A 2Wire 2700 HGV BT Business Hub Router Wireless

[kinmel]

That Sync seems awful low for 40.5 Attenuation, my attenuation is 59.6 and I sync between 4500 - 4800 with 6dB SNR

With my 2700 the SNR never goes above 7.0, but sometimes drops to 2 without loosing sync.

Go for it

[LesD]

That Sync seems awful low for 40.5 Attenuation, my attenuation is 59.6 and I sync between 4500 - 4800 with 6dB SNR

I have had 4800+ on occasions but dropped out in the evening with my Netgear so maybe the 2Wire will do better!

Go for it

A man after my on heart.
Tomorrow morning I feel a router reboot coming on!

[Sebby]

The 2Wire should be more stable than the Netgear in terms of SNRM. Reboot in the morning and see how you go.

[Rik]

Hi Les

If you're seeing the NM rise by 6-7db during the day, I'd leave well alone, as a daytime re-sync will undoubtedly gain you speed, but will probably not be stable and, as you rightly observe, you then stand a chance of getting a low-speed sync and blowing your profile for 5 days. Though the 2700 can give a gain of 1000k, the operative word is can. My NM varies by only a couple of db, compared to 7 with the Netgear. Clearly, you are much more susceptible to noise, and in your position, I'd settle for the 500k.

[LesD]

Ah well despite my aspirations there was not much change so maybe Rik's right I shall have to settle for the 500 kbps I have got:

System Time: Sunday, April 13, 2008
09:44:28 AM
GMT Daylight Time
Time Since Last Boot: 0  days  00: 04: 54

DSL  Down  Up
Current Rate:  4384 kbs   448 kbs 
Max Rate:  4384 kbs   1068 kbs 
Current Connection:
Current Noise Margin:  12.0 dB   26.0 dB 
Current Attenuation:  40.6 dB   26.0 dB 
Current Output Power:  19.4 dBm   11.9 dBm 

[Rik]

It looks like you have a target NM of 12db, Les. If you're seeing that drop on a 2700 to 6db, something is putting a lot of noise on the line. It might be worth having a word with support and getting the line tested.

[LesD]

If you're seeing that drop on a 2700 to 6db, something is putting a lot of noise on the line.

I have watched it drop through 10, 9 to 7 dB as darkness falls and the street lights come on with everthing inside my house the same, on more that one occasion. All BT Wholesale and DSLZone for that matter say my line is good for is 2.5 Mbps so getting over 3 Mbps is probably the most I can expect.

By 10 PM the Noise Margin moves between 6 and 7 dB with an occasional 5 dB. I expect the 5 dB corresponds to the massive dB number my Netgear used to display just before dropping the connection that you told me corresponded to -2 dB.

I have done the quiet line test on 017070 and during daylight all is well so I doubt BT would find a line fault.

[Rik]

IDNet can run a woosh test on the line, which might reveal something. I suspect though, that like many of us, you are rather stuck with it until BT invest in significant re-cabling.

[LesD]

until BT invest in significant re-cabling.

Fibre optic would be nice!

[Rik]

Well, they've asked Ofcom.  (See here)

[Sebby]

Come on fibre, we are waiting for you.

[LesD]

Despite the, "Error messages by Ali G" namely "LATEST: Currently Sytem have the problem.Sorry for inconvenience" if you simply ignore it, as it seems to be the latest ploy to keep usage down, this is what I have just obtained:

Test at  6:14 PM 13/4/8

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    IP profile for your line is - 3500 kbps
    DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)  4320 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 3250 kbps

So my IP Profile is in line with my connection rate and my throughput is in line with my IP Profile.   

Yes if anyone has noticed my connection rate is lower than this morning. I had my power off to do a little job so I had another reboot this afternoon and 4320 kbps is what it came back at still with a 12 dB Noise Margin.

[Rik]

Yes and yes, Les.

