Packets returned slowly from specific US website

[johna]

The problem is web host specific. One in say ten pages from londonminingnetwork.org dribble back from the server taking 30 to 90 seconds instead of 2 seconds. I have run wireshark on a laptop connected via ethernet to the bt business connection (specifically 02072631002) and i can see the packets trickle back in. There are 2 to 3 second delays between each of the 1500 byte packets.

I have pinged the web host and packets always come back quickly and there is no packet loss. 

(The 2700 modem reports that there are uncorrectable errors between 1 and 10 per page but you BT have told me that the connection is good and the errors are acceptable.)

Same problem occurs on two different laptops running different OSs.

There are no page delays if I connect using virginmedia. 

The web host providers say talk to you.  Whose responsibility is it to ensure QoS between your network and particular network nodes like this web host? How do I establish that the packets are leaving the web host in a timely fashion? Thank you.

[johna]

Well the problem unexpectedly turned out to be the modem.  I replaced the BT2700HGV modem (made by supplied by BT and running 6.3.9.63-plus.tm firmware) with an 8 year old Huwaei HG520s modem and, so far, all the pages are returned at the normal speed.  I am assuming that there is a firmware problem in the BT2700HGV modem that only appears on a poor quality line. 

If there is a problem with the firmware, how could the firmware have got through regression testing?

I opened several support tickets with BT each of which BT closed prematurely as if the problem had been resolved. BT ran line tests several times and asked me to run pings, all of which they argued showed that the line was working perfectly. 

I was unable to engage with anyone at BT who could analyse the problem.  I did eventually get 2 engineers who acknowledged there was a problem but both gave up very quickly.  I wonder how many customers have had a similar problem and were worn down by the BT help desk and just switched ISPs. 

John

[johna]

It turns that very similar problems have been reported to BT in the past.  This helpful page about the modem takes us to two other posts:

[resolved] login.php causes Router blackout (7 posts) 

Cannot access store admin (not bt's) of website on either of my btconnect broadband accounts........

In both cases, the firmware was 6.3.9.63-plus.

John