Kitz Forum
Broadband Related => Telephony Wiring + Equipment => Topic started by: levitron on April 25, 2014, 03:32:34 PM
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Hello All,
I'm wondering if I could get some advice on what I can do with my connection. I'm currently connected what I believe to be an ADSL MAX connection on my exchange (BERMONDSEY).
As I work from home, it is a requirement for me to have decent speeds (i.e. 10Mbps+ down). However, I'm stuck on a connection that is only, at best, 2Mbps down. It's kind of embarrassing when I drop out of Skype voice calls with my manager simply when my wife starts loading up Facebook on her computer! :-[ All of the service providers I've spoken to say that I'm limited to that speed.
I've done a little research on my end into the technical aspects of this. This is what I have:
-LJU3/1A faceplate
-between 2-2.8km away from exchange
-SNR Margin (dB): 15.1(up) 1.7(down)
-Line Attenuation (dB): 37.4(up) 62(down)
This is an image of my faceplate:
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F5f3GN8Xl.jpg&hash=def9b855fe0aca5c2cea90a4cc9abf2af616a9ce) (http://imgur.com/5f3GN8X)
Should I ask my provider (plusnet) to assist in upgrading this faceplate? Would it matter at all?
Thanks in advance!
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Is that your master socket?
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Is that your master socket?
As far as I can tell, that is my master socket. There are no other sockets in my flat.
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Are you connected directly, using a filter,and not using any extensions?
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Are you connected directly, using a filter,and not using any extensions?
This is how I'm connected right now:
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FDO8HUS2l.jpg&hash=9a10b876d648129503cce5d547b972f7de34caa5) (http://imgur.com/DO8HUS2)
Faceplate > ADSL Filter
ADSL Filter > Phone line extension > Phone
> Modem/Router
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Can you get line statistic from your router? What router do you use?, you probably have a large amount of errors with such a low downstream snr. What is your sync speed? Any audible noise on the phone line?
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The real problem is the line attenuation (62 dB downstream). That will limit you to ~ 2 Mbps. You might be able to improve the speed a bit by optimising your internal wiring, but it will only be a tiny improvement if any. I'm sorry to say that, as things stand at present, you're stuck with the low speed.
One possible hope is that you might be able to get VDSL2 ('superfast broadband') either now or at some time in the near future. If you enter your postcode here (http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/), you will see what the position is.
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Can you get line statistic from your router? What router do you use?, you probably have a large amount of errors with such a low downstream snr. What is your sync speed? Any audible noise on the phone line?
I'm on a TP-Link TD-W8980. No audible noise that I can hear.
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FcDrUv6yl.png&hash=3766bd65ddcc9308c9b0b9041408480ae1e1ab9a) (http://imgur.com/cDrUv6y)
The real problem is the line attenuation (62 dB downstream). That will limit you to ~ 2 Mbps. You might be able to improve the speed a bit by optimising your internal wiring, but it will only be a tiny improvement if any. I'm sorry to say that, as things stand at present, you're stuck with the low speed.
One possible hope is that you might be able to get VDSL2 ('superfast broadband') either now or at some time in the near future. If you enter your postcode here (http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/), you will see what the position is.
That's what I'm afraid of :( I've used that postcode checker numerous times and my exchange is marked as "Accepting Orders" but nothing is available. Using the BT Broadband Availability Checker I see this:
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FzVaZd7vl.jpg&hash=b152468ecbb1eca6bb86d46f27ab0dbad11b085b) (http://imgur.com/zVaZd7v)
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Have you tried configuring the router to adsl, gdmt, to see if its any better, should be more stable?
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Have you tried configuring the router to adsl, gdmt, to see if its any better, should be more stable?
Just tried that; no difference unfortunately.
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The stats didn't change at all?, its due to the low snr thats causing the internet to be unresponsive at times and why skype drops. Could ask isp for a snr reset to 6db, will sync lower but you will have a more constant speed, as the errors are probably costing alot of your throughput. :)
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The stats didn't change at all?, its due to the low snr thats causing the internet to be unresponsive at times and why skype drops. Could ask isp for a snr reset to 6db, will sync lower but you will have a more constant speed, as the errors are probably costing alot of your throughput. :)
I'll have it set to G.dmt for now and see if that improves.
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Could you post your current stats?
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Hmm...does look a little better!
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWWrCKdIl.png&hash=0c9a06271a4a6eade127f53de408e1e5bfe4d6be) (http://imgur.com/WWrCKdI)
But still similar speeds. Haven't had a chance to do a Skype call yet, so will have to see if that improves the stability.
