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[tuk]

I really like the site, lots of good, clear, and easy to understand information

Iv been with AOL for 5 years, but in the last few months I suspected/noticed they have been shaping some of my downloads even though I am  on '8Mb Unlimited Platanium'..but I would still get between 50-150KBps..so didnt really investigate it too much...but since the changeover to the new 'Car Phone Warehouse' network last Sunday I'm experiencing severe service problems.

On certain download sites like BigMicrosfotFileToMaxOutYourConnection.com I used to get a 7-7.5Mbps download, since last Sunday however I now max out at 3-5.5Mbps, but certain times of day maybe 2Mb..and my torrent downloads are worse still...I could tell you about frequent dirty disconnections, periods of non service(router is all green but no internet) and how some sites are now perm blocked ie YouTube + ping increase on my gaming server of around 15ms..but!

I contacted AOL who tell me my line can only support 5.5Mb(from BT), even though I tell them '...before I could get 7.5Mbps' and even 12Mbps on SpeedTest.com....so now they want to call me back on Mon for line test after I'v moved my PC into the other room to plug into the primary BT socket(useless because PC hasnt moved since good conn..+ wire already been tested for damage)

I need to know what my line is capable of because I know AOL wont be honest with me, when I spoke to tech support today I asked them how long my cable was and they said they didnt have that info..Hmmn

If Iv understood this properly.....looking at my attenuation of 31.5db and my guestimate cable length 1.1-1.5Km(see attached pic + using the tool located on this site) then  7-7.5Mbps doesn't seem unrealistic?..   Anyway Il add some info on my conn..let me know if Iv missed anything:

Live Router:

xDSL linestate up (downstream: 6688 kbit/s, upstream: 448 kbit/s; output Power Down: 19.5 dBm, Up: 12.0 dBm; line Attenuation Down: 31.5 dB, Up: 19.5 dB; snr Margin Down: 12.5 dB, Up: 28.0 dB)

DSL Connection   

Link Information
         
Uptime:   0 days, 4:27:43
Modulation:   G.992.1 Annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]:   448 / 6,688
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [MB/MB]:   42.74 / 103.93
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]:   12.0 / 19.5
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]:   19.5 / 31.5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]:   28.0 / 11.0
Vendor ID (Local/Remote):   TMMB / TSTC
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote):   0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote):   0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote):   0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote):   0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote):   53 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down):   0 / 10,382
CRC Errors (Up/Down):   0 / 1,012
HEC Errors (Up/Down):   0 / 51

Line Info(Courtesy of This Site):

ADSL enabled :     March 30, 2000
dsl Max enabled:    January 5, 2006
SDSL enabled :    Not Enabled
21CN due :    no info
Distance:-       Direct:      1.17 km
(appx)*    By Road:       1.45 km

BT Line Speed Estimation     
adsl button    Fixed ADSL:     2048 kbps    (2 Mb)
adsl button    DSL Max :      5500 kbps    (5.5 Mb)

RAG Test Results

Fixed:    1Mbps and 2Mbps available
radsl:    512Kbps and 256Kbps available
MAX:    ADSL Max is available
SDSL:    Exchange Not Enabled
TPON:    TPON/Fibre not recorded
Check:    The check identified another service on your line which may prevent you from ordering a new ADSL connection. Examples are : Existing adsl connection, DACs, LLU, TPON

[attachment deleted by admin]

[kitz]

>> but since the changeover to the new 'Car Phone Warehouse' network last Sunday I'm experiencing severe service problems.


You are not alone Im afraid and what you are experiencing is what many others have been reporting over the past couple of weeks during the aol ->> CPW change over. Whilst AOL never had the best of reputations, one thing at least their network was mostly stable and worked fine.

Many people who go straight with TT as an ISP wont know otherwise and may think everything is hunky dory on the TT network.  However.. those that have been with another ISP first and know how things can and should work are those that are noticing the difference.
The general concensus appears to be that the AOL help line is also "ignorant of this fact" and will attempt to fob you off or even tell porkies about whats really going on

The downtime, period of non-service, slower speeds, high latency, blocked YouTube are all reports I have seen elsewhere over the past week.... and the help desk has you running round trying to do stuff like connect at master socket etc to try and delay the inevitable.


A 31dB line should be able to support the full 8Mb. Your line stats currently show that you should be getting better throughput speeds than you are... therefore moving the PC etc isnt going to help improve your throughput speed.
(although I reakon a bit of tweaking and you may be able to sync higher - remember sync speed and throughput speed arent the same ).


