Slow data speeds over LTE

[msimanyi]

Ookla speedtest shows I have about 6 Mbps down and 1.28 Mbps up through my Verizon network. One of my coworker's phones (an S4) on Verizon shows 60+ Mbps down and 6+ Mbps up, sitting at the same table.

Any thoughts on *why* my data rates are so much slower? Is it possible Verizon has done something to throttle back the legacy unlimited data plan customers?

Mike

 

[Einsteindks]

Could be, wouldn't put it past Big Red.

 

[LizMac]

Oh... no doubt. How did you end up with legacy unlimited? Verizon forced me out.

 

[Thom]

Did you do a Factory Data Reset after updating to Kit Kat?

... Thom

 

[msimanyi]

Nope, I didn't do the factory reset. I'll try that tonight and see if it helps.

To LizMac, I had two lines on the account and transferred upgrades from the other phone to maintain the unlimited data plan.

If they're really throttling me back though, that's a total waste of effort.

Mike

 

[Unforgiven]

I'm still rocking a lagacy unlimited plan with Verizon and I haven't noticed any appreciable change using Speedtest. Did you make sure you are connecting to the same server? I normally get connected to Boston, MA for tests, but when I just ran one, I connected to Norwood, MA.

 

[Thom]

Excellent reminder.

I always use Towerstream in Boston when I run a test. This then shows consistency among devices.

... Thom

 

[msimanyi]

I'm in Southern California, and whether it connects through Irvine, Fullerton or Los Angeles the numbers are essentially the same.

And at the moment, the numbers are all even slower: 2 - 4Mb down and 2 - 3 Mb up.

Kinda pathetic...

Mike

 

[Thom]

... as long as all devices are being measured from the same server.

... Thom

 

[doogald]

Ookla speedtest shows I have about 6 Mbps down and 1.28 Mbps up through my Verizon network. One of my coworker's phones (an S4) on Verizon shows 60+ Mbps down and 6+ Mbps up, sitting at the same table.

Any thoughts on *why* my data rates are so much slower? Is it possible Verizon has done something to throttle back the legacy unlimited data plan customers?

Maybe he is connecting to xLTE (the newly-branded AWS band 4) and you are connecting to legacy LTE (band 13). Luck of the draw for him.

 

[jhawkkw]

Maybe he is connecting to xLTE (the newly-branded AWS band 4) and you are connecting to legacy LTE (band 13). Luck of the draw for him.

^^^This could be the cause. I'm not sure if the Droid Maxx has had an update to enable the band 4 LTE on it or not. I'm pretty positive both the GS4 has been enabled IIRC, so it sounds like the cause.

 

[doogald]

^^^This could be the cause. I'm not sure if the Droid Maxx has had an update to enable the band 4 LTE on it or not. I'm pretty positive both the GS4 has been enabled IIRC, so it sounds like the cause.

The Maxx has been able to use AWS since the Jellybean OTA last November. I wonder if the phone is connecting to LTE because the signal is stronger than the AWS signal?

Those bandwidth results sure look like the difference between AWS and band 13.

 

[jhawkkw]

The Maxx has been able to use AWS since the Jellybean OTA last November. I wonder if the phone is connecting to LTE because the signal is stronger than the AWS signal?

Those bandwidth results sure look like the difference between AWS and band 13.

It definitely looks like that's the cause. Verizon Band 4 is likely not congested at all which is why the friend is getting 60mbps while band 13 is congested hence only 6mbps down on the maxx. 6mbps was about the speed I averaged nearly 1.5 years ago when I left Verizon, so it doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[msimanyi]

The full factory reset didn't change anything.

Interestingly enough, I was picking up lunch from a place a couple hundred feet from the Verizon store. At that location, I had 20Mb down and 20Mb up.

I have a feeling this is a case of the device being throttled back, even though I was under 2Gb of data used during the period in effect when I started this thread, and I'm at all of 38Mb used on the current period.

As of this writing, I'm at 5.28Mbps down and 1.03 up.