BT I-Plate

[Wags]

It seems that BT is pushing the I-Plate: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/05/i_plate/

The link to the BT shop has a large number of positive reviews claiming quite impressive speed increases. 
Has anyone here tried it, or is it just as effective to remove the ring wire from the master socket? I haven't touched the ring wire yet, but am going to test my router from the NTE5 at the weekend to see if I can improve my line speed.

[Glenn]

As far as I understand, it just removes the ring wire

[Rik]

I agree with Glenn, it removes the ring wire, in effect, which you can do for free.

[Wags]

Thanks Glenn and Rik. If I can pluck up the courage, I'll have a go at pulling the wire out...

I just haven't got round to doing it before.

[Rik]

It's the nearest thing to a miracle in ADSL.

[Tacitus]

FWIW I installed one at Sis' place and her connection went up from around 3700 to some 5600.  She now has a rock solid 4500 profile.  £10 well spent in my opinion.

For myself I've just installed a new NTE5A which I think does some filtering on the voice circuit as well as the ringwire.   I've used the same Clarity faceplate as before but have noticed a slight increase in my average connection speed. OK it's only around a 5% increase, but it is noticeable and pretty consistent.  YMMV.

[Wags]

Thanks Tacitus. I ordered one today.

I plugged the router into the master test socket this morning and my syc shot up from 4512 to 6528!

[Rik]

Amazing what a bit of wire can do to you, isn't it.

[Tacitus]

Amazing what a bit of wire can do to you, isn't it.

I would have simply disconnected the bell wire, but when I tried it none of the phones would ring, even though they're not particularly old.  So, £10 and the iPlate it had to be.   

[Wags]

I was going to just remove the ring wire, but it appears that 2 orange wires go into slot 3....so I thought I'll play safe and try the I-Plate first  

I hope it makes a difference. The extension I use for ADSL was put in by BT 2.5 yrs ago and should be OK. Next thing will be to replace all the filters with the ADSL nation pro ones.

[Den]

I thought the I-plate also took away the need for any other filters on the circuit as well as removing the ring wire other wise they would have just sent someone along to alter the wiring.   

[Rik]

I was going to just remove the ring wire, but it appears that 2 orange wires go into slot 3....so I thought I'll play safe and try the I-Plate first 

That's quite common, to put the pair of orange/white, white/orange onto terminal 3. Just disconnect anything on that terminal at every socket.

[Gary]

I thought the I-plate also took away the need for any other filters on the circuit as well as removing the ring wire other wise they would have just sent someone along to alter the wiring.   

You stil need your filters, there is a youtube video that explains that here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbHbOJIsTPw I have an openreach NTE5 so I have one built in and a filtered Adsl Nation faceplate over that so it fits fine. (The Openreach is the same size as the normal NTE5)

[Wags]

Well, the I-Plate arrived and is now installed.

My router stats are now:

                        DSL Status:                          Up           
               DSL Modulation Mode:                 GDMT         
               DSL Path Mode:                          FAST         
               Downstream Rate:                  4416 Kbps         
               Upstream Rate:                            448 Kbps         
               Downstream Margin:                  11 db         
               Upstream Margin:                      22 db         
               Downstream Line Attenuation:      36         
               Upstream Line Attenuation:              20         

Rather disappointing..... I will see what it syncs at tonight as it usually drops to 3512.

I don't know whether it is linked, but pings are sky high again at 99-160ms. When things are behaving themselves it is 13-15ms.
               

[Tacitus]

Rather disappointing..... I will see what it syncs at tonight as it usually drops to 3512.         

I'd give it a few days.  It was a while before the full benefits became apparent with the one I installed.   Your experience may be different of course.

[Rik]

Sync speed and ping times are completely unrelated, Wags. The former is between you and the exchange, the latter between you and IDNet. Is you target margin normally 9 or 12db?

[Wags]

Sync speed and ping times are completely unrelated, Wags. The former is between you and the exchange, the latter between you and IDNet. Is you target margin normally 9 or 12db?

Yes, I meant to say, I hope the filter in the I-Plate hasn't increased ping times (but I guess that is a nonsence). As an aside the best ping I ever had in game was on Pipex years ago at a previous address (when they were a good isp ) and I could only get a 512k on a long line! So yes, I appreciate that sync and ping are unrelated.

My margin jumps about quite a bit Rik, from 6 to 15 depending on the time of day. Would that shed light on anything? As you will see from my post above, when I plugged the router directly into the NTE5 it shot up to 6500. Would the next thing be to remove all the other phones and Sky boxes, so that I can eliminate problems with filters. I have three filters to different extensions in the house - one with sky  box and router, one with just a sky box (yes I am on multi-room) and one with a telephone.

I'd give it a few days.  It was a while before the full benefits became apparent with the one I installed.   Your experience may be different of course.

I know I'm an impatient chap - I guess I was expecting the sync to shoot up like it did when I plugged in to the NTE5!

