21cn at my exchange

[stevenrw]

According to SamKnows, my exchange is upgrading in the near future
"BT Wholesale WBC have updated the enablement date for the Purley exchange to 31/01/2009 (Was previously 28/02/2009) "

What does that mean for me in practical terms as an IDnet user (Homelite)?

[Rik]

It means that, once IDNet's gigabit Hostlink goes live (soon), you will be able to volunteer to switch to the WBC-based service, Steve. Depending on your stats, that could mean significant speed increases. I don't know how the new packages will be priced yet, ie whether there will be a different set of packages for the up to 24Mbps connections.

[Sebby]

If you post your line stats, we could give you an idea of the speeds you could potentially achieve on the new platform.

[stevenrw]

Sebby
I normally just use the "Think Broadband" speed tester. Does this give you the level of detail you need?

[Rik]

No, we need the information from your router, specifically sync speed, attenuation and noise margin.

[stevenrw]

OK, can you give me a link to the speed tester you'd use?

[Rik]

I rarely bother with a speed test, Steven. If I do, I use the BT one: http://test.speedtester.bt.com:50301/

[David]

It means that, once IDNet's gigabit Hostlink goes live (soon), you will be able to volunteer to switch to the WBC-based service, Steve. Depending on your stats, that could mean significant speed increases. I don't know how the new packages will be priced yet, ie whether there will be a different set of packages for the up to 24Mbps connections.

My Exchange is showing the same message 

[Rik]

Get your name down as a volunteer, David.

[David]

With Who ? Idnet ?

[Simon]

Yes.

[David]

  I will get my name down...as you know I suffer with such low speeds 

[Sebby]

Remember you're going from a BT service to a BT service, so don't get your hopes up.

[David]

No chance of this Sebby,as I dont expect anything Im happy with my meagre 5.4 down and 4.1 up 

[Rik]

Meagre! 

[stevenrw]

Yeah, I'd be delighted with 5.4 down, that'd be a big improvement on my 3.2....
As you suggest, I won't get my hopes up.

[Rik]

At 3.2, Steven, you're reaching that point on the graph where the two speeds merge.

[David]

Dont all feel sorry for me at once now.......I hate sympathy 

[Rik]

We weren't going to, David.

[David]

 

[stevenrw]

At 3.2, Steven, you're reaching that point on the graph where the two speeds merge.

Which means???

[Rik]

You'll get a small speed gain, but you certainly won't get 24Mbps. I can give you a more accurate prediction if you can post your stats.

[stevenrw]

OK Rik, I'm at work at the moment - I'll run the BT thingy this evening and let you know.

[Rik]

You don't need to run the BT test, Steven, your router has the data we need.

[stevenrw]

Can you talk me through how I get the data you need from the router please?
You are starting to realise I'm not very savvy at this stuff..

[Rik]

What router do you have?

[David]

Now this will Coruscate throughout the forum thats for sure... well it will for some of us 

[Rik]

 

Pushing that one, David.

[David]

Just scraped it though 

[stevenrw]

I have the Netgear DG834G

[Sebby]

Type 192.168.0.1 in your web browser and the username is admin and password is password, I think. At the bottom of the main page, there is a button that says connection details. A new window will open - let us have the contents.

[stevenrw]

Right, details as follows:

Connection status:
Router Status
   
Account Name 
Firmware Version  V4.01.06 
   
ADSL Port 
MAC Address  00:18:4d:c4:48:fb
IP Address  <personal details removed - Rik>
Network Type  PPPoA
IP Subnet Mask  255.255.255.255
Gateway IP Address 212.69.63.51
Domain Name Server  212.69.36.3
212.69.40.3
   
LAN Port
MAC Address  00:18:4d:c4:48:fa
IP Address  192.168.0.1
DHCP  On
IP Subnet Mask  255.255.255.0
   
Modem 
ADSL Firmware Version 6.01.00.12
Modem Status Connected
DownStream Connection Speed 3776 kbps
UpStream Connection Speed 448 kbps
VPI 0
VCI 38
   
Wireless Port 
Name (SSID) NETGEAR
Region Europe
Channel 11
Wireless AP Enabled
Broadcast Name Enabled

Under "Show statistics":

System Up Time 208:50:17
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 1149115 1637762 0 650 2223 208:49:31
LAN 10M/100M 519859 393419 0 549 292 208:50:13
WLAN 11M/54M 1074275 882168 0 1733 422 208:50:04


ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 3776 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 38 db 10.5 db
Noise Margin 4 db 21 db

This last stuff was in tabular form, but I've copied and pasted it as best I can.
Hope this is what you need.

[Rik]

Hi Steven

I've removed your IP address from the post.

The info we need is this bit:

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 3776 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 38 db 10.5 db
Noise Margin 4 db 21 db

You're likely to get about 10Mbps on WBC with those stats. I am troubled, though, by your d/s noise margin, which is low. You may benefit by changing or improving your internal phone wiring.

[Sebby]

I am troubled, though, by your d/s noise margin, which is low. You may benefit by changing or improving your internal phone wiring.

But it is a Netgear, if if it's a v3 or earlier, this is to be expected.

[Rik]

True enough.

[stevenrw]

There is still an IP address showing - should this be deleted also?

10 would be a great improvement.
As you suggest, I will not hold my breath however...
Would upgrading to a later Netgear router pay dividends?

