Speeds

[Tanzanite]

On Sam Knows: According to BT Wholesale, your line should be able to support a 5Mbps or greater ADSL connection via ADSL Max.

Now I was led to believe my line can't support more than 5mbps, but I'm thinking that my line may have been dodgy when ADSL MAX was first put on the line and may have interfered with this.

I am 1.49km from the exchange, straight line distance.

Can anyone tell me if I may be able to get more speed.

[Lance]

If you run a BT speedtest and post the results here, along with the stats from your router, that would be a good start for us Eve. At least then we know what we are trying to increase the speed from!

If you haven't already, you may wish to read Rik's sticky and think about some of the things there, such as removing the ring wire etc.

Lance

[Tanzanite]

What I failed to mention in my half asleep state last night is that if you remember I had an ex BT engineer sort out my line problems recently. The extension socket was wired incorrectly and this had been like it for 6yrs.
I was put on ADSL MAX last July so my thinking is the fault was obviously there through the 10 day stabilisation period and would affect what BT thought my line could handle, no?

The ex Bt man said he thought I should be able to support 6-7mb.

My IP profile is 4500

[Rik]

We still need your router stats, Eve. The faulty line may well have affected your speed during the 'training' period. That, in turn, will have affected MSR & FTR but these figures are academic. The line management software should adjust to an improved line and lift your profile.

[Tanzanite]

DSL Modulation Mode:     MultiMode
DSL Path Mode:    Interleaved
Downstream Rate:    5120 kbps (Has been 5440 max)
Upstream Rate:    448 kbps
Downstream Margin:    15 db
Upstream Margin:    25 db
Downstream Line Attenuation:    43 db
Upstream Line Attenuation:    11 db

[Rik]

It looks like your target noise margin has been set to 15db to stabilise the line. If you are happy that you are not losing sync frequently, have a word with support about getting the target margin reduced. That will give you the extra speed.

[Tanzanite]

I dont think I have any disconnections. Though the noise margin falls to a negative number from about 9pm. There's no  line up count or anything on this router    From 9pm I do get the pop up thing from the wireless connection on the laptop saying I'm connected, this happens once or twice in the evening, would this be a disconnection?

If the margin was reduced how much extra would I get? I wouldn't need to get the 10 day stabilisation thing again would I?

I know my actual speed is between 3.50mb-4.50mb and it seems to slow down when I click on a link then speed up again which can be annoying. I'm pretty happy with average of 4mb but obviously if my line can go up to 6-7mb then I'd like to get it.

[Rik]

If your noise margin is going negative at night, Eve, there's still noise pickup on your line. It would be pointless having your margin reduced as you will have instability which will probably result in a lower profile. To be experiencing 16db+ or noise swing is unusual - either there is still something wrong with your internal wiring, or you have a problem with your exchange line/equipment. I think you need to talk to support.

[Tanzanite]

Unless it's the new router. I dont seem to remember it going negative at night with my last one.

I'll have to play around with different routers and filters again and see what happens. I don't want to keep bothering support lol
Just thankful I'm not getting less than 2mb as I was for the past 9mths.

The engineer did say he thoroughly checked everything and it was all fine, he couldn't see any problems at all. When I put this router in the test socket it's exactly the same sync speed as it is now, though not sure about the negative noise margin at night.

[Rik]

Those are all variables to eliminate, Eve. If you are absolutely satisfied that your own equipment and wiring are not to blame, then you need to talk to support. After testing your line, they can raise a fault with BT if necessary.

[Tanzanite]

I've changed the filters, now getting:
Downstream Rate:     5504 kbps (most ever since the line was fixed)
Upstream Rate:    448 kbps
Downstream Margin:    8 db (interesting)
Upstream Margin:    25 db
Downstream Line Attenuation:    42 db
Upstream Line Attenuation:    11 db

Thats the linksys router.
Just tried the Speedtouch and it didn't like that, sync speed was 4720.

[Rik]

Well, as the filter is straight-through on the ADSL side, that suggests something on your line is adding noise. What sort of sync can you get with only the router connected?

You have Sky multi-room, iirc? Sky boxes are notorious for putting noise on the circuit, so you might like to try double-filtering both boxes, ie two filters in series. Also check that, if Sky installed the phone cables for the boxes, they didn't split the pairs.