[Rik]

The Sky boxes would be the first thing I would disconnect, especially if they are on Sky-fitted extensions. Obviously, you can't leave them disconnected, but it's a good diagnostic step. If you plugged into the front of the NTE5, it shouldn't have a dramatic effect, if it did, there's a fault on your wiring. If you plugged into the test socket behind the faceplate, then it's telling you that you're inserting a lot of noise into the circuit via the internal wiring.

Margins do vary, depending on the quality of line and the amount of ambient RFI noise, but usually I'd expect to see no more than a 2-3db swing. A 9db swing makes me think your wiring is a problem.

[Tacitus]

...Would the next thing be to remove all the other phones and Sky boxes, so that I can eliminate problems with filters. I have three filters to different extensions in the house - one with sky  box and router, one with just a sky box (yes I am on multi-room) and one with a telephone.

I don't know since I don't have Sky, but I have seen people have problems with Sky boxes.  Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but double filtering - 'daisy chain' two filters - the Sky box sometimes improves things.

[Tacitus]

You just beat me to it Rik  

@wags:  Adding to what Rik said about internal wiring, how is your wiring installed?  By that I mean is it a series of DIY plug-in extension kits daisy-chained together via 2-way adaptors, or is it a pro job with the additional sockets hard wired?

If the former, then I reckon that could be the primary source of your problems.  As Rik says the fact that plugging into the test socket gives a big increase in sync is suggesting the problem lies somewhere with your internal wiring.

[Rik]

I was going to add the double-filtering test, Tac, if disconnecting them helped.

[Wags]

Thanks Rik and Tacitus for your advice.

Just to clarify, I plugged into the test socket on the NTE5, i.e with the faceplate removed to see the full 6500. I could test using the socket on the front on the NTE5 to see what result this throws up.

The  sky and ADSL extensions (2 in total) were put in by BT (at great cost!) and were run from the BT side of the master socket when I moved in - so not a DIY effort! I will unplug both sky connections for a wee while tonight and see if that changes things. If it does, I will buy some more filters and daisy chain as you have advised.

It's funny, but I always felt grateful to get the speed I do, having only had 512k before, but as I have learnt more from forums like this, it has made me think whether I am getting the full potential... :

[Rik]

BT haven't done the job to their own standards, I'd be tempted to get them back and ask them to regularise it, as you can't disconnect the extensions as things stand. Which leaves me wondering why you're getting such an improvement by using the test socket. If it drops again with the faceplate in place, something odd is going on. Do remember to unplug the router from the mains before unplugging it from the line, to try and avoid BT seeing the changes as instability. Also, only make 8 changes in any one hour. 10 will result in your profile being dropped or even your target noise margin being raised.

[Wags]

The problem is that BT put the 2 extensions in 2.5 yrs ago Rik, so I would be in for an engineer's charge I guess.
Frustrating, because if I had thought about it before (within the 12 mth guarantee) I could have called them back
As I said, I was mesmorised by the increase from 512k at the time!

[Rik]

 

I understand. You can buy a cheap IDC punch in places like B&Q if you feel confident about moving the wires. Of course, I can't recommend you do that, but BT couldn't argue if they found them connected to the faceplate.

[Tacitus]

It's not unknown to have a dud faceplate - this recently happened to my next door neighbour.  The existing NTE5 was years old so I suggested it would be a BT/OR job which they should do for nothing since it's their box.  In the end their son in law fitted a flat master plate like you can get from Maplin.   

Their extensions are via a series of plug in adaptors which look like a Christmas tree sprouting from the master socket and, since the son in law has said it's OK they won't listen to any other advice. Needless to say they're still having problems.....

[Rik]

Oh how I know the feeling... 

[Wags]

Well, thank goodness the ping situation is OK now - it must have been a pure fluke that it shot up at lunchtime when I put the I-Plate on!  

C:\Documents and Settings\Wags>ping multiplay.co.uk

Pinging multiplay.co.uk [85.236.96.22] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 85.236.96.22: bytes=32 time=13ms TTL=124
Reply from 85.236.96.22: bytes=32 time=13ms TTL=124
Reply from 85.236.96.22: bytes=32 time=13ms TTL=124
Reply from 85.236.96.22: bytes=32 time=14ms TTL=124

Ping statistics for 85.236.96.22:
   Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
   Minimum = 13ms, Maximum = 14ms, Average = 13ms

[Rik]

Let's hope it stays there. 

[Wags]

This is rather strange, my SNR margin has dropped to 1db! It seems to be hovering between 1-2db and has been 11/12db for the past day...

                        DSL Status:            Up           
               DSL Modulation Mode:      GDMT         
               DSL Path Mode:              FAST         
               Downstream Rate:      4416 Kbps         
               Upstream Rate:              448 Kbps         
               Downstream Margin:      1 db         
               Upstream Margin:      23 db         
               Downstream Line Attenuation:      36         
               Upstream Line Attenuation:      20         
               Downstream Transmit Power:      0         
               Upstream Transmit Power:      0

By the way I disconnected the SKy boxes and it made no difference to the sync. rate, so I think I can eliminate this as an issue (as discussed earlier in this thread).

[Rik]

Not necessarily, we're looking to see if the stability improves without the Sky boxes.

How does that sync speed compare to earlier times. Either you've got a massive amount of noise on the line, or the sync is at a higher speed and lower margin.

