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[camallison]

On Monday afternoon my BT Infinity install was done.  The engineer came on time, sized up the layout of the house and suggested several alternate installs.  He talked me out of a long digital extension and mounted the BTOR modem fairly close to the incoming socket (which of course had now sprouted an additional filter plate).  He then ran the line to it over a door and along a skirting board - 6 metres at most - to a point directly over a mains socket where my Homeplug was for the previous ADSL connection.  He then put the HH3 next to it and commissioned the install.  According to his JDSU box, we were getting a full 40Meg down connection.  I then plugged the LAN into my Homeplug adaptor and went off to my PC - 5.5Meg down max!!!!

With a wireless connection (g) to the same place, I managed 18Meg down.  It is now obvious that I have been caught out with the old 85turbo Homeplug doesn't mean 85 Meg throughput.

So, with a bit of confirming advice from helpful kitizens, I have run cat5e from the modem some 20 metres cabling distance (actually 4 metres as the crow flies) to the HH3 and connected the 3 PCs in the home office direct to that.  Result?  34Meg at worst and 42 Meg at best (according to Speedtest.net) when connecting to the Gloucester or Milton Keynes servers from here in North Yorkshire.  Upstream is topping out at 8Meg.

The training period was over within less than an hour and hasn't changed during the whole of yesterday or today.  I will say this quietly so as not to tempt fate - an overall good experience.

One point to note is that the BOR modem is cool - I asked the engineer about this and he said that they have sorted the overheating problem by going to another type from August onwards this year.  All owners of the older unit will be contacted by a private company that BOR have engaged to do the swap-out in the coming months.  I saw this announced on another forum earlier today.

Colin

[burakkucat]

That reads as if there is a satisfied BT Infinity user, up there in Yorkshire. 

Just to clarify, at installation, the OR engineer fitted a SSFP to the NTE5/A, ran a VDSL extension from the SSFP to the HG612 modem positioned by a mains power socket, sited the HH3 next to the HG612 and obtained 40 Mbps downstream there, when measured on his JDSU.

When using a pair of Homeplugs you could only obtain 5.5 Mbps downstream . . . 

As a result, you installed a CAT5e Ethernet cable from the HG612 modem to where you had re-sited the HH3 (removing the Homeplugs from the setup) and can now obtain between 34 - 42 Mbps downstream. 

Whatever you do, don't tell Mr Eagle, otherwise he is bound to ask you to collect lots of statistics for your line. 

[camallison]

Sure, I will collect stats, but only if he supplies the "cracked" modem.  I won't mess with mine, which BTW is a type 1B if that means anything.

Colin

[camallison]

To continue with the story .... BT (UK call centre) phoned this morning to say they were sorry to hear that I wanted to cancel the BT Infinity installation!  I quickly put them right, but have to ask how on earth this sort of thing occurs.

Colin

[burakkucat]

. . . I will collect stats, but only if he supplies the "cracked" modem.

A HG612 can be obtained for between £8 to £12, on eBay.    There are some people who try to sell them for £60+. 

I won't mess with mine, which BTW is a type 1B

That is interesting in its own right. I have seen them marked (in the top right-hand corner of the back label) with a bold B, 2B and 3B. However, as it is from the revised construction series it should be free from the original over-heating problems, etc.

[burakkucat]

To continue with the story .... BT (UK call centre) phoned this morning to say they were sorry to hear that I wanted to cancel the BT Infinity installation!  I quickly put them right, but have to ask how on earth this sort of thing occurs.

D'oh! 

[Bald_Eagle1]

Whatever you do, don't tell Mr Eagle, otherwise he is bound to ask you to collect lots of statistics for your line. 

I see that roseway is busy shuffling FTTC posts around. I had missed this one 

Now that I've seen it, @ camallison, yes - b*cat is correct  . If you ever do take the plunge & acquire the use of an unlocked modem, by all means give me a shout if you want to graph your stats (assuming you are a Windows user).

With your reported speeds, I assume you must live quite close to the cabinet, or that you simply have a much better quality D-side connection than I have.


Paul.

[camallison]

Yes Mr Boid - indeed, the penguin only resides here on one (not the main) PC.  Pacing it out, we are about 900 metres from the new cabinet, following the presumed pavement route between access manholes.

Should I be lucky and find a modem to unlock, then I will certainly give you a call.  Presently spending time fixing our 3 year-old TV, so my desoldering/soldering is having a refresher course before I go back to Telneting.

Colin

[Bald_Eagle1]

Pacing it out, we are about 900 metres from the new cabinet, following the presumed pavement route between access manholes.

Thanks for that info Colin,

It's useful info indeed (for me anyway) as it adds to my growing list of typically achieved speeds vs distances.


Paul.

[camallison]

To complete the story - just received a letter from BT offering to increase my existing speed up to four times what i currently achieving!  Why don't they save a little cash and realise I have already been upgraded to 37 Meg ....... or are they offering up to 148 Meg?   

Colin