Remember not to change too much too fast, as that might tigger DLM and a drop in your profile.

Your current sync speed is right in the middle of the range for a 4500 profile.

[Tanzanite]

I'll keep it as it is and see what happens this evening with the disconnects/noise margin. That's the first time ever I've had such a low noise margin in the day. It's always been around 14-15.
Don't want to drop my speed, so will have to try just the router tomorrow after I've seen what it does today now I've changed filters.

Yes Sky+ upstairs with router and phone. Normal Sky box downstairs on its own. I've doubled the filters upstairs for the Sky+ already. Maybe a dodgy sky+ phone lead? How do I check for split pairs on that?

[Rik]

Maybe a dodgy sky+ phone lead? How do I check for split pairs on that?

You'd need to physically examine the connectors, Eve. Did your ex-BT guy take a look when he did the work on your line?

[Tanzanite]

Not that I know of.

[Tanzanite]

Something weird just happened.

My mum emptied the (plastic) bin which is in front of the phone point, this caused the router lead to be stretched as it's quite short and the bin gets in the way. My noise margin shot up to 14. Surely it's not the bin lol Router lead?

Have just re-adjusted it and it's fallen down to 6 now.

Hang on a mo, it's fluctuating  up and down 6 to 10, then 15. 

[Rik]

In that case, try disconnecting the Sky boxes at the box end, see if the noise margin improves. If it doesn't, then re-connect there and try disconnecting the leads at the telephone socket end. Still no difference? The Sky leads/boxes are not a problem.

If you stress the lead from the router to the phone socket, you could cause disconnections or noise, especially if it damages the contacts in the socket. Can you find a new home for the bin?

[Tanzanite]

It's definately the sky boxes    Took the Sky+ one out at the phone point/filter it fell to 10db, then I took the one out downstairs, it fell to 6-7.

Doubled up the filters downstairs and the noise margin was still at 7. I put the one in back upstairs with double filters and it went up to 9 and seems to be staying there at the mo.

Can I just buy a new phone lead for the sky boxes, would that do it?

[Rik]

Not necessarily, Eve. My own Sky boxes have no effect, but in general terms, they are notorious for causing problems with ADSL. As you have multi-room(?) you have to keep them both connected. If you didn't, I'd advise you to disconnect them the moment you were out of the 12-month contract.

You could test the Sky-installed leads by running substituting a normal extension lead (preferably not a flat one) between the box and the phone socket, bypassing their leads. If that improves things, chances are it's poor quality cable or a split pair.

[Tanzanite]

Yes, it's a multiroom one and have to keep them connected.

So, plug the end of the sky phone lead into an extension lead then plug that into the filter/phone point? Surely that would still have the same problem, unless I'm not getting what you mean lol

[Rik]

Hi Eve

Normally, when you get a Sky box installed, they will run an extension lead from the nearest phone point to where the box is situated. That usually ends in a doubler at the phone socket end, and a single socket at the box end. It's that cable I want you to bypass, so take the modem (black) cable from the Sky box into an extension lead and take the other end of the extension lead and connect it to a microfilter. That will bypass the Sky phone wiring, and eliminate, or identify, it as a problem. In all probability, it's the box itself.

[Tanzanite]

All I know is that there is a long black lead that goes from the sky box downstairs to the phone socket, the phone point down there is the other side of the room from the box.

Upstairs black lead from sky+ box to phone point.

Still confused lol It's harder to understand something when it's just typed without pictures lol I'm sure it's simple but just can't get my head round that.
How can I bypass that lead if I'm just going to put it in an extension lead, the signal will still be going through the same lead?

Think I'll go back to bed lol

[Rik]

Hi Eve

Are you saying that both Sky boxes only have the modem lead connected straight to a phone socket? IOW, there's a lead which plugs into the box, and that runs straight to a hard-wired phone socket.

[Tanzanite]

In one word, yes.

[Rik]

In that case, the cabling isn't an issue, all you can do is double-filter the boxes.

That does mean, though, that your Sky+ box must be quite close to your router, doesn't it? Or are you connecting wirelessly?