I'm sorry - but I really dont know what to suggest for you..  you appear to be another victim of those that have been moved over to a bad TT service. 
My bro phoned me up the other night - he also has has the same symptoms on the TT network.. and was even total without a connection for a few days.  He's now looking at other ISPs for when his contract is up soon.
I could say more from lines I have seen first hand.. and attempts I have made in the past to communicate with AOL/TT staff on behalf of others.. but I think you get the picture

Also have a look at the comments from AOL and TalkTalk users on the site
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/ISP_rating.php?selectISP=AOL&page=1

[tuk]

Thanks for the quick reply and taking the time to help me!

I reakon a bit of tweaking and you may be able to sync higher - remember sync speed and throughput speed arent the same

Im new to this so, If I tweak the sync higher what improvements could I see?..is that the MTU setting??

A 31dB line should be able to support the full 8Mb. Your line stats currently show that you should be getting better throughput speeds than you are... therefore moving the PC etc isnt going to help improve your throughput speed

The feedback on this is much appreciated..I will feel more confident on Mon arguing my point with the support guy......Im also going to email BT for my cable length..Im sure AOL arent giving me all they could..as they claim! ..I dont know what BT is playing at quoting my line at 5.5mbps when my router reports 6.7Mbps@31.5Db..but I dont really trust the relationship between BT and the LLU's in terms of being transparent to the consumer..the very first tech support guy told me BT needed to update the exchange..even though I told him it was fine before ...no mention of last Sundays switch over and all the probs that came with it for so many people
 
I think I will have to jump through some AOL support hoops to hopefully get a mac + leave my contract early(Ends in May), if they cant fix this then for me their service 'is not fit for purpose' I use it for basically for downloading and 'admin/play competitive gaming'..my connection needs to be solid..and indeed for the last 5 years it has been..until now

 

[kitz]

>> If I tweak the sync higher what improvements could I see?..is that the MTU setting??

Its more about making sure that your internal cabling is the best it can be and isolating the chance of any noise being on the line on your side of things.
I would expect a 31dB atten line to be able to sync a bit higher than 6688, therefore its all about trying to improve your SNR on your side of things to give you that "lil bit extra".

Although you dont particularly have a Low SNR problem, on the bottom half of that page are some things to try and increase your SNR..  which may in turn give you higher sync speeds.

It is important to state that your problem with AOL though is nothing to do with sync speeds..  but actual throughput speed.   
The above info could well increase the speed you connect to the exchange at..  but it wont make the slightest bit of difference to your actual throughput speed if AOL/TT are stopping you from getting it because of the problems on their network side of things.


>> I dont know what BT is playing at quoting my line at 5.5mbps

Thats actually quite normal, its an estimate of what BT think your line should be based on various things such as line length and what others in your area are getting.   Its kinda an average....  but BTw like to play on the safe side.
My own line was showing as 6Mbps for well over a year - despite having rock solid syncs of 8128...  and it only changed fairly recently to show the full figure.   I think they give themselves a bit of leaway - just in case the consumer side of things arent set up right. - Not everyone knows how to get the best out of their line.

>> the very first tech support guy told me BT needed to update the exchange..

Yeah thats one of the very common porkies I see coming from aol.   
BTw updated all their exchanges by the end of March 2006. 
In fact you can see from the adsl checker  that your exchange was actually updated on  quote
"dsl Max enabled:    January 5, 2006 "

If you run that test again and look on the right hand side under the LLU bit - you may also be able to see the dates on which AOL/TalkTalk put their own kit in your exchange.

[Ezzer]

As far as be it tweeking or just an out and out check, I would say it's always worth if you have the opportunity to test your connection from the test socket at the back of the face plate on your master socket. Even if eveything has been fine before. the intenal wiring running from this socket will always be the most venerable part and the most likely way any new problems will arise from. Doesn't matter if its old/new wiring, just the one extention or even a very short run to that extention.

Though from what you've described If I had you fault to work on , then personaly the exchange is where i would start first.

Your ISP not knowing the actual line lenght, thats normal, ISP's would get an approximation, an accurate figure is only obtained from doing a line test by BTw as this is not a test accessible outside of BTw (although there is something in the pipeline so an sp can see what results came up after the last test although I belive this may just be if line tests ok or if any conditions are lurking there, but I've only picked up a small amount of detail on this so far)

This also a real big annoyance for Openreach engineers when you arrive at an end user only to find out the isp has catagoricaly told them "There IS a fault on the line." when we can see there is not; & when the ISP has no way of testing this (given the porkies they tell I'll dread to think what they'll say if they did have this access) and isn't currently privi to this info. Make can us look like incompitent idiots the moment we turn up on the door (sorry about the rant but this one point which grates, and one isp is so much more guilty of these porkies amongst other fob's than any other isp

The figure you were quoted as an expected speed would be an average, your db loss is good (from the map you look a good short distance from the exchange although some cable routes can end up taking a conveluted route) with rate adaptive the attenuation gives you a foundation, the final speed is very dependant on you snr and to a degree error counts