ADSL line checks giving different estimated speeds

bridgej · Jun 10, 2009, 19:47:47

I'm in no way thinking of leaving Idnet, but can someone explain this...

When I do line checks to see the available speed my telephone line will give me from different internet providers, the quoted figure varies so much, especially when the small print say 'based on information supplied from BT'?

I've been quoted anything from 2.5mb (which is what I am on now), ranging to 3.8mb from another and up to 7mb from another.

Even BT has quoted 2 different speeds, 2.5mb and 5mb depending on which of their sites I visited.

Should I believe any of them or just use the numbers quotes as my next set of lottery numbers?

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 19:55:29

In short, no and yes

They are just rough estimations and in my experience, wildly inaccurate. You could probably get a better estimation from forum members if you post your current router line stats.

You are also likely to get the best throughput from an ISP like IDNet that doesn't throttle as BT have recently been doing.

kinmel · Jun 10, 2009, 20:09:17

try this checker, it is run privately by the Founder of ThinkBroadband

Simon · Jun 10, 2009, 22:14:30

That's interesting, Alan. Maybe I'll upgrade after all.

Sebby · Jun 10, 2009, 22:20:08

What have you got to lose?

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 22:32:33

Simon · Jun 10, 2009, 22:33:24

Thanks, Zap, down to earth with a bang, eh?

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 22:47:51

Well you never know, the infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. By the same token if a BT engineer flails away at random in an exchange, one day, somewhere in the country, someone will almost surely get connected to ADSL2+

Simon · Jun 10, 2009, 22:52:11

Quote from: zappaDPJ on Jun 10, 2009, 22:47:51
Well you never know, the infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text,

I've been working on that principal for years!

bridgej · Jun 11, 2009, 13:29:22

Quote from: kinmel on Jun 10, 2009, 20:09:17
try this checker, it is run privately by the Founder of ThinkBroadband

Thanks for that, according to the site I should get around 4mb based on my noise figures etc.

Roll on the 4th June,

err 12th June,

err sometime before 17th June (2009 that is, I hope). No wonder nobody asks BT to organise a !@*&up in a brewery

Rik · Jun 11, 2009, 13:31:13

It's been a farce, hasn't it. Especially when you consider that, originally, IDNet should have received the hostlink last July.

Lance · Jun 11, 2009, 21:47:50

Prehaps its a good thing they didn't!

Sebby · Jun 11, 2009, 22:00:43

It does sound that way, Lance!

Aaron · Jun 12, 2009, 00:07:02

I've tried that checker but its just giving me the speed based on the sync rate I've put in, which is nothing new unfortunately, since this link shows the expected speed you should get in your sync rate range. And I've had higher sync rates before with an added 0.5mbps speed, it just won't go there anymore now.

Rik · Jun 12, 2009, 08:55:02

Some of the data in that link is out of date, Aaron, we carry the full current list here. It's perhaps also worth mentioning that the references to SNR are incorrect, ADSL uses a noise margin, effectively, head room rather than a ratio.

Your speed drop can be down to a number of factors, but it's quite common. The usual causes are degradation of the BT line, degradation of your internal phone wiring and increases in noise level, part of which can be crosstalk as more ADSL connections share a cable.