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[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

I'm "up north" near Whitby in a splendid peaceful farmhouse. I am such a sad hobbyist that I just had to look at the modem here as the filter was incorrectly connected.

I am as usual disturbed to find the throughput is under a Meg with the following modem stats:

ADSL Link   Downstream   Upstream
Connection Speed   4160 kbps   448 kbps
Line Attenuation   44 db   11 db
Noise Margin   4 db   22 db

The nation still needs a lot of education. I think I've convinced the farmer to do battle this time but I wonder how many more are prepared to put up with mediocraty through ignorance?

Kind regards,
Walter

[roseway]

I hope you're enjoying your busman's holiday, Walter.

You're right of course; most people don't know what to expect or how to measure it, and with many ISPs they don't get the service they deserve. Education is certainly needed, but that raises the obvious questions - who will do it, and how will it be organised?

[Ezzer]

 

I wonder how many people who frequent the KITZ website can't help themselfs but constantly keep an eye out with other peoples telephoney

I've noticed even when bumping into bt engineers outside of work. You see their eyes can't but help check out any plant around them. Nice to know I'm not going crazy that way...or maby ?

[burakkucat]

I must admit that when I'm out and about, I will always glance up any pole as I pass it by and if I should come across either an open cabinet or "hole", I will stop and ask the engineer in attendance if I may "have a view".

To this day, I have never been refused. Some engineers are incredibly chatty and are willing to explain exactly what it is they are doing.

[waltergmw]

Gedntlefolk,

One way of avoiding all the complications of twisted pairsis to organise your own village connection. It so happens that I visited Terrington near Malton upon my way home. Terrington is connected to the MYCON Coneysthorpe exchange which is a mere 4.16 km straight-line distance from Terrington so nobody there has a lightening fast connection and as you've probably guessed as a small rural village doesn't stand a chance of any FTTC in the near future.

VERY fortunately they are close to the Castle Howard Estate (AKA Brideshead revisited) who have developed a number of barns etc for small businesses which can only survive with reliable fast broadband connections. Sound the drum role and enter:-

http://www.ilovebroadband.co.uk/ilbournetworks.html

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/smart_move_as_castle_howard_leads_the_broadband_revolution_1_3020725

The entire village now has the opportunity of avoiding the very polite Indian call centres and jump ship to obtain a 5 Mbps 10 Gb download service @ £13.00 per month, a 10 Mbps 20 Gb download, or a 50 Mbps unlimited service @ £24.00. Whilst some may not like wireless solutions there can be little doubt that these services far exceed anything land lines can do and at quite reasonable prices. I spoke at length to one villager who was delighted with the cheapest new service compared to less than his former 500 Kbps which couldn't even support an iPlayer stream without buffering.

The picture below is the repeater house in the village with the incoming link on the TV pole and three ongoing links on the new mast.

Kind regards,
Walter



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[Morat]

Well that does look familiar!
I have to say that one of most satisfying parts of the project (apart from the lights actually going green) was calling to cancel various ADSL accounts. The next step is UMA mobile handsets and then the BT line is going completely. (BT still carry the fibre, of course!)

[Azzaka]

You should stop in on your way through and say G'Day Walter.