[kinmel]

Despite the, "Error messages by Ali G" namely "LATEST: Currently Sytem have the problem.Sorry for inconvenience" if you simply ignore it, as it seems to be the latest ploy to keep usage down, this is what I have just obtained:

Test at  6:14 PM 13/4/8

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    IP profile for your line is - 3500 kbps
    DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)  4320 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 3250 kbps

So my IP Profile is in line with my connection rate and my throughput is in line with my IP Profile.   

Yes if anyone has noticed my connection rate is lower than this morning. I had my power off to do a little job so I had another reboot this afternoon and 4320 kbps is what it came back at still with a 12 dB Noise Margin.

It is amazing how lines differ in their ability to hold a sync. Using your own stats of 4320, 40.6 and 12 in the  ADSLGuide checker,  it thinks you should get a 5527 sync and 4.5Mbps profile.

That checker is usually quite accurate IF you can get a grip on the line noise.

[LesD]

you should get a 5527 sync and 4.5Mbps profile.

If only! 

IF you can get a grip on the line noise.

Local Noise in my premises was an issue for me and Rik, Sebby, Lance and others helped me to isolate it to what was a new PSU in my PC. I replaced it with a Tagan one and things are much better now. I have bought some RFI filters on eBay, beefy ones on PCB's that I am slowly building into sockets to feed all the "Wall Wart, Soap on a Rope" PSU's for things like my DEC Phone base, Scanner, Printer, Camera etc with a separate one, all of its own, for my Router's PSU. None of these things are an issue for the time being though, despite not yet being filtered, because I simple do not have any of them or my PC and my monitor switched on when I boot the Router from power on.

Subsequently switching them on has very little if any effect on my Noise Marigin it is the onset of darkness that sees it fall. So my filters may not be really necessary but I feel committed to them now. I'll post a picture when they are done!

Other measures I have taken include installing an ADSLNation filtered face plate at my Master Socket and running a continuous twisted pair in a CAT5 Cable from the ADSL terminals on the back of the ADSLNation filtered face plate to an RJ11 plug that plugs directly into my Router. The CAT5 cable comes back out of my wall through a large rubber grommet I fashioned into a "power socket" blanking plate. This run is just under 10 metres in length, which is as short as I can make it without major alterations to the structure of my house! 

I am convinced the remaining noise is external to my premises and substantially out of my control. 


I was hoping that after holding a stable connection for a full 15 days that my target Noise Margin might have dropped by 3 dB letting me Sync at a higher rate in the daylight hours but it was not to be, presumably because of the way it drops as darkness descends.   

[kinmel]

I am convinced the remaining noise is external to my premises and substantially out of my control. 

I am sure you are right, it must be frustrating to know that it is beyond your control but at least you have done everything in your power to get the best out of your line. It is better to have a stable sync than the fastest possible one that keeps crashing

Enjoy the improvement and a Karma for effort

[LesD]

It is better to have a stable sync than the fastest possible one that keeps crashing

Enjoy the improvement and a Karma for effort

Thanks for the condolences Alan, and for the Karma. 

[Rik]

Hi Les

The CAT5 cable comes back out of my wall through a large rubber grommet I fashioned into a "power socket" blanking plate.

Are you running the cable on the exterior wall?

[LesD]

Are you running the cable on the exterior wall?

The front of my house has been extended so what used to be an external wall is now an internal one but is complete with a cavity. This cavity has proved very handy for running my LAN cables and more recently my CAT5 ADSL cable through. When these cables leave this cavity they go off under the upstairs bathroom floor and then down through an internal wall to the Master Socket.

The BT cable was laid in under the concrete floor to come up to the location of the Master Socket when the house was built circa 1969 .

The grommet I referred to is in a blanking plate screwed to the plastered surface of what was once an exterior wall.

There we are clear as mud! 

[Rik]

That's OK, Les, I understand now. I was just a bit worried about the degradation of the cable if it was on an outside wall.

[LesD]

All's well with my 2700 I am pleased to say but it does tend to becoming just a wee bit boring! 

