Baffling connection problem to LG smart TV

[Ronthechippy]

Here goes......

Internet connection with FTTP. 100Mbps
LG smart TV worked ok with old 80Mbps BT contract (no TV buffering).

Now that Vodafone BB is working well, the connection speed measured on the TV is up to 20Mbps and normally around 8Mbps (TV buffers).

I get the same results when:
Connected by ethernet cable to the Vodafone router.
Connected by ethernet cable from Tp link TL-WR940N access point.
Connected by wireless from the above access point (Wireless speed next to the TV with my phone measures 95Mbps)

To me it looks like there's setting in the Vodafone router that needs fixing to get the TV to shake hands properly with the router.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Ron

[Gemma]

@Ronthechippy - thanks for the tests you've already done with your connection.

If you're one of our Pro Broadband customers, please contact our WiFi Xperts on 191 free from a Vodafone mobile or 0333 304 0191 from a different phone. They're available between 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. 

They can then run some additional checks on your line. If you're not one of our Pro customers, then please contact my team through Social Media. 

[CrimsonLiar]

@Ronthechippy It may depend on how much work you want to do with no guarantee of success.  With TVs and STBs, it can sometimes be useful to completely reset them when switching between ISPs and introducing a new router.  It's quite often to do with IPTV autoconfiguration, which unless you can dig down into the service menus on the TV (don't do this unless you know what you are doing) is impossible to change without a full reset!

[Jayach]

If connected to the Vodafone router by ethernet cable, you should get the same speed as any other ethernet connected device. The speed test app on the TV will not be being buffered. Have you tried with a different cable, making sure it is at least cat5e. (unless the TV only has a 100mbs ethernet port)

There is no setting in the Vodaphone router that can cause this. (AFAIK)

[Ronthechippy]

Well, partially fixed for the time being.

There's not much wiring in my setup.

A few years back I did get the local computer expert to put in a couple of Cat5E cables between rooms, sockets on one end and plugs on the other. They have been working fine up 'till now, but I thought I should double double check them.

Quickly knocked up a continuity tester from bits in the box and found that one of these cables (one which had nothing to do with the telly mind you) had the blue/white and green/white flipped in one of the plugs. New plug fitted and guess what...speed on the telly up to 60Mbps.

After this I checked all the other cables in the same way and all were fine.

The telly hasn't buffered so far. The speed isn't the same as I can measure elsewhere but it should be good enough for the telly.

LG were going to look into it but at the moment they have gone awol...I'll be patient!!

Many thanks for the tips

Ron

[Ronthechippy]

Ok....I was wrong. It's not fixed.

Went a day without buffering but it's now back and I'd say it's worse (happens more often).

To cut the story shorter.

Vodafone arranged for Openreach to have a look. The engineer swapped the ONT and re-spliced the fibre connection in the box outside. This cured the intermittent plug connection to the ONT and speed tests showed consistent results around the 100Mbps.

Still got buffering.

Vodafone sent a replacement router which didn't help with the buffering.

Next, monitor the connection with Thinkbroadband's "Broadband Quality monitor" (BQM) for a day. Resulting graph shows a good connection.

Re-checked the network beyond the router....all still looks fine.

I've overlooked something at my end or perhaps Vodafone's modus operandi is to offer more than they are prepared to supply i.e. there's some kind of limiting going on that I can't imagine. Customers just have to put up with it!!

Any ideas?

Ron's network schematic herewith.

Cheers

Ron

[Mark]

I'm disappointed to see you're still experiencing difficulty connecting @Ronthechippy. If you reach out to our Social Media team as @Gemma suggested, we'll be happy to continue working with you until we've got everything sorted.

[Ronthechippy]

Further update.....one month in.

Problem persists.

Endless phone/chat with various levels of Vodafone....outcome....no help whatsoever.

Here's my latest observation:

Watch an hour long UHD episode on BBC iPlayer.

Outcome....

Constant buffering during the evening.

No buffering when watching the next episodes of the same after breakfast and after lunch.

Repeat with similar on ITV hub.....same result.

This has got to be down to Vodafone/Openreach messing about! They sell you 100Mbps deal and deliver something else. 

Are there any workarounds? Like Chromecast/Roku or get a different router or VPN.

OR

Is the only way out of this to ditch Vodafone and head to another ISP (and grass them up to the regulator)?

Any ideas?

Thanks 

Ron

[MickPollard]

Hi,

I have the same problem. Vodafone Fibre broadband with speed in excess of 150mbps.

I have an LG smart TV and am experiencing buffering in the evening when streaming. No change with either ethernet or wifi connection to TV. 

My router is directly below the TV.

Has your issue been resolved ?

Cheers,

Mick

[Ronthechippy]

Hi,

Sort of got it resolved.

Changed the DNS server (from automatic) on the router and the TV to Google (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4) and miraculously the buffering stopped.

This was ok for a week but then I had another problem which was down to "packet loss" of up to 40% (thinkbroadband BQM) during the evenings only. Speed dropped to 1Mbps. My suspicion was that Vodafone had over flogged the cheapo deals and their servers were overstretched with the abundance of moneysaving takers. Enough is enough! Result is that we are leaving Vodafone shortly.

Hope that helps

Ron