comparison. In dslreports, using the simple speed test, it used to tell me that the 100 KB file was too small (I was too fast) and I needed to try a larger file, like 1MB. Now it takes me 5-6 seconds to get that 100 KB file.

I'm curious if ATT might be capping speeds, since I tether my laptop every once in a while. Still, as I said earlier, I was always careful about my bandwidth usage. I'm trying to isolate the problem, so that I go to ATT as a last resort to complain about the speed, since they'll probably want to change my plan to PDA connect.

[ultramag69]

Did you ever stop to consider that may be why your speed is being cut back?????
I found with my parents internet connection, they were using dial-up (I know stone age but it was enough for them) and Telstra in Australia let the speed go fine while under contract but as soon as the contract was up it was disconnection after disconnection, they were plastering my parents to go with broadband and when they discovered that they couldn't, with satelite.
We changed them to another company but as soon as the contract period was up, guess what, same problem.

ATT might be doing the same to you to get the shits with the plan you're on and upgrade or move to another plan.

Just a thought...;)

[caltino]

Well, they haven't pestered me for anything and I've not heard them limit speeds like this- but that's why I posted, to see if anyone had any experience with it. Lots of people use the setup that I have, so someone else should know something.