Orange LLU speed query

I was LLU'd on Monday. Have been keeping an eye on my Livebox settings so I have a 'before and after' to check to see if there is any real difference.

I've noticed that the noise figure has shot up which I don't really know is good or bad. Just wondering if someone can check my readings to see if they look ok. The figures below in brackets are what I'd recorded whilst on IPStream.

Connection Mode - ADSL2+ (IPStream)
Type - Fast (Interleaving)
Noise margin - 20.6db (8.8db)
Attenuation - 24.5db (24.0bd)
Attainable download rate - 13377kbps (10624 kbps)
Download rate - 8061kbps (7616kbps)
Upload rate - 605kbps (448kbps)

My actual download average speed was about 5.1mb and now reads at about 6.2mb but I don't really notice any difference. Orange have emailed me to say that my new speed is upto 8mb which is no change to what they'd told me before being LLU'd, but going into my account online it says 'We've checked out your line and your estimated speed is 13.0 Meg' which is confusing.

Am I right in thinking that I still need to give it about 10 days to settle? Does anyone think that I could be capable of getting any better speeds based on the settings? Or do I need to contact Orange to get my package changed (I am already on the Home Max package).

In a world where everything is a copy .... I remain an original
Born free.... Taxed to death!

I've actually just spoken to Orange. To get the upto 13meg speed they've quoted (as I've mentioned in my previous post) I have to sign upto another 18 month contract, still on the Home Max package. I currently pay £15. But if I agree to the new contract, they'll up my speed to the upto 20meg, send me a new wireless router, I'll pay only £10.50 for 3 months then the monthly charge will be £17 per month.

So to end up paying an extra £2 for a new router and a bit more speed doesn't sound too bad. Even if I only average a speed of 10meg, I'll be happy. Not too happy about having to sign up for another 18 months though, but hey ho!

In a world where everything is a copy .... I remain an original
Born free.... Taxed to death!

Your connection speeds are correct and the best you'll get on an LLU ADSL2+ 8 Meg package. They are identical to mine on the same and mine have been constant for about 3 years.

The NM has increased because your line is capable of 18 Meg at the normal target NM 6 dB, so Orange has upped the NM in order to damp your speed down to the capped 8 Meg package you are on. If you could switch to a 20 Meg package then your speed would increase to about 18 Meg while your NM would decrease to about 6 dB.

There is no 10 day training period with ADSL2+, unlike IPStream.

I assume you are on a legacy Home Max Package from way back & that is why you are capped to 8 Meg. I think you would need to take out a new contract to go on the newer 20 Meg package.

1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg BB

Exactly as I said. But you won't need a new router to get the faster speeds.

1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg BB

Thanks for the replies. I've decided to take the plunge and sign up. If I *do* get more than the 10 meg speed that i'm anticipating, I'll be chuffed. Although come to think of it, I'm only about 650meters from the exchange and don't normally have many speed issues, so we'll see.

I've had my livebox right from when they were first dishing them out and I know that electrical equipment doesn't last a lifetime so it would be good to have a spare just in case. I was thinking of buying a new wireless-G one to replace it towards the end of this month anyway, so depending on what they send me will depend if I still have to go ahead with the purchase.

I was going to have a look on the Orange website to see if I could find out what the router will be but the broadband bit of the site has just gone down

In a world where everything is a copy .... I remain an original
Born free.... Taxed to death!

By the look of the picture, you'll get the Siemens Wireless-G Router with only 1 Ethernet port. It is a basic router but is perfectly satisfactory.

After you switch please let me know what speed you actually get. Your line is capable of about 18 Meg but Orange only committed to 13 Meg. I think that this is because they are over cautious. I am interested because I'd like to switch myself later.

1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg BB

No probs, I'll let you know on the speed.

But it looks like I'll be buying the new router after all if that's all they're supplying me - I need two ethernet ports

In a world where everything is a copy .... I remain an original
Born free.... Taxed to death!

Bleeding heck! That's the quickest Orange have done anything for me!

My livebox has just reset itself. My stats are now

Noise margin (dB) : 10.4
Attenuation (dB) : 25.5
Attainable download rate (kbps) : 13338
Rate (kbps) downstream - 12286 upstream - 959

Just used the speedtester on this site and it says my speed is
down - 9.1mb
up - 0.8mb

I'm less than a mile from my exchange. I'll give it a day or so and do another. I don't think it's too bad. I reckon the noise margin could do with going down a bit more though.

In a world where everything is a copy .... I remain an original
Born free.... Taxed to death!

Edited by jinger (Wed 10-Mar-10 23:27:27)

In reply to a post by jinger:

Bleeding heck! That's the quickest Orange have done anything for me!

On LLU, they just remotely flip a switch on your line at your exchange

I'll be interested to see if your Sync improves after a few days cuz I reckon you can get nearly 18 Meg at about 1.9 Km line from exchange.

On their Availability Checker, Orange estimate I can get 9.5 Meg on a line that has got 16 Meg from O2 in the past; yet in My Account there they say I can get 15 Meg. which agrees with O2. Of course, they don't say whether these speeds are Sync or actual download.

1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg BB

I'd say it's the Sync speed. I wish it *was* the actual d/l speed

In a world where everything is a copy .... I remain an original
Born free.... Taxed to death!