[Rik]

Do you mean the 192.168 one? That's internal, so no risk.

A later Netgear might help, or you could try a 2-Wire 2700, which many of us have found excellent on longer or noise-prone lines.

[stevenrw]

How about one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2Wire-2701HG-ADSL2-Modem-HyperG-Wireless-Router-NEW_W0QQitemZ250362522307QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item250362522307&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
- is this the later version of the 2700?
Any probs with the 2wire units? I'd never heard of them. I'm looking to wire the main desktop with a wireless network for lappys elsewhere in the house.

[Rik]

It's a different version to the BT ones, so I'm not sure.

[Simon]

That 2701 looks quite nice.  I wonder if it's worth a punt, at the right price?

[Simon]

Says in another auction for the same:

"ADSL Device configured for AT&T DSL services"

[Rik]

Which worries me slightly.

[bridgej]

These are the figures from my Netgear DG834G v4 Router stats page. Does anyone know what sort of speed I'm likely to get from the new ADSL2+ service or won't it be worth getting excited about ?

ADSL Link                  Downstream      Upstream
Connection Speed    3392 kbps            448 kbps
Line Attenuation                51.0 db            28.0 db
Noise Margin                  5.8 db            18.0 db

[Simon]

Which worries me slightly.

Yes, and the BT ones are configured for BT services, but that didn't stop us! 

[Rik]

You should get about 5M sync, Bridge, with a throughput around 4.5M.

[Niall]

For some reason Samknows says there is no date for 21cn at my exchange when there is/was when I last checked. Strange.

[Rik]

BT have put a lot of dates back, Niall, and removed some altogether.

[Niall]

Meh, well I'm not really bothered. As long as my internet I have now, continues to function correctly, I'll be a happy bunny.

Which reminds me, I need a battery for my mothers PC as the cmos keeps resetting I didn't realise that certain programs don't work if the date is set incorrectly, msn messenger for one.

[Sebby]

Yep, there are a few, Niall. Windows updates the time automatically, but only every so often.

[stevenrw]

After your recommendations I started looking for 2wire 2700 routers. Can anybody tell me if there is any significance in the HGV suffix. I'm considering this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-2Wire-2700HGV-BT-Business-Hub-UNLOCKED_W0QQitemZ190280433990QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item190280433990&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Any views/concerns anybody?

[uxbod]

If its a HGV you may require a different license

[Ted]

After your recommendations I started looking for 2wire 2700 routers. Can anybody tell me if there is any significance in the HGV suffix. I'm considering this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-2Wire-2700HGV-BT-Business-Hub-UNLOCKED_W0QQitemZ190280433990QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item190280433990&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Any views/concerns anybody?

G=wireless-G, V=Voip. That Hub has been flashed with the Singtel Firmware and is a little expensive, you should be looking at around £15 for a brand new, sealed unit.

[kinmel]

After your recommendations I started looking for 2wire 2700 routers. Can anybody tell me if there is any significance in the HGV suffix. I'm considering this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-2Wire-2700HGV-BT-Business-Hub-UNLOCKED_W0QQitemZ190280433990QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item190280433990&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Any views/concerns anybody?

Why has the idiot put the Singtel firmware on it, with that version the SNR sets to 8 and not 6 and the router takes a performance hit !

You could change the firmware again, but not to the latest versions.

As Ted says it is far too dear.

Also search for " Business Hub" in Ebay

Other than that it will work just fine.

[Rik]

The V means that it supports two phone for VOIP.

[Simon]

I could be wrong, but I'd always assumed HGV signified that it was the later, twin SSID version.

[Ted]

I could be wrong, but I'd always assumed HGV signified that it was the later, twin SSID version.

Both single and dual ssid versions are designated "HGV" 

[Simon]

I was right then, I was wrong. 

[Rik]

So two wrongs do make a right.

[Ted]

So two wrongs do make a right.

Right!

[Rik]

Are you sure, Ted.

[Simon]

Looks all right to me. 

[Rik]

[Sebby]

I was right then, I was wrong. 

Love that one.

[Simon]

Thanks, Seb. 

[stevenrw]

In looking around on EBay most of the BT business hubs (2700HGV) do not state "Unlocked" - is it possible for a dummy like me to configure such an "unlocked" hub to work with IDnet both wired (for the main machine) and wirelessly for the rest of the house?

[Glenn]

Yes Steve, even you can do it, just follow the guide here

[stevenrw]

Thanks for such a prompt response Glenn - just one more question however.
The link goes to options for Single SSID and Dual SSID.
I don't know what SSID is so I dunno how many of them I've got!
Can you explain in baby language please?

[Steve]

SSID = Service Set IDentifier. The single version has one wireless port like a conventional router, the dual has two wireless ports the second one is intended for a wireless broadband telephone(VOIP)

[stevenrw]

Thanks for that Steve, understood.

However, if the router does have a VOIP port but I'm not intending to use Skype etc, can I use single SSID setup?

[Rik]

You can use either, I have both a single and dual SSID.

[Lance]

the dual ssid units are just the newer ones, and the second ssid can just be disabled if you don't need it.

[Sebby]

Indeed, that's what I did, Lance.

[stevenrw]

Got meself one of them thar 2700HGV thingys. Should be getting it this week.
Stand by for requests for help!
cheers!

[Sebby]

We're ready and waiting.

[Rik]

I'm just waiting.

[Sebby]