Problems Solved
Does router switch-off slow internet?
QA while ago I switched my ISP. During the process I asked them why my internet is generally quite slow. The firm’s technicians asked if I turn off the router at night, which I do. They sent me a new router as part of the new deal, telling me not to switch it off in future. However, I only use the internet occasionally during the day, and I come from the switch-off-and-save generation. My router uses 4.9 Watts. Over the course of a year, that’s about 43kw – or £5.16 at 12p per kilowatt! If I turn it off after an eight-hour day I’ll rack up only 14kw, or about £1.68. Speed-wise, there’s really no difference between my old router and this new one – downloads on both old and new top out at about 3Mbps – and I don’t go online enough to warrant the cost of fibre broadband. So, my question is, does switching off the router really risk things slowing down? Keith Dowsey
AThe answer is… potentially. ISPS allocate ‘profiles’ to individual connections, based on what they estimate is the maximum reliable speed that can be achieved between a particular customer’s home and the local exchange. Over the first few days or weeks following an initial connection any given profile might be revised, based on the line’s real-world performance. If a high number of synchronisation errors are detected then this is likely to result in a profile that delivers lower download and upload speeds: this is done to improve the reliability of the connection, at the cost of performance.
When, why and how often a line’s profile is reassessed varies by ISP, and the thresholds and triggers are unclear. However, a high number of disconnections is precisely the kind of behaviour that could cause a line to be re-profiled. So, yes, it’s entirely possible that nightly disconnections could result in a profile that delivers a lower speed. All this happens automatically, incidentally.
However, our use of ‘could’ there is intentional. Your ISP could use technology that’s smart enough to recognise nightly disconnections for what they are, meaning cost-conscious customers switching off the power. In that case, it’s unlikely a line would be re-profiled. Moreover, for any connection there will always be a ‘baseline’ profile, below which the speed is unlikely to be lowered further without the intervention of a human technician. Again, this will vary from ISP to ISP but, at just 3Mbps, we’d say your line is likely already to be at the low end of any automated re-profiling behaviour.
So, while we wouldn’t contradict your ISP’S advice to avoid hitting the router’s power button at night, we also think it won't make much practical difference in your particular case. Either way, you can keep an eye on your connection speed by using a web browser to log into your router, at 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1 or similar. Look through the settings for a Connection or ADSL page (see screenshot above), and then keep a diary on the figures for the Downstream and Upstream speeds. If switching off has a negative impact on download speed, stop switching off.