That said it does give me time to ponder one or two things I have read about but have not really understood how they might apply to my router:

I have the Dual SSID 2Wire 2700 HGV Router and in the Summary I see this:

Model: BT2700HGV
Serial Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MAC Address: --:--:--:--:--:--
Hardware Version: 2701-100588-005
Hardware Options: Wireless present
DSL Modem Type: ADSL
Current Software: 5.29.107.19 
DSL Modem: 7.2.2

1) I have read that with the Dual SSID version there is no need to "poison" the DNS but I have anyway.
Had I not poisoned the DNS would the "Current Software: 5.29.107.19" I see in the Summary get updated? If it was updated would this be a good thing or a bad thing?

At the moment it "ain't broke" so I guess it is probably best not to think about fixing it but my curiosity has the better of me.

2) I have read that the SBC software is strictly for the Single SSID version only but that breaks the VOIP facility.
Does poisoning the DNS break the VOIP facility of the Dual SSID version?
Does VOIP only work if your ISP is BT or will it work with IDNet too?

3) From what I read, although I am not currently using wireless networking, I could should the need arise.

I have never set up any wireless networking before so do not know what is involved.   
Under:
Local Network – Wireless SettingsCurrent Settings
I see:
Access Point: vv:xx:yy:zz:aa:bb
Network Name: BTBusinessHub-xyz ..............actual numbers disguised just in case

but with the numbers I see are these likely to be valid or are they only applicable to use with BT as the ISP?

My home network already has a name for the ethernet hard wired bits. Is it this name that I would replace, "BTBusinessHub-xyz" with?

4) Finally I have read that with the SBC software you can increase the strength of the Wireless signal. I presume that with software version 5.29.107.19 that this is not possible. Is this correct?

I know, pretty basic stuff and I could no doubt swat it all up in the manual I have downloaded but I felt sure that some of you kind folks would help me out! 

[kinmel]

1. This Router completely ignores the entries in the DNS Resolve list. Should another update be issued by BT you cannot avoid it being applied, but automatic updates from 5.29.107.12 to 5.29.107.19 appear to have stopped happening

2. VOIP will still work, but not with BT or IDNet. You need to get a VOIP account elsewhere and use their setup information

3. The wireless works only on your local network and is therefore independent of any ISP, you can use any name you wish.

4. The SBC software kills the Dual SSID, the wireless signal strength cannot be easily increased on this Router, but is already set to the UK legal maximum.

[peterbeaumont]

I found an unused one of these at work last week and managed to set it up yesterday.

Its details are:

Model: BT2700HGV Dual SSID
Serial Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MAC Address: --:--:--:--:--:--
Hardware Version: 2701-100589-005
Hardware Options: Wireless present
DSL Modem Type: ADSL
Current Software: 5.29.117.6 
DSL Modem: 7.2.6

The only problem I have is when I try to change and save the settings to my fixed IP address and preferred IDNet server numbers (from the automatic settings), I get the error message

Your PPP Username is not correct!

Can I easily get round this, or should I leave it alone, please?

[kinmel]

Ignore the error message, the changes you wanted will be implemented and it will continue to use your IDNet user details.

[LesD]

1. This Router completely ignores the entries in the DNS Resolve list. Should another update be issued by BT you cannot avoid it being applied, but automatic updates from 5.29.107.12 to 5.29.107.19 appear to have stopped happening

2. VOIP will still work, but not with BT or IDNet. You need to get a VOIP account elsewhere and use their setup information

3. The wireless works only on your local network and is therefore independent of any ISP, you can use any name you wish.

4. The SBC software kills the Dual SSID, the wireless signal strength cannot be easily increased on this Router, but is already set to the UK legal maximum.

Ah that makes things clearer. Thanks for that. 


I see that Peter Beaumont's router has a later software version:

Current Software: 5.29.117.6 than my 5.29.107.19

but is sound like if automatic updates have stopped mine will stay as it is.