[Wags]

The sync speed seems to be staying at a slightly higher level that before the I-Plate was installed - from about 3616.  SNR margin was about the same, although it has now increased to 11-15db.

This morning I have plugged the router into another extension in the house - one of the original ones which 1 I believe was put in when the house was built 10 yrs ago. The synch rate and snr etc are the same as the extension I normally use for ADSL.

I then plugged the router with filter into the master socket and the ADSL won't connect from this socket - i.e no dsl or internet lights come on at all. I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but do you think there could be a fault with the NTE5 master face plate which is causing issues with the extensions?

Thanks again for all your help thus far Rik

[Rik]

It's entirely possible that you have a faulty face plate, it's not that uncommon. Luckily, you can change that yourself without getting BT involved.

If your sync speed is staying about the same, but your noise margin is rising, it suggests that your circuit is putting noise onto the line. In all probability, BT would have responded by raising the target NM and, without the additional noise, you are seeing the true margin.

[Wags]

Thanks Rik.

I think I may call an ex-BT engineer that we used at work to see if he can check out the NTE5 wiring....That would hopefully be cheaper than BT. I am just concerned that if I do it myself things will go wrong.

[Rik]

It's guaranteed to be cheaper than BT, given they want £160+ just to come out.

[Wags]

It's guaranteed to be cheaper than BT, given they want £160+ just to come out.

It cost me £180 for BT to put in 2 extensions 2.5 yrs ago, which I thought was rather expensive.

I have googled about not being able to connect to the master socket (front of face plate), etc without success....so maybe this is quite rare

[Rik]

Relatively, but it can happen.

[Wags]

An update...

I have gone for a major overhaul of my ADSL wiring- I build my own PCs successfully, so thought I'd go for it!

I today removed the i-plate and fitted an ADSL Nation xte-2005 in its place, connected the router directly to that and have run 22m of external grade cat5e from here to a new Linksys switch and the pcs up stairs.

It was all pretty straight-forward and as a bonus I learnt how to make my own cat5e, using a rj45 crimper!

The only snag was that one of the long screws snapped in half in the BT side of the NTE5 socket   , so I have one screw and some heavy duty double sided tape on the other securing the ADSL nation faceplate to the backplate !!  

The router took a lot longer than usual to connect and synced at 5000, compared to 3800 before the 'improvements'. I then accidently caused a reboot of the router whilst tidying some cables   and the damn thing has synced at 3900!!! I will leave it overnight and reboot early morning to see if this improves. I know that re-syncing at 4pm on a Saturday is probably not going to give the best result., so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[Wags]

Errr this is rather good - no sooner had I posted the update and:

                        DSL Status:       Up           
               DSL Modulation Mode:      GDMT         
               DSL Path Mode:              FAST         
               Downstream Rate:      6432 Kbps         
               Upstream Rate:              448 Kbps         
               Downstream Margin:      12 db         
               Upstream Margin:      24 db         
               Downstream Line Attenuation:      36         
               Upstream Line Attenuation:              20         
               Downstream Transmit Power:      0         
               Upstream Transmit Power:              0

I guess it will take a few days for my profile to change now from 2500!

Not a bad improvement in my adsl for £71 outlay (cable, tools, etc)

[Rik]

That's a result - and demonstrates just what can be achieved without any help from BT. 

[Wags]

  for all the help and advice Rik!

[Rik]

Thanks.

[Sebby]

Good stuff.

[Wags]

Well, my profile has changed quite quickly. I was getting 2.93 mb down before:



I appreciate that none of this is I-plate related as per the title of the thread (it is now in its packaging again), but thought it best not to start another one!

[Rik]

Aw, go on, we could get going on food in no time. 

[Wags]

Aw, go on, we could get going on food in no time. 

Hmmm that has reminded me....time for breakfast!

[Rik]

 

A true IDNetter. 

[Glenn]

What would that be then Rik, DR sausage & bacon, black pudding ( ) mushrooms, eggs, tomatoes, fried potatoes (Scottish Maris Piper), maybe some baked beans, lashings of tea or coffee?

[Rik]

No baked beans, they do things to me that you really don't want to know about, Glenn. I'd probably put fruit pudding in instead of the black pudding, and definitely some onions.

[Glenn]

In place of the black pudding, hogs pudding.

[Rik]

Or haggis.

[Glenn]

now you are going too far 

[Glenn]

Well, my profile has changed quite quickly. I was getting 2.93 mb down before:



I appreciate that none of this is I-plate related as per the title of the thread (it is now in its packaging again), but thought it best not to start another one!

Great result Wags

[Sebby]

Or haggis.

Now you've just ruined a nice meal.

[Rik]

You just need a little more training, Seb.

[Sebby]

In fairness, I've never actually tried it. I would, you know.

[Rik]

You might find you liked it - I'll add it to the menu for whenever you pop in.

[Sebby]

[Gary]

In place of the black pudding, hogs pudding.

How about Quorn instead of meat, and green tea to replace the caffeine beverages   

[Rik]

And spoil a good meal? 

[Sebby]