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Those stats look an awful lot better you will probably have to wait for the ip profile to catch up, could take up to 3 days, but your snr is higher, so should be more stable and you have a higher sync speed. ;D You should as long as you keep the router on achieve 3mb, Skype should also work better although skype is also affected by latency AFAIK
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The real problem is the line attenuation (62 dB downstream). That will limit you to ~ 2 Mbps. You might be able to improve the speed a bit by optimising your internal wiring, but it will only be a tiny improvement if any. I'm sorry to say that, as things stand at present, you're stuck with the low speed.
It depends how bad the internal wiring is, I managed to gain around 1Mbit by redoing the internal wiring in the house.
The dropwire ran to the dormer window upstairs, where there was a BT box. From there a wire ran through the wall to a junction box on the windowsill (inside) then there was a wire to the master socket on the skirting board, then it went through the wall into the next room, along the wall, through the wall again, down the skirting board of the staircase, along the bottom step, over the cupboard and down to the socket where the router was.
Further investigation revealed that the extension wiring between the master socket and the downstairs extension was damaged, and also that the wire between the box outside and the junction box on the windowsill was 2 core speaker cable, not twisted pair (courtesy of the builders that built the house). So what I had done was replace the whole lot with cat-5 ftp running a shorter route.
Now, 1 pair of the cat-5 carries the signal from the box outside. through the wall, through the (old) master socket backbox, along the wall, through the door, along the landing to the top of the stairs, through the floor into the cupboard, down the inside of the cupboard, into the (new) master socket, where the extension used to be. There the signal is filtered, and another pair is used to send the filtered signal up to what was the master socket and is now the extension, and half of the 3rd pair is used for the ring wire. This improvement resulted in a gain of 1-1.5Mbits of sync on ADSL.
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As Loading has pointed out, your stats look a lot healthier now.
The only possible gains that could now be made, is the upgrading of the old Master Socket in your picture. There is an old-style over voltage protector (Gas Discharge tube) in the old sockets that can prove slightly detrimental to DSL signals. By removing this obsolete piece of kit and having a new-style NTE5 and SSFP fitted, there may be a few more kbps to be captured ??
Also there may be a 'Better cable to Cab', that your circuit could be transferred on to ?? If available and practical to do so, could also lower your attenuation value which in turn would increase your speed.
Both scenarios can only (officially) be carried out by Openreach. You shouldn't be charged should you wish to pursue an engineering visit via your ISP, as your Master Socket is obsolete and we upgrade these FOC.
The 'Better cable to Cab' can only be determined once the engineer has your current routing details.
I personally, would book a 'BROADBAND ENGINEERING VISIT' (Called an SFI) under the guise of slow speeds, and/or that you wish to install your own telephone extension cable but don't have the industry-standard NTE5 in which to connect it to. Others may wish to add to the debate ? :)
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I submitted a support request to Plusnet regarding "noise on the telephone". They've suggested that I do a test with my phone directly plugged into the master front plate test socket.
Since I do not have such a test socket, I informed them of that and hopefully they'll respond to that appropriately!
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I submitted a support request to Plusnet regarding "noise on the telephone". They've suggested that I do a test with my phone directly plugged into the master front plate test socket.
Since I do not have such a test socket, I informed them of that and hopefully they'll respond to that appropriately!
Well for all practical purposes you do have a test socket as all your services appear to be connected to the filter plugged in to your existing master socket, so if you unplug everything and plug only a wired phone into the master that is the same thing as a test socket. This assumes that all other phone sockets are dead (no dial tone).
If this were my line, I would clip out the gas discharge tube from the master and leave it at that.
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Very true. Didn't think of it that way.
No other sockets in the flat at all.
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You said earlier there was no noise? What noise do you have on the line?
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It's not mind blowingly loud. Just a very mild hiss. Initially I didn't think it was anything at all. I wouldn't consider it something to be in the way of my telephone calls.
But I do think it's something that should be addressed as fixing it (via a master socket replacement) could help in my broadband speeds too.
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I also have a hiss, with lots of errors if you plug the modem in whilst on the phone, can hear you hear any tones?
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You said earlier there was no noise? What noise do you have on the line?
This is why faulting a line either 'remotely' via a forum, or in person on-site, can prove incredibly difficult. One mans noisy line is another mans quiet line.
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You said earlier there was no noise? What noise do you have on the line?
This is why faulting a line either 'remotely' via a forum, or in person on-site, can prove incredibly difficult. One mans noisy line is another mans quiet line.
Indeed. Exchange noise on a line is normal. Before we all go charging down the HR/loose joint root, lets see how the line performs at the now higher sync for a week or so. If it holds up and the IP catches up, there is not much wrong with the line.