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[waltergmw]

Hi Kitz et al,

I'v just come across a ST 716 on a Virgin Media 500 service which we're trying to move to a Max one.
The picture below is the summary information.

1.   Can anyone please tell me if there are any "features" to beware of and whether its firmware is up to date?

2.   E.g. I've tested the line with a DG834v2 using the latest firmware which gives quite different attenuation.
      716 Atten down up 63 31.5 dB Noise margin down up 21.9 23 dB
      384 Atten down up 57 15.5 dB Noise margin down up 21 24 dB

Kind regards,
Walter



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[roseway]

I suspect that the firmware is quite old. Looking around the net, I've seen references to firmware v5.4xxx and 6.xxx, although most references seemed to be not in the UK. I would personally be more inclined to believe the DG834.

[kitz]

Like with many of the other STs, theres several different versions of the router and Im not sure which one that is.

What I did find funny is that by googling the firmware version, I came up with a thread that I'd posted in elsewhere showing that Version 2.21.05.05_A2pB018c1.d16d also belongs to the Voyager 2110 (broadcom chipset).  All the other details are the same including the boot loader version.

If that is indeed using the same firmware as the 2100 series, then youre also looking at the same chipset as in the Netgear DG834Gv4 and Netgear DG834GT which uses DMTv8.
The firmware version would seem to indicate that release date was 2005.

The difference in the attenuation will be simply the way the DG834v2 and ST's measure the attenuation.  Some only measure attenuation from frequencies in use, whilst others may measure across yet unused frequencies.  This is why you can sometimes see a jump in attenuation when you get moved up to higher speeds.

The Noise Margin reading on both are similar and since with Max its the SNRM that gives you the speed, then I'd class that as being more important in this particular case and it indicates that there wont be much difference between the 2 when it comes to sync speed.

[kitz]

PS

The chipset for the ST 716g is the same as in the Netgear DG834GT/DG834Gv4 and the Voyager 2100 series.
The ST716g is about the only router that ST didnt use the DMTv7 compatible chipsets.

From the firmware it looks like that is a ST716g and not the standard ST 716.


-------------------------------
Sorry the 05 as to firmware release date is a red-herring
After checking some firware versions I have for when I did some beta testing with Voyager/Askey several years back....
It looks like the first part may be more to do with the chipset release date.... and its the string after the date that changes with firmware revisions.

The 715g is peculiar in that its the only Speedtouch that uses that particular chipset listed with these.  Askey wrote the basic firware and if you can get under the hood and if ST havent blocked access, then the busybox shell has some features if youre the sort that likes to play.

[waltergmw]

Thanks very much Eric and Kitz for your very rapid replies.

I shall indeed report back in a week or so when the Max service has been commissioned and we've done some more experiments.

Kind